Cosmedia Triple C can be used in skin and hair care formulations to improve their viscosity and stability as well as offering enhanced sensory and conditioning properties
Axel Böttcher, technical manager of personal care applications at Cognis said in a statement that the company has “enhanced these benefits by combining the polymer with a high-spreading emollient and ethylene oxide-free emulsifier.”
Böttcher also referred to Cosmedia Triple C as “the future direction of the cosmetic polymer market.”
Free from ethylene oxide
The company says that when formulating the ingredient, a conscious decision was made to avoid ethoxylated and alkoxylated emulsifiers in order to allow formulators to fit in with the trend towards products free from ethylene oxide (EO), in keeping with the trend towards natural products.
Böttcher told CosmeticsDesign-Europe that although structures with EO are widely used in cosmetic products, more and more consumers are aware of its petrochemical origin and therefore try to avoid it.
The addition of a high-grade cosmetics emollient when combined with the cationic charge of the inversion emulsion polymer (IEP) (which results in better conditioning on skin and hair surfaces), is claimed to give a “pleasant dry silky feel” on the skin as well as improving the compatibility of wet and dry hair.
Improved stability of finished product
The polymer compound improves viscosity of the product, as well as being more tolerant towards electrolytes, according to Cognis.
Böttcher explained that certain ingredients within a formulation such as proteins, active ingredients and preservatives can be or contain electrolytes, which can cause the structure of the formulation to degrade.
As Cosmedia Triple C works better with electrolytes than many other ingredients currently on the market, the end product will be more stable.
The preservative-free ingredient can be both hot and cold-processed and does not require neutralization, according to the company, which can help formulators cut costs during the manufacturing process.
Cosmedia Triple C can be used across a broad pH range, and is suitable for both gentle formulations such as pH-neutral skin care and acidic formulations that include hair conditioners and DHA self-tanning products.