Dow Chemical Launches Several High-Performance Solutions for Silicone-Free Cleansing and Care Products

September 11, 2014, Shanghai, China——At the 2014 Greater China Market and Technology Innovation Symposium held recently, Dow Chemical Company officially announced to the industry audience that it has launched a variety of high-grade products suitable for silicone-free cleaning and care. Performance solutions to help customers targeting high-end shampoo and hair care products achieve excellent conditioning functions and diversified additional advantages in a silicone-free system.

(Dow Chemical launched a variety of high-performance solutions suitable for silicone-free cleaning and care products)

In recent years, "no silicone oil" as a new concept of personal care has been welcomed by many consumers in various Asian countries. Silicone-free shampoos, conditioners, and other hair care products are gaining market share in major Asian economies such as Japan, South Korea, and China. In order to meet the growing needs of consumers, many personal care brand owners are actively developing products that can catch up with silicone oil systems in all aspects of performance and performance, but formulators are usually plagued by several very challenging difficulties: What kind of conditioner can match the conditioning effect of silicone oil? How to achieve low accumulation of the formula? What kind of additives should be used to achieve a high-performance formula? How to solve the problem of thickening in silicone oil-free products of amino acid surfactants ?

As an innovation leader in the global personal care industry, Dow Chemical Company has successfully designed a number of unique solutions for silicone-free washing and care products through its excellent innovation ability and rich application experience.

SoftCATTM SL and SoftCATTM SX in the SoftCATTM polymer family are two high-efficiency plant-derived conditioning agents that enable silicone-free formulations to achieve excellent conditioning performance. SoftCATTM SL Polymers are a new generation of high performance cationic conditioning polymers featuring minor lipophilic modifications that leave hair softer and smoother without buildup or hair stickiness. They help hair care formulations provide the conditioning benefits needed to overcome the increasing adverse effects of bleaching, sun exposure and air pollution on hair quality. In addition, SofTCATTM SL polymers offer important formulation advantages, resulting in clear and transparent formulations. SofTCATTM SX has an optimized combination of cationic substituents and lipophilic substituents to help absorb functional ingredients to the greatest extent. It is suitable for hair volume control and special regulations, and is suitable for Asian hairstyles that are difficult to comb/shape.

In addition to adding luster and softness to hair, consumers also want to avoid heavy hair that leads to flat styles, so the performance of shampoo and hair care products in maintaining volume of hair is also very important. EcoSmoothTM Satin Conditioning Polymer provided by Dow can effectively help the formula of cleaning and care products achieve low accumulation, so that users can experience more volume and lightness of hair after use.

To make the formulation perform better overall, Dow also offers a range of performance additives for silicone-free systems. Dowanol TM additive is a VOC-free, low-odor coalescent that significantly reduces surface tension and is biodegradable. Compared with shampoos containing silicone oils, shampoos containing Dowanol TM additives are easier to lather, richer in foam, can provide a smoother rinsing feeling, and can provide hair shine and feel comparable to shampoos containing silicone oils in the dry state. Ucare TM (PQ-10) conditioning polymer is one of the benchmark products in the global personal care industry. It has outstanding conditioning performance and excellent compatibility, and is widely applicable to various types of formulation systems. METHOCELTM hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is a cellulose-based natural derivative with surface activity to improve emulsification performance and good compatibility with most surfactants. At the same time, METHOCELTM hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is suitable for the preparation of crystal clear formulas, which can reduce the surface tension of the gas-liquid interface, cross-link on the surface of the bubbles to reduce the drainage speed, and slow down the fusion of the bubbles, thereby stabilizing the foam and giving the product a sense of luxury. And form a film on the skin surface to enhance skin feel. Ucare TM (PQ-10) conditioning polymer and METHOCELTM hydroxypropyl methylcellulose are also suitable for high-end silicone-free cleansing formulas with amino acid surfactants.

In addition, Dow has officially launched two solutions for silicone-free hair conditioners to the market. One is the combination of EcoSmoothTM Delight conditioning polymer and UconTM Fluid AP additive, which can achieve hair shine comparable to silicone-based hair care products in hair conditioner formulations. Another solution is the combination of SoftCATTM conditioning polymer, PolyoxTM foam booster and UconTM Fluid AP additive, which can significantly optimize the conditioning system and give hair conditioner products excellent film-forming properties.