28 JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE
and distillation to fractionate and isolate fatty acids and glycerin. Brassicamidopropyl
Dimethylamine is non-toxic to aquatic life, non-irritating to skin or eyes, and is readily
biodegradable.6
The fatty acyl composition of Brassica napus oil comprises approximately 40% stearoyl (C
18 ),
10% Arachidoyl (C
20 ),and 45% Benehyl (C
22 ),with minor amounts of lower and higher
fatty acyl chains, e.g. C
16 and C
24 .Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine uses the entirety of
this distribution to provide cationic conditioning agents that self-associate to form desired
lamellar mesophase structures which provide consumer-perceivable performance benefits
on hair.
Moreover, Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine is a pH-responsive tertiary amine, which is
only cationic when protonated at acidic pH values. This transient cationicity differentiates
amidoamines from typical quaternary ammonium-based conditioning ingredients that bear
a permanent cationic charge regardless of ambient pH. Quaternary ammonium compounds
have been reported to be a chemical class of emerging concern. 7
Castor. Sustainable castor oil yields many useful starting materials that enable sustainable
alternatives to silicones and petro-based ingredients for skin, sun, and hair care (Figure 4).
SYNTHESIS: UTILIZING CONDENSATION AS A CLASSICAL CHEMISTRY FOR
GREENER PRODUCTS
Classical condensation chemistry is inherently green, and esterification and related processes
(for example, transesterification and polyesterification) demonstrate strong alignment with
the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry8 (Figure 5) as follows:
Effective use of renewable plant-based feedstocks.
Safe, solvent-free “one pot” processes.
Catalytic processes: self-catalyzed or with added catalyst.
Minimal waste: the only byproduct is water, and this translates to a high atom economy.
Bulk form (100% active) products reduce transportation costs.
Nontoxic to humans and the environment.
Highly amenable to the synthesis of biodegradable products.
Figure 4. Sustainable castor oil yields many useful starting materials.
29 Green Cosmetic Ingredients
UTILIZATION
Biobased polyesters for high performance ingredients can be made from an environmentally-
benign polycondensation process in which the only byproduct is water there are no solvents
and no waste, i.e. the reactants that are charged to the reactor are entirely converted to
products minus the water of condensation.9 Moreover, control of processing variables can
yield a diverse range of specific polyesters within a single chemistry, such as Capryloyl
Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer (CGSAC) this feature allows performance-tailoring for
application-specific benefits (Figure 6).
Whereas low molecular weight CGSAC is a non-tacky adhesion promoter that confers
improved performance and feel over castor-oil in lipsticks and lip care products, the high
molecular weight, high viscosity version of this copolymer is a substantive film-former with
barrier properties. CGSAC with a broad molecular distribution is useful as a film-former
for water-resistant sunscreens due to its improved spreadability.
Mixed ester-polyester fluids comprising CGSAC are particularly relevant today as potential
substitutes for the cyclomethicones, Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (cyclopentasiloxane or
D5) and Dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (cyclohexasiloxane or D6). The European Union
will restrict the use of D5 and D6 in cosmetics and other products as of June 6th, 2026.10
The new restrictions apply to wash-off and leave-on products and limit the concentration
of these cyclosiloxanes to 0.1% by weight. The restrictions are part of the Commission
Figure 5. The 12 Principles of Green Chemistry.
Previous Page Next Page