Multi functional , bio-based personal care additives
Tracey Norton of Scott Bader introduces the Texique HE10 and HE20 ranges
In line with its goal to become a fully sustainable company by 2036 , Scott Bader ’ s R & D activities are wholly focused on green chemistry initiatives . The Texique range of products for personal care are some of first products to be commercialised from this initiative , but there are many more developments in the pipeline based on sustainable , biopolymers , natural polymers and polymers with inherent biodegradability and / or compostability . The Texique HE range includes Texique HE10 ( INCI : Sodium Acrylate / Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer , C13-15 Alkane , Cocoglucoside ) and Texique HE20 ( INCI : AMPS / HEMA Cosspolymer , C13-15 Alkane , Coco-glucoside ). These are high-performing inverse emulsion rheology modifiers and emulsifiers for the personal care market . They are both made from at least 60 % naturally derived ingredients according to ISO 16128 , none of which are animal-based . Texique inverse emulsions are water-in-oil emulsions ( Figure 1 ). The polymers are dispersed in droplets in the aqueous phase , stabilised by oil-soluble emulsifiers and surfactants . With oil as the continuous phase , inverse emulsions tend to have excellent freeze-thaw stability and do not require the use of preservatives . For both Texique HE10 and HE20 , the emulsion oil phase is hemisqualane , which is naturally and sustainably derived from sugar cane . The polymers of both are synthetic . They are dispersed in the aqueous phase and are different in molecular architecture from each other , as indicated in their INCI names .
Figure 1 - Inverse emulsion
The polymers have been specifically designed to provide rheological properties that are desirable in personal care applications , which results in excellent sensory profiles for topical applications e . g . non tacky , silky feel , non-greasy , light , softening and easily spread . Additionally , they are both high in molecular weight , cross-linked , partially hydrated and pre-neutralised . Because the polymers are preneutralised , no additional processing steps are needed when using the Texique HE range . The products are cold-processable which leads to cost savings in both processing time and energy use . In addition , they can be added at any stage of a formulation making them versatile materials in the formulation toolbox . When the Texique HE products are added to the aqueous phase of a formulation , water becomes the dominant phase . Phase inversion of the inverse emulsion occurs and the polymers , which are anionically charged , uncoil , swell and expand via electrostatic repulsion . This results in an increase in hydrodynamic volume and is responsible for the rapid increase in viscosity ( Figure 2 ). The two Texique products have robust pH stability over a wide operating window and are suitable for most personal care applications where pHs of 5 to 7 are common . The products can be used outside of the ranges indicated , but their efficacy will depend on other formulation ingredients . When formulating with these products , highly cationic ingredients such as cetrimonium chloride should be avoided due to the anionic nature of the polymers . The Texique products are not compatible with surfactants or
48 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981