72 NATURAL INGREDIENTS
Integrating sustainability and functionality
Mireia Collado, Carmen Pey – Kao
As the cosmetic industry shifts towards sustainability, a new non-ionic surfactant stands out by integrating eco-friendly innovation with enhanced efficacy. This product exemplifies how advanced ingredient solutions can significantly reduce environmental impact and improve product performance, setting new standards in responsible sourcing and sustainable practices. Personal care product launches are
increasingly embracing sustainability trends to address environmental and social concerns.1 Companies are adopting eco-friendly practices, such as developing highly natural and eco-friendly formulations, reducing plastic packaging, and implementing circular solutions. This clearly requires the commitment from
ingredient providers to develop innovative and sustainable products that can allow the reduction of carbon footprint throughout all value chain. Therefore, responsible sourcing and
optimized production methods are gaining importance, ensuring that ingredients are not only safe for consumers but also for the planet.
Eco-strategy: Re-design of ethoxylated glycerides Ethoxylated glycerol ester, under the commercial name of Emanon EV-E Bio, has been re-designed throughout the entire product life cycle, from feedstock selection to its disposal. This approach made possible the identification of potential improvements that could reduce overall environmental footprint. The first point that has been deeply studied
is the responsible sourcing, looking for natural and sustainable raw materials. The use of bio- ethylene oxide that comes from bioethanol, obtained through a fermentation process from sugar cane, has been a significant change to obtain an ethoxylated glycerol ester with 100% natural origin content (NOC) according to the ISO 16128, and produced with no genetically modified organisms (non-GMO). The change in raw materials, together with
an optimization in the manufacturing process, results in an ingredient that reduces the carbon footprint compared to the standard product version. This product definition maintains product characteristics from the standard version, with a lower content of 1,4-dioxane (<1 ppm) achieved through an improvement in the production step.
PERSONAL CARE March 2025
Product technical characteristics This new ingredient is an ethoxylated glyceride from capric/caprylic alkyl chain (Figure 1). It is a 100% active product, derived from natural sources, achieving 100% NOC and non-GMO. This ingredient is a nonionic surfactant that presents clear liquid appearance and 100% active matter. It is a cold-processible product and self-preserved. This product is readily biodegradable under
aerobic and anaerobic conditions, which is key to ensure a reduced environmental impact also in the final step of its life cycle. Additionally, ethoxylated glycerine esters are
approved by Ecocert and are also recognized as suitable ingredients for ecological labels (EU Ecolabel, Nordic Ecolabel).
Product multifunctionality To fully understand the benefits of ethoxylated glycerides, it is important to examine its unique properties, which are detailed below. Each feature underscores the ingredient’s adaptability and potential to enhance a variety
O O O
x y z
OR OR OR
of cosmetic products. By integrating such multifunctional
ingredients, formulators can achieve not only high-performance results but also contribute positively to sustainability goals.
Foaming ability in standard and oily systems This surfactant presents exceptional foam properties compared to other non-ionic surfactants, showing excellent foam stability and small bubble size related to the foam creaminess.
This benefit can be observed in Figure 2,
where the ethoxylated glycerine ester product is compared to another natural nonionic surfactant (alkyl polyglucoside) in a hand wash formulation. These foam properties are maintained even
in high oily systems, such as shower oils.2 Whether it is a body wash or a shower oil,
when it comes to cleansing products, foam always plays an important role in consumer expectations. The presence of rich and creamy
R: H or R' -CO- R': Capric/caprylic alkyl chain x + y + z = 7 (ethoxylation degree)
Figure 1: Chemical structure of Emanon EV-E Bio. INCI Name: Glycereth-7 Caprylate/Caprate
www.personalcaremagazine.com
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