Using natural product ingredients is currently a major trend in global cosmetics. The development of new environmentally friendly natural ingredients is more prevalent in the personal-care area than in any other segment of the surfactant market. Increasing environmental awareness and the utilization of renewable materials provide opportunities to use soybean oil for the production of new surfactants as well, in particular for the synthesis of surface active polymers. Oleo-based surfactants are commonly derived from plant oils, such as coconut and palm oil, or from animal fats, but no soy-based polymeric surfactants are widely reported and used in personal-care products.<br/>A new non-toxic soybean-based polymeric surfactant (SBPS) for personal-care products was developed and extensively characterized, inclduing an evaluation of the polymer surfactant performance in model shampoo formulations. Foaming and cleaning ability of model formulations were compared to those with only sodium lauryl surfate (conventional low molecular weight surfactant, SLS) as a surfactant, as well as to SLS-free shampoos. The obtained results show that the presence of SBPS improves cleaning and foaming of model shampoo formulations. Their physico-chemical properties and performance are comparable to commercially available shampoos.<br/>Examination of SBPS/SLS mixtures in model shampoos showed that the presence of the SBPS enables the concentration of SLS to be significantly reduced without sacrificing shampoo performance.<br/>In addition, it appears that the presence of SBPS promotes a conditioning effect as indicated by the reduction in protein loss from treated hair tresses. This positive influence of the soy-based surfactant ingredient is even more pronounced when the common conditioning agent, Aloe Vera extract, is present in the shampoo. Overall, the obtained results indicate that SBPS reduces damage to the hair during wet combing.<br/>Model SBPS-based shampoos were found to be comparable with the commercial shampoos used for the study. Major requirements of multifunctional shampoos - mild detergency, foaming, good conditioning and aesthetic appeal - are all met by SBPS-based model shampoo formulations.

Soy-based polymer surfactants for personal care applications

249th National Meeting (2015)

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