NATURALS
Using natural butylene glycol in personal care
Kyle Huston - Genomatica
Sustainability has evolved from trends to a way of life across various industries. No more is this true than in the world of cosmetics and personal care. From compostable packaging to responsibly sourced, consumer demand for high-quality and sustainable beauty products continues to grow. While health concerns and sustainability
are two leading factors driving demand for alternatives to fossil-fuel derived ingredients, companies across the beauty industry are looking to find more innovative solutions for developing products that protect the health of people and the planet. However, while natural and sustainable personal care products satisfy consumer demand, they can be difficult to produce with the same efficacy and performance as their petroleum-based counterparts. Using plant-based alternatives to replace
commonly-used ingredients derived from fossil fuels, such as butylene glycol, can decrease greenhouse gas emissions and create more sustainable products as well as more transparent, traceable, and responsibly sourced supply chains. According to Statista, nearly 70% of US
consumers aged 18 to 29 prefer natural and organic skin care products over conventional options.1
Additionally, a consumer study
commissioned by Genomatica concluded that over one-third of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable cosmetics.2
With both
reports favouring sustainable products, the data shows a growing need and opportunity for companies to incorporate natural ingredients into their cosmetics and personal care products. Made from plants, Genomatica’s Brontide®
natural butylene glycol has proven to be a viable replacement for petroleum-based butylene glycol. The ingredient is made from a fermentation process that converts renewable plant sugars into natural butylene glycol, eliminating the need for fossil fuel feedstocks and resulting in a more sustainable ingredient. New studies have shown favourable results
using Brontide in cosmetics and personal care products across multiple segments, including organoleptic performance in fragrances, skin feel in hand creams and antimicrobial efficacy in certain applications. When used as a diluent for fragrances,
Brontide presents fragrance notes more clearly and distinctly. Importantly, it has also demonstrated success in preventing microbial growth, thereby increasing product shelf life when used in cosmetics.
www.personalcaremagazine.com
Traditional versus sustainable butylene glycol production processes Butylene glycol is a long-standing ingredient ubiquitous in many common personal care products, including shampoos, conditioners, serums, moisturisers, sheet masks and cosmetics. With multiple functions, including its role as a humectant, emollient, skin-feel modifier, preservative booster and carrier for active cosmetic ingredients, it is often used as a solvent or added to products to reduce viscosity. The conventional petrochemical-derived
butylene glycol production process requires multiple chemically-catalyzed conversions. Natural gas or crude oil is used to produce ethylene, which is then oxidized to produce acetaldehyde, a suspected mutagen and human carcinogen from which traditional butylene glycol is produced.
The acetaldehyde goes through a
condensation and hydrogenation process to produce crude 1,3 butylene glycol. Finally, the crude 1,3 butylene glycol is purified and distilled to create cosmetic grade 1,3 butylene glycol. In contrast, the production of Genomatica’s
natural butylene glycol eliminates the need for chemical catalysis and petrochemical feedstocks. Genomatica’s innovative process is built on
fermentation, fundamentally the same process used for centuries to produce beer and wine. In this fermentation process, renewable, plant- based sugar is used as a feedstock to produce crude 1,3 butylene glycol. A sophisticated purification and distillation step finishes the process to produce a high-purity, natural butylene glycol (Figure 1).
Award-winning sustainability, from natural ingredient to process When it comes to sustainability, the natural butylene glycol ingredient has surpassed other competing ingredients across many areas. Genomatica’s fermentation process has earned several awards, including the 2020 Green Chemistry Challenge Award presented by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Categorized as a natural ingredient
according to ISO 16128 standards and a 100% Biobased USDA Certified Product, the natural butylene glycol ingredient meets the conditions of a two-part standard that helps cosmetic manufacturers and suppliers define their products as natural or organic. The first part determines the product’s
ingredient categories, including derived natural ingredients, natural ingredients, derived organic ingredients and organic ingredients. The second part of the standard is a set of guidelines that helps calculate the naturality index of those cosmetic ingredient categories. Under ISO 16128, components must be naturally sourced. Compared to the conventional production
of 1,3-butylene glycol, Genomatica’s natural butylene glycol significantly reduces global warming potential by 50% and uses 46% less non-renewable energy while also reducing or eliminating processes and practices that harm the health of people and communities. Fermentation-based ingredients can be made smarter and more sustainably than conventional alternatives, greatly reducing negative impacts and boosting supply chain resiliency.
March 2023 PERSONAL CARE
87
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