Paying attention sustainably developed products is aligned with the expectations of consumers who are increasingly aware of the impact their choices have on the environment. In such a scenario, the industry has mobilized and sought alternatives in chemistry that have less of an environmental impact. Leading organizations have realized that promoting sustainability is the only way to achieve continuous growth in business. This is how Oxiteno operates, presenting solutions and being a strategic partner developing more sustainable products.
Sustainability in the beauty and personal care industry – Product sustainability profiles can be improved in multiple approaches, ranging from renewable raw materials to packaging and transportation. An example of this is shampoos and conditioners. Oxiteno not only offers ingredients derived from renewable raw materials for the development of high-quality shampoos and conditions, but Oxiteno also offers ingredients for development of solid and concentrated shampoos and conditioners.
Additionally, Oxiteno’s Personal Care division considers sustainability by developing ingredients to create more compact solid and concentrated products, which decreases the amount of plastic packaging needed or allows for the replacement of plastic with recyclable paper. Developing compact, concentrated products also requires less water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions during transportation.
Over the past few years, the use of shampoo bars and conditions have become increasingly popular, confirming that chemistry can develop innovative solutions that offer consumers the same properties, performance, perceptions, and sensations as traditional liquid formulations. In addition to the gains in sustainability, it is worth noting that bars are easy to pack in bags for travel. They do not leak, take up less space, and do not suffer so many restrictions in travel, which are essential conveniences for many people.
Focus on people – Using chemistry, Oxiteno also considers the general consumers well-being by developing sustainable solutions with Oxiteno clients as defined in Oxiteno’s 2030 Strategic Sustainability Plan in alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
So, all the processes are based on these sustainability guidelines. The result is a portfolio with an increasing number of ingredients of a natural origin with little impact on the environment. This approach, aligned with technical expertise, gives rise to minimalist and multifunctional solutions, where one ingredient is applicable in different formulations.
For shampoo and conditioner bar formulations, the portfolio has several products suitable for this purpose. Among them is the OXISMOOTH® lone of emollient esters. In addition to being of a 100% natural origin, these emollient esters come are developed by reusing a residue from ethanol production known as fusel alcohols. Using this raw material, we introduce circular economy practices into the equation.
Good performance and sustainability – Sustainability is a critical element in the client’s choice of a product, but usage experience and performance are also essential. So, there are a lot of challenges to overcome in the development of shampoo and conditioner bar formulations. These include achieving the exact hardness and the same ability to transfer to hands or direct to the user’s hair, the foaming property, and achieving the softness and fragrance of the product in its traditional format. Finally, the user experience must be the same or superior, so bar formulations are attractive to consumers.
Hence the importance of having a partner that offers a portfolio of ingredients of natural origins as well as the expertise in formulation development including the knowledge and application laboratory structure to develop and test the ideal formulations. Oxiteno’s specialists and researchers can support with the development of formulations with unique benefits.
