72 SURFACTANTS
misunderstood but have stuck with these products.8
Industry media and marketing has a
key role in this. Advertising for chemicals in the UK has less of a scientific focus in comparison to other nations like France, emphasis is on slogans, marketing phrases and features rather than technical detail.4
Hence, tags like
‘free from’ are favoured in certain regions and more common, leading to the mentioned consequences.
The sulphate-free market There is a large quantity of ‘natural’ and sulphate-free cosmetics on the market, with this tag being their main selling point. These products have emerged to meet specific demands in cosmetics, for example, cleaning frizzy hair or for extra-sensitive skin. However, this segment has still struggled in overtaking sulphates as the primary surfactant ingredient. It is difficult to create substitutes that match
SLS/SLES performance, primarily the lather profile, detergent properties, and foaming. To come close to these, there is a barrier of cost and production.3
Matching these properties
requires increasing the number of surfactants and polymers. This surfactant loading makes these complex formulations more expensive across testing, sourcing and production.1
Low-
cost combinations like SLS with salt are not as simple or effective to create in the substitute market. Most alternatives use larger combinations
of secondary surfactants in their formulations. Popular replacements are coco glucoside and decyl glucoside, other specialized anionic surfactants like sulphonates are also added for their similar properties.9
Most contain
boosters like betaine for foaming and other additions for perfumes, proteins and so on. These meet the five essentials for
cosmetics and come with excellent mildness, biodegradation, and sustainability features. Specialized formulations also exist, such as using quar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride for anti-static for tangled and drying hair.
The substitute situation The novelty of the sulphate-free surfactant has arguably worn off, with the premium status and innovative tag fading away, despite the seemingly permanent negative framing of SLS/SLES surfactants. The substantial costs and barriers to creating these substitutes are a large factor. Successful alternatives are available but there remains no industry-wide breakthrough or advancement. More global consumers now prioritise
sustainability, product diversity and greener habits, yet this has not been enough. The ‘green’ cosmetics market will always appeal to a small segment on the market who can afford it, but for most consumers, value and performance are the key factors in making choices. Price sensitivity is continually growing in influence from supplier-to-consumer in the chemical industry.10
At a certain point, the
negative framing of ‘unnatural’ products stops growing the alternative product market.
PERSONAL CARE May 2023
Improvement over substitution To successfully replace sulphates, a new primary surfactant needs to be efficient, clean well and match or improve their key properties at an affordable price. Currently, more work is required for surfactants to offer high foaming attributes, strong wetting, and detergent capabilities, all without greatly increasing cost.10
Flexibility Flexible formulations are of growing importance in an ever growing and diversifying market. The ability of existing primary surfactants to be flexible in formulations is what led to their popularity. The creation of one strong and specialised surfactant does not advance the market forward if it is only suited to a niche segment. Primary surfactants
need to be compatible with other surfactants co- surfactants, from anionic to cationic, to enhance their properties.
Mildness A surfactant needs to remain stable over a broad pH range, which is essential for mildness. If the product disrupts the pH of the skin (between 4.5 & 5.5 pH) then the skin barrier function can be negatively affected, and inflammation can occur.3 Producing surfactants with non-corrosive
properties benefits not only the consumer, but also the manufacturing process. Helping reduce corrosion and contamination in machinery can reduce the number of microplastics and other harmful by-products for consumers.
www.personalcaremagazine.com
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