76 FORMULATING FOR MILDNESS Baby
Extra-mild formulations are necessary for baby care products, not only due to the more delicate nature of the skin but because, as we all know, getting shampoo in your eye hurts. Understandably the reaction to this is more extreme in a small child, so to save everyone the pain it is advisable to use a no-tears shampoo formula. When reviewing the INCI listings on six leading baby brands of shampoo I found cocamidopropyl betain to be widely used. APGs – whether coco-glucoside, decyl glucoside or lauryl glucoside – also appeared frequently. As previously mentioned, APGs are a group of mild non- ionic surfactants and BASF’s Plantacare collection features a range of APGs which are detailed in the attached table. The most famous brand of baby shampoo is probably Johnson’s, which is well known for its ‘no more tears’ logo. This formulation uses a surfactant blend of coco- glucoside, sodium lauroamphoacetate and sodium laureth sulfate, combined with polysorbate-20 to lower the surfactants’ sting factor. Polysorbate-20 is very effective at reducing eye irritation when combined with anionic and amphoteric surfactants.
Skin comfort
Mildness and soothing are especially important for skin which has been irritated. This could be dry winter skin, skin which has a medical condition such as eczema or skin which has been irritated from shaving – especially on the face. Brands such as Oilatum and E45 have been created for those with dry skin and also have specific
Table 1: Product properties.
Product Properties
INCI Appearance
Active Substance (%) Viscosity (mPas)
pH Value (20% in 15% isopropanol)
Storage Temperature (Tank)
Main Application
Plantacare® 1200 UP
Lauryl Glucoside
Cloudy, viscous, aqueous solution
50-53
11.5-12.5 (self- preserved)
>38°C <45°C
Shower gel, foam bath, liquid soap, shampoo,
toothpaste, wet wipe
Production Sites Asia Pacific, Europe PERSONAL CARE EUROPE
Plantacare® 2000 UP
Decyl Glucoside
Cloudy, viscous, aqueous solution
51-55 1,000-3,000 (40°C) 1,000-6,000 (20°C)
11.5-12.5 (self- preserved)
<10°C <40°C
Shower gel, facial cleaner, shampoo, wet wipe
Asia Pacific, Europe
Plantacare® 818 UP
Coco-Glucoside
Cloudy, viscous, aqueous solution
51-53 2,500-6,000 (20°C)
11.5-12.5 (self- preserved)
>15°C <40°C
Shower gel, foam bath, liquid soap, shampoo, wet wipe
Asia Pacific, Europe
Plantacare® 810 UP
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
Yellowish, slightly cloudy and viscous liquid
62-65 500-1,600 (40°C)
11.5-12.5 (self- preserved)
<40°C
Shower gel, shampoo, mouthwash
Asia Pacific,
Europe , North America
North America North America April 2018
Plantaren® 1200 N UP*
Lauryl Glucoside
Hazy pale yellow, viscous liquid
48-52 18,000-20,000 (cps)
11.5-12.5 (self- preserved)
<38°C <45°C
Shower gel, foam bath, liquid soap, shampoo,
toothpaste, wet wipe
Plantaren® 2000 N UP*
Decyl Glucoside
Hazy pale yellow liquid
48-52 600-1,000 (cps)
11.5-12.5 (self- preserved)
>10°C <40°C
Shower gel, facial cleaner, shampoo, wet wipe
eczema care products. These are very moisturising, helping to form a protective barrier on the skin and with relatively short INCI listings in order to limit the number of potential irritants. They are also free from perfume as many fragrance components are common allergens - a problem that is on the increase. There is a growing trend towards
reduced INCI lists across all sectors as consumers become increasingly concerned about ‘chemicals’. The trend for fragrance- free products is also growing and there are several brands which are totally perfume- free; not all of them fall into the ‘medical’ category and some are very on trend - high- end beauty giant Clinique for example is well known for being totally fragrance-free. Other examples include care brand Drunk Elephant, founded in 2012, which ensures all its products are fragrance and essential oil free. HolySnails is a quirky US brand founded in 2015, which likewise does not use perfume in any of its products. In order to calm temporary irritation caused by shaving, a cooling and soothing product is often applied in the form of an aftershave balm. These are often marketed as being for sensitive skin, many are fragrance-free and their biggest claims are cooling and calming. A soothing active is often added to this type of formulation, such as Silab’s Mediacalm®
which is derived
from the flowering plant Boerhavia diffusa. It reduces inflammation by limiting the activity of inflammation markers and soothes skin after single or repeated stresses to restore normal levels of sensitivity. In a study of immediate effects
there was a 22% reduction in erythema and in a seven-day study erythema caused by shaving was reduced in 90% of volunteers, with rapid soothing of razor burn reported.4
Conclusion With more consumers than ever concerned with the issue of sensitive skin, coupled with the general concern of many over what is in their cosmetics, it seems feasible that the growing trend for shorter INCI lists will gain traction and become a fixture of certain brands. As niche brands continue to flourish, it seems certain that we will see a growing number of products/collections for those who want attractive cosmetics that are still kind to their skin. It is important for professionals within the industry to continue to highlight the difference between materials that are scientifically proven to be ‘mild’ and those which are simply perceived as such. Public perception is swayed by attractive- sounding INCIs, marketing stories and skewed media reports leading to perfectly innocuous materials being boycotted, whilst other materials that just sound good are in high demand. Sensationalism should be counteracted with informed and educational advice in the mainstream.
PC
References 1 Imokawa G, Mishima Y. Cumulative effect of surfactants on cutaneous horny layers: adsorption onto human keratin layers in vivo, Cont. Dermat 1979; 5: 357-366.
2 Harry’s Cosmetology 8th edition 3 Stephenson’s Personal Care website 4 Silab Mediacalm literature
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