Less is more with minimalist beauty

With the launch of several new formulations, Evonik Personal Care offers formulators a great opportunity to develop new products for the market or upgrade existing ones. These solutions are inspired by various market trends, such as the demand for sustainable solutions to conserve precious resources or to develop products with little to no environmental impact. The cost-of-living crisis is also causing many consumers to rethink their perception of value. This is where concepts from Evonik Personal Care can have a positive impact.

Identify the challenges

Even when a formulator adopts a minimalistic approach there can be challenges. If we define a minimalist formulation as one that uses 10 INCIs or less, it could be rather tricky to tick all these boxes:

• Sustainability targets in terms of protecting limited resources and reducing environmental impact.
• Product protection against oxidisation as well as microbiological spoilage.
• A stable formulation with optimal viscosity, using a few ingredients only.
• Sensory and performance whereby an elegant skin feel is balanced with an interesting product performance (e.g. texture transformation) and caring effect or efficient conditioning properties.

 

Formulation guidelines

What if we told you that with Evonik’s high performing functional materials, it is 100% possible to achieve all the above criteria? Following our four ideas will help you to ease your formulation work:

1. Reduce the number of ingredients by using multi-functionals

• Improve emulsification using wetting agents such as dermosoft® GMCY MB (INCI: Glyceryl Caprylate).
• Use a rheology modifier like TEGO® Remo 95 MB (INCI: Sorbitan Caprylate, Glyceryl Oleate), which provides emollient benefits at the same time.

2. Formulate in an eco-friendly manner using any of these ingredients that support the environment

• VARISOFT® EQ 65 MB (INCI: Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride; Cetearyl Alcohol), a conditioning agent that is biodegradable, easy to rinse and allows energy saving thanks to optimised processing.
• VARISOFT® EQ 90 (INCI: Dioleoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate) and VARISOFT® EQ 100 (INCI: Bis-(Isostearoyl/Oleoyl Isopropyl) Dimonium Methosulfate) are conditioners that are biodegradable and cold processable.
• The emollients TEGOSOFT® DC MB (INCI: Decyl Cocoate), TEGOSOFT® OER MB (INCI: Oleyl Erucate) and TEGOSOFT® MM MB (INCI: Myristyl Myristate) are produced in an eco-efficient process, which leads to a reduced carbon footprint.
• ISOLAN® GPS (INCI: Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxy-stearate/Sebacate) is a W/O emulsifier suitable for the hot/cold processing of emulsions.
• Save energy by using only the O/W emulsifier dermofeel®NC MB (INCI: Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate; Glyceryl Stearate Citrate) and thickener (reduced production time due to heating of only one solid material) to achieve stability.

Concepts from Evonik Personal Care can have a positive impact

3. Work with blends

• Verstatil® TBG MB (INCI: Triethyl Citrate; Glyceryl Caprylate; Benzoic Acid) offers higher efficacy because of its synergistic composition.

• TEGO® Remo 95 MB supports formulation flexibility as a single material that can be used for different applications.
• Use a combination of blends with single ingredients.
• The addition of components already contained in the blend.

4. Choose the appropriate emulsifiers and emollients to create a balanced skin feel

• Evonik’s Sensory Kaleidoscope classifies emulsifiers according to the desired skin feel.

• Use effective combinations of emollients and oils such as TEGOSOFT® DC MB and vegetable oils.
• Use natural oils to add colour, scent and care benefits.

Cold process esterquat technology

Evonik’s Sprayable Hair Detangler is a perfect example of how a high-performance product can be achieved, while ensuring the lowest impact on the environment. This leave-in conditioner spray is based on liquid esterquat technology, which supports cold process formulations and water-saving applications. For instance, a sprayable hair detangler may conserve approximately 3 800ℓ of water per 500mℓ bottle by skipping a five-minute conditioning step.

The star ingredient in this formulation is VARISOFT® EQ 100. This high-performance conditioning agent has an improved sustainability profile because it is produced from responsible feedstock i.e. non-tropical rapeseed oil. It also supports a more environmentally conscious approach to formulating as it’s readily biodegradable. VARISOFT® EQ 100 doesn’t require a high processing temperature, which helps reduce energy consumption. The liquid esterquat is easy-to-handle and cold processable with 100% active content to provide superior manageability, lubricity and softness to hair.

Multi-benefit natural O/W emulsifier

Evonik’s Minimalist Hydrating Fluid offers inspiration to formulators looking to design a minimalistic skincare product. The formulation consists of only eight essential ingredients and is manufactured using a one pot process that optimises plant capacity. The Minimalist Hydrating Fluid is based on dermofeel® NC MB, a natural O/W emulsifier that provides excellent stabilisation combined with moisturising properties.

If you want to learn more the solutions from Evonik Personal Care, chat to the local team (Jacques.strydom@evonik.com), or visit the web-based customer platform intoBeauty®, where you can download documentation and request samples once you have registered on the platform.

* All images: Copyright Evonik