66 JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE
hydrated solid format prototypes) were found to be shelf stable for a minimum of six
months shelf life.
With the positive results observed in both liquid formulation compatibility and stability
for OFS, we are currently working with established personal care and cleaning consumer
packaged goods companies to roll out our surfactants platform known as Eosix®.
OFS SURFACTANTS AS ENABLING TECHNOLOGY FOR SOLID FORMAT
FORMULATIONS
In contrast to ether sulfates, OFS surfactants can be produced as 100% active solids,
allowing the Eosix® surfactants platform to be incorporated into lightweight powder format
formulations. As evidenced by the growing number of companies developing powder refill
formulations of personal care and cleaning products, including Blueland®, Grove®, and
Kind Laundry®, consumers are increasingly drawn to the sustainability advantages of
eliminating single-use plastics. The personal care and cosmetics sector, projected to be
worth $463.5 billion by 2027, is a major source of plastic packaging, producing more
than 120 billion units of packaging per year globally, with the US generating 7.9 billion
units of rigid plastic in 2018 alone.31,32 This plastic waste is a significant detriment to
the world’s oceans and aquatic life, but these are not the only considerations for reducing
single-use plastics.33 Rising public health concerns regarding microplastics and a drive
to reduce shipping costs by decreasing water content across a wide variety of consumer
and industrial products also provide motivation for this transition to solid formulation
formats.34,35
As with any new product format, consumer adoption can be slow and growing pains are
inevitable. Among these, providing consumers with a readily available product of consistent
quality and a long shelf life are perhaps the most commonly cited. This can be particularly
challenging given that the consumers are the ones hydrating and mixing the formulation
as well as providing the pristine container to house the product, which often results in a
variable product experience. Spilling a small portion of the powder during preparation
or adding more water than directed can often result in sub-optimal product texture or
performance. Solid format refills of personal care products can often take 30–60 minutes to
fully dissolve and thicken to the appropriate consistency for use, depending on the order of
water addition and amount of agitation the consumers provide. Finally, a number of factors
including ingredient stability, solubility, as well as tolerance to cold and hard water can
result in inconsistencies in product texture, foaming, and appearance. The result can often
be a frustrating consumer experience not in line with the high expectations from their
favorite personal care brands.
OFS surfactants provide several advantages that ease the transition to solid format personal
care products. Exceptional tolerance to both cold and hard water provide a more consistent
experience regardless of the customer’s water source and product storage temperature, while
the high solubility assures a quick dissolve time allowing the product to be used shortly
after powder hydration. Sironix has developed powder body wash formulation prototypes
(Figure 6) featuring OFS, complete with texture enhancers, moisturizer, skin conditioning
agents, fragrance, pH regulation, and a preservative system. An exemplary formulation
composition for a powder body formulated with aloe vera and hydroxypropyl starch wash
refill is provided in Table II.
hydrated solid format prototypes) were found to be shelf stable for a minimum of six
months shelf life.
With the positive results observed in both liquid formulation compatibility and stability
for OFS, we are currently working with established personal care and cleaning consumer
packaged goods companies to roll out our surfactants platform known as Eosix®.
OFS SURFACTANTS AS ENABLING TECHNOLOGY FOR SOLID FORMAT
FORMULATIONS
In contrast to ether sulfates, OFS surfactants can be produced as 100% active solids,
allowing the Eosix® surfactants platform to be incorporated into lightweight powder format
formulations. As evidenced by the growing number of companies developing powder refill
formulations of personal care and cleaning products, including Blueland®, Grove®, and
Kind Laundry®, consumers are increasingly drawn to the sustainability advantages of
eliminating single-use plastics. The personal care and cosmetics sector, projected to be
worth $463.5 billion by 2027, is a major source of plastic packaging, producing more
than 120 billion units of packaging per year globally, with the US generating 7.9 billion
units of rigid plastic in 2018 alone.31,32 This plastic waste is a significant detriment to
the world’s oceans and aquatic life, but these are not the only considerations for reducing
single-use plastics.33 Rising public health concerns regarding microplastics and a drive
to reduce shipping costs by decreasing water content across a wide variety of consumer
and industrial products also provide motivation for this transition to solid formulation
formats.34,35
As with any new product format, consumer adoption can be slow and growing pains are
inevitable. Among these, providing consumers with a readily available product of consistent
quality and a long shelf life are perhaps the most commonly cited. This can be particularly
challenging given that the consumers are the ones hydrating and mixing the formulation
as well as providing the pristine container to house the product, which often results in a
variable product experience. Spilling a small portion of the powder during preparation
or adding more water than directed can often result in sub-optimal product texture or
performance. Solid format refills of personal care products can often take 30–60 minutes to
fully dissolve and thicken to the appropriate consistency for use, depending on the order of
water addition and amount of agitation the consumers provide. Finally, a number of factors
including ingredient stability, solubility, as well as tolerance to cold and hard water can
result in inconsistencies in product texture, foaming, and appearance. The result can often
be a frustrating consumer experience not in line with the high expectations from their
favorite personal care brands.
OFS surfactants provide several advantages that ease the transition to solid format personal
care products. Exceptional tolerance to both cold and hard water provide a more consistent
experience regardless of the customer’s water source and product storage temperature, while
the high solubility assures a quick dissolve time allowing the product to be used shortly
after powder hydration. Sironix has developed powder body wash formulation prototypes
(Figure 6) featuring OFS, complete with texture enhancers, moisturizer, skin conditioning
agents, fragrance, pH regulation, and a preservative system. An exemplary formulation
composition for a powder body formulated with aloe vera and hydroxypropyl starch wash
refill is provided in Table II.
