Back to basics : How formulators are using soapnut as a natural ingredient within hair care
Jennie Teague of James Robinson Speciality Ingredients discusses the use of soapnut extract as a natural surfactant and the role it plays in the journey towards a greener personal care market
The trend towards natural ingredients within the personal care market is blossoming rapidly . Nature-derived surfactants in particular are becoming more desirable for both the formulator and the end user .
With consumers increasingly opting for more sustainable products , greater media coverage of the health benefits of natural ingredients and the demand for manufacturers to lower their environmental footprint , natural soapnut extract has quickly risen as one of the rising stars of the natural personal care market .
What is soapnut ?
Formulators are often faced with the challenge of mimicking the aesthetics and performance characteristics of synthetic ingredients with natural alternatives . Customers might desire a specific colour or feel from a product that is sometimes difficult to achieve with plant-derived ingredients . However , the properties of soapnut extract , commonly known as Ritha , closely mimic those of synthetic ingredients .
Soapnut extract contains saponins , which are responsible for its foaming properties . They are extracted from the fruit of Sapindus mukurossi , belonging to the family Sapindaceae . Saponins are a large family of structurally related compounds of steroid or triterpenoid aglycone ( sapogenin ), linked to one or more oligosaccharide moieties by glycosidic
Natural saponins give soapnut extract its foaming properties
34 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981