Commonly Used Surfactants in Cosmetics

1
Commonly Used Surfactants in Cosmetics
2
Introduction

• The composition of cosmetic formulations is
  diverse and complex. In addition to oil and
  water, the raw materials of cosmetics include
  various functional surfactants, preservatives,
  fragrances and pigments. Surfactants are
  indispensable raw materials in cosmetics and have
  a wide range of applications in cosmetics such as
  emulsification, dispersion, solubilization,
  foaming, cleaning, lubrication and softening. As
  the demand for cosmetic dosage forms and
  functions increases, the variety of surfactants
  used in cosmetics is also increasing. Surfactants
  used in cosmetics should be non-irritating and
  non-toxic, and must also be colorless, highly
  stable and have no unpleasant odor.

3
Introduction

• The function of the surfactant is mainly to
  change the properties of the liquid surface,
  liquid-liquid interface and liquid-solid
  interface, wherein changing the surface
  properties of the liquid is the most important
  function. Surfactants can reduce the surface
  tension of the solvent and can cause significant
  changes in the surface of the solvent.
  Surfactants can be classified into anionic
  surfactants, cationic surfactants, amphoteric
  surfactants, and nonionic surfactants depending
  on whether the surfactants can be dissociated in
  aqueous solution and the type of charge they
  carried after dissociation.

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Anionic Surfactant

• Anionic surfactants commonly used in cosmetics
  include fatty acid soaps, sodium lauryl sulfate,
  sodium laureth polyoxyethylene ether sulfate,
  sodium cetyl polyoxyethylene ether phosphate, and
  soybean phospholipids (lecithin). Such
  surfactants are characterized by strong
  detergency and are mainly used for cleaning,
  wetting, emulsifying and foaming in cosmetics.

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Cationic Surfactants

• Cationic surfactants are mainly primary,
  secondary, tertiary amines and quaternary
  ammonium salts of higher alkyl groups, such as
  octadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, C12-14 alkyl
  dimethylbenzylammonium chloride, double ten
  Octamethyldimethyl chloride, etc. These cationic
  surfactants are characterized by good
  bactericidal and antistatic properties, and have
  softening, antistatic, waterproof and fixing
  effects in cosmetics.

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Amphoteric Surfactants

• Amphoteric surfactants commonly used in cosmetics
  include cocamidopropyl betaine, imidazoline and
  the like. Amphoteric surfactants are
  characterized by good laundering properties,
  mildness, low toxicity and low irritation to the
  skin and eyes, and good biodegradability.
  Amphoteric surfactants are often used in
  combination with anionic or cationic surfactants.
  They have good compatibility and generally
  produce synergistic effects. Amphoteric
  surfactants have softening, antistatic,
  emulsifying, dispersing and sterilizing effects
  in cosmetics.

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Nonionic Surfactants

• Non-ionic surfactants commonly used in cosmetics
  are mainly ethylene oxide adduct, polyoxyethylene
  lauryl ether, coco fatty acid diethanol amide,
  oleic acid monoglyceride, polyoxyethylated castor
  oil, and ethoxylated lanolin. Nonionic
  surfactants are non-irritating to the skin, have
  good emulsifying property, solubilization
  property and stability, and have good
  compatibility with other types of surfactants.
  Nonionic surfactants are the most widely used
  surfactants in cosmetics.

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Conclusion

• Surfactants are important ingredients in
  cosmetics and play an important role in the
  development of the cosmetics industry. Today,
  users have higher requirements for the structure,
  type, performance and manufacturing technology of
  surfactants. Therefore, in the production process
  of surfactants, we should try to use natural raw
  materials and avoid using chemical materials that
  are irritating to the skin. It is believed that
  the development of green, environmentally
  friendly surfactants will greatly facilitate the
  development of cosmetics with new functions.