Daubney – Stephenson developed Durosoft to provide formulators with a wider range
market , we wanted to develop this range to provide a wider choice to formulators for more natural alternatives to synthetic ingredients . This is how Durosoft originally came about .” Stephenson was already using large volumes of vegetable oils from soap production via transesterification . The same processes could be used with ingredients like palm kernel oil and sunflower oil , which are reacted with polymerised glycerine to make mild , non-ionic esters . The technique also means a better packing of the molecules around the oil droplets in emulsions , resulting in better emulsion stability , Daubney note . More recently , Stephenson has focussed specifically on its Durosoft PG4 and PG10 products . Durosoft PG4-O is an oil-soluble ester that helps in blending oils of different relative densities . This makes it ideal for water-free and solid formulations , the company claims , while its mild hydrophilic nature makes it popular for use with cleansing oils and as a coemulsifier in creams and lotions . PG10-O provides a specific gelling texture to water solutions and emulsions , covering jelly cleansers and thick serums without using rheology modifiers . PG4L-SG and PG10L-SG are Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil ( RSPO ) -segregated emulsifiers ,
which can be used for emulsions of different viscosities , from thin lotions to thick butters and eye creams . Finally , PG10CY is a RSPO mass balance solubiliser that can also be used in emulsion applications or as a co-surfactant with flashfoaming properties . The company sees Durosoft as an important to its future because it meets the growing need of a wide variety of trends and shifts in demand ranging from cruelty free and veganism to ‘ athleisure ’, health and wellbeing . As a business , says Daubney , “ we have to provide sustainable options for the future of beauty , skincare and cosmetics brand owners ”. “ Contract manufacturers and formulators all have the option to be more sustainable with their brands . We believe in RSPO and the sustainable use of palm oil so it ’ s great we can offer emulsifiers that are from segregated sources , a higher level of accreditation than mass balance .” The increasing popularity of natural and sustainable ingredients in Western Europe and North America has led to strong growth in demand for Durosoft . Australia is a particularly hot market , because consumers are more conscious of what they are buying and using on their bodies , and they proactively seek out natural ingredients . New growth is also being seen across Asia and South America . Looking to the future direction of Durosoft , Daubney says : “ The PG4 and PG10 esters are more specialised in terms of their function . We believe we have more value to add in the specialised beauty and personal care market , which is changing and evolving constantly in line with growing consumer eco-awareness . The commodity market does not show a great need for materials holding such certifications .” “ Product development time and project lifecycles take longer with ingredients , whereas our bases are already 95 % finished . I believe we are now starting to see the dividends and rewards as commercial brand projects increasingly come onstream and contracts are negotiated . It ’ s not unusual to spend one year in product development so the growth we seeing now is the return on our investment into formulating the additional Durosoft ingredients in 2018 ”. •
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Michaela Daubney
TECHNICAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
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