IFF
Consumers are increasingly expecting the beauty and personal care products that they purchase to be environmentally responsible.
This has driven a growth in interest in natural and bio-based ingredients across the sector, as manufacturers rethink their formulations with the aim of improving the eco credentials of their
products. Yet when it comes to skincare and haircare products, sustainability is not the only thing on consumers’ minds, with market research consistently showing that performance is the key to driving repeated purchases1.
With the growth of online information and increasing demand for transparency, consumers are becoming more discerning with labels and are researching ingredients to better understand the
effectiveness of products before they buy. Further still, their decisions are made based on labels that detail evidence-based scientific claims and clinical formulations2, 3, for reassurance that they are safe and effective. Therefore brands need to provide credible information on product labels and be transparent about their ingredients and formulations, to highlight their value proposition in an increasingly crowded market.
As a result, science now plays a pivotal role in new product development in the personal care industry, with companies investing significantly in research and development to meet these
expectations and validate product claims through scientific studies and trials. Utilizing bioengineered ingredients has emerged as one way in which formulators can provide a solid narrative tool, helping to appeal to a wider audience but crucially, to provide both an improved product performance and a desired sustainability profile.
Raising standards with proven ingredients for personal care formulations
Although historically, developing environmentally responsible skincare and haircare meant compromising on efficacy, the latest ingredient advances allow formulators to combine both sustainability and performance. For example, AURIST™ AGC is a novel, readily biodegradable, cationic biopolymer, designed specifically to improve the conditioning qualities of body and hair products, whilst also being readily biodegradable and created using a sustainable process. It is the first personal care ingredient enabled by IFF’s proprietary Designed Enzymatic Biopolymer (DEB) technology platform.
DEB is a biocatalysis process that allows the creation of new to-the-world polymers that can be designed and customized to meet desired performance needs and product specifications,
using a more sustainable process than conventional methods.
Like natural polymers, these can then be further optimized via chemical modification.
In shampoo formulations, AURIST™ AGC was shown to deliver significant results in improving both wet and dry combability of Caucasian and Kinky hair, when used at 0.2% a.m (active matter).
These results and use levels are common to other conditioning polymers used in hair care applications, but, on the contrary, the use of AURISTTM AGC does not come with the compromise of biodegradability, irritancy or aquatic toxicity. Further, unlike many other conditioning polymers on the market, AURIST™ AGC does not increase the viscosity of the system, or require special steps to enable its hydration, such as neutralization or high shear
dispersion.
In addition to these benefits, a trained panel sensory evaluation was conducted to investigate the sensorial benefits of using AURIST™ AGC in body wash products, using Quantitative
Descriptive Analysis. The study showed a significant reduction in skin roughness when using products formulated with AURIST™ AGC, compared to the base formulation. The study also
showed a significant reduction in rinsing time when testing a foaming wash formulation containing AURIST™ AGC. Given that consumers tend to associate long rinse off time to a lower quality formula, AURISTTM AGC’s ability to improve rinseability in wash off products provides a well sought-after benefit to the user experience.
Eco-conscious appeal
To meet consumer demand for high-performance personal care products with a positive environmental profile, AURIST™ AGC is designed as a biobased, readily biodegradable, highly purified mix of alpha glucan hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, water, and plant-derived propylene glycol.
Meeting growing demands
As the industry is trending towards sustainability, formulators are beginning to no longer have to choose between sustainability and performance in personal care formulations. Ingredients manufacturers are being challenged to improve performance while maintaining
sustainability, and this challenge is growing in difficulty, particularly as consumers are demanding more from their haircare and skincare products. In a world where costs are being cut
and premium performance is expected in even the more budget conscious formulations, the benefits of AURIST™ AGC are a welcome introduction. The ease-of-use, positive environmental profile and outstanding conditioning and sensorial properties make AURIST™ AGC a perfect example of the industry’s evolution into a more sustainable future, using biotechnology.
References
- Euromonitor, 2023 85% of consumers would pay more for beauty products with proven benefits. Accessed online: https://www.euromonitor.com/press/press-releases/nov-2023/85-of-consumers-would-pay-more-for-beauty-products-with-proven-benefits-euromonitor-international
- Mintel, 2023, Beauty & Personal Care Trends: APAC spotlight.
- Mintel, 2020, Shine with science and simplicity in Indonesia.
