news

Surfactants refer to chemical material products with certain activity that significantly reduce the surface tension of the solution. They are indispensable raw materials in the production of cosmetics and have various important applications in cosmetics:

1.        Emulsification: The phenomenon of uniformly emulsifying non-water-soluble substances in water, forming an emulsion, is called emulsification. Emulsifiers are primarily used in the production of creams and lotions in cosmetics. Currently, the most widely used emulsifiers are non-ionic types due to their safety and low irritability. Well-known emulsifiers include sorbitan fatty acid esters (Span) and their polyoxyethylene derivatives (Tween), which are excellent non-ionic emulsifiers. Span is lipophilic, while Tween is hydrophilic. When both are used together in an O/W (oil-in-water) emulsion, they can form a stable and highly skin-friendly emulsion.
2.        Solubilization: The phenomenon of increasing the solubility of slightly soluble or insoluble substances is called solubilization. Solubilizers in cosmetics are mainly used in the production of toners, hair oils, and hair conditioners. Surfactants used as solubilizers should have high hydrophilicity, with an HLB (hydrophilic-lipophilic balance) greater than 15. Examples include polyoxyethylene castor oil hardening, polyoxyethylene castor oil, fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether, fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene propylene glycol ether, polyoxyethylene sorbitol fatty acid ester, and polyglyceryl fatty acid ester.
3.        Dispersion: The phenomenon of forming fine particles and achieving uniform dispersion of non-water-soluble substances in water is called dispersion. Many surfactants used as dispersants are also emulsifiers, such as fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether, sorbitan fatty acid esters, fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether phosphates, alkyl ether carboxylates, and alkyl sulfates. They possess excellent dispersion properties.
4.        Cleansing: Personal care products used for cleansing purposes include shampoos, body washes, and facial cleansers. Besides requiring cleansing, foaming, and wetting functionalities, the focus is currently on the mildness to the skin. This requires surfactants that do not damage the epidermal cells, do not interact with skin proteins, and penetrate the skin minimally or not at all to maintain the normal state of the skin. Anionic surfactants have a long history of use in cleaning products.
5.        Conditioning and Antistatic Effects: In hair conditioning products such as conditioners and leave-in treatments, cationic surfactants are the primary conditioning agents that provide good softening and antistatic abilities. Quaternary ammonium salts, such as monoalkyl and dialkyl ammonium salts, are the most commonly used cationic surfactants.
6.        Wetting and Penetration: As cosmetics, they not only have cosmetic effects but should also provide a comfortable and gentle feeling when applied. This is closely related to the wetting effect of surfactants. Significant progress has been made in this area with the development of bio-surfactants.