The revival of the facial cleanser

Rooted in the earliest hygiene practices aimed at warding off illness and disease, cleansing rituals have evolved significantly since the debut of the first wrapped bar soap in England in 1884. The advent of synthetic detergents in the early 20^th century marked a pivotal advancement, expanding the landscape of skincare products. Today, there are a plethora of cleansing formulations on the market – from traditional creams and gels to innovative textures like oils, balms and water, catering to diverse preferences and needs. This evolution reflects a paradigm shift in consumer perception, transcending mere hygiene to embrace cleansing as a cherished moment of self-care and indulgence.

Alternatives to traditional surfactants

Microbial biosurfactants represent the next generation of surfactant ingredients designed to meet the changing needs of the personal care industry. Of these, sophorolipids are a class of glycolipids produced by fermentation.

Natrafusion SL HA is a new sophorolipid biosurfactant produced via biotechnology to offer an alternative to traditional surfactant chemistries used in personal care applications. It offers a viable solution to address the market shift towards hi-tech, biotechnology-derived ingredients, which fuse bio-based sourcing with advances in science to deliver high performance.

Ultra-mild and effective

Natrafusion SL HA is perfect for cleansing applications as it is an ultra-mild biosurfactant with highly effective cleansing properties. When used as a co-surfactant, the sophorolipid biosurfactant offers synergistic mildness and cleansing-boosting capabilities, with no negative impact on foam production. This enables the creation of high-performance facial cleansers that meet changing consumer requirements, particularly around the protection of skin health and delivering viable solutions for those with sensitive skin, without compromising on performance.

Natrafusion SL HA is perfect for cleansing applications as it is an ultra-mild biosurfactant with highly effective cleansing properties

Excellent cleansing performance

The cleansing performance of Natrafusion SL HA in the removal of foundation and mascara was analysed and compared to a range of benchmark surfactants on the market.

The sophorolipid biosurfactant was shown to be highly effective in cleansing both the mascara and foundation formulations (see figure 1). Its cleansing performance was comparable to that of the conventional surfactant, SLES. It was also demonstrated that Natrafusion SL HA delivers a synergistic, cleansing-boosting effect when combined with an amphoteric surfactant, like cocamidopropyl betaine, as shown in the formulation CH0182.

Proven mildness-boosting effect

An in vivo zein solubilisation study has demonstrated the mildness of the sophorolipid biosurfactant. This screening tool is widely used for assessing the irritation potential of surfactants in personal care and cosmetic products. The lower the zein protein solubilised, the milder the surfactant is expected to be. The results in figure 2 show that Natrafusion SL HA did not solubilise a significant amount of zein protein and can therefore be considered a mild surfactant. It has also been demonstrated that the sophorolipid biosurfactant offers a mildness-boosting effect when combined with harsher anionic surfactants such as SLES, as shown in figure 3.

The maximum foam height of Natrafusion SL HA compared to conventional surfactant benchmarks can be observed in figure 4. The sophorolipid biosurfactant can also be incorporated into various surfactant blends to deliver a luxurious foam, which consumers expect in cleansing applications. This is ideal when wanting to improve the mildness and cleansing performance of a surfactant blend, without impacting foam performance.

The shift towards bio-based

Surfactant chemistries and facial cleansing formats have continually evolved to meet consumer demand for high-performance formulas, particularly for sensitive skin

and those who are looking for solutions to maintain skin health. This, combined with a market shift towards more sustainable, bio-based ingredients, is driving developments in surfactant technologies.

Biosurfactants, such as sophorolipids, are at the forefront of these advancements, offering a viable alternative to traditional surfactant chemistries through novel, biotechnology-based manufacturing processes.

Ingredients such as NatraFusion SL HA make a welcome addition to a formulator’s toolbox to design sophisticated facial cleansers that meet the changing requirements of the personal care industry.