The next generation of hydrocarbon-based cosmetic fluids

The inclusion of hydrocarbons in cosmetics has a long history, from the early days of petrolatum and mineral oil to the more recent use of the aliphatic branched chain hydrocarbons or isoparaffins, as typified by the Permethyl® product line. These widely used materials are noted for their non-reactivity, purity, and inertness along with excellent solvent and emollient properties.

We will report on a new class of hydrocarbons – mixed alkanes – which will become part of the Permethyl® family of products. These new products have been developed to provide increased functionality so the formulator can get a more focused effect. Whether it is film forming and emolliency or high levels of slip, gloss and cushion, there is now a specific product that can provide those functions. Through specific formulations we will demonstrate the use of these new materials in skin care, hair care and color cosmetics applications.

The general properties of these new materials are given in Table 4. In Table 5 the Applications/Functions column highlights which functions best fit with which applications.

Skin care applications

To test the suitability of these materials in skin care, a moisturizing cream (Appendix I) was prepared using 5% of Permethyl 216C, Permethyl 222C and Permethyl 296C respectively and tested using a five person panel. Each panelist was asked to rate each product on a 0-10 scale (0=poor, 10=excellent) for six key properties/attributes and for overall performance. The attributes were: application, after feel, smoothness, moisturization perception, tackiness, greasiness and finally an overall product rating. The results (an average of the five ratings) are given in Table 1. Based on the results presented in Table 1, the 216C product appears to be the product of choice in this particular moisturizing cream. Of particular note is the rather high ratings given for after feel and moisturization perception.

Color cosmetics applications

In the color cosmetics area we evaluated two product types, a lipstick and an O/W foundation using the same panel study technique and employing five panelists per study. The lipstick formulation (see Appendix 2) was a standard formula that used Permethyl 216C, Permethyl 222C and Permethyl 296C at the 10% level. A group of attributes were rated (see Table 2) as well as an overall preference.

While the Permethyl 216C product received high scores for after feel, wear, moisturization perception and being non-greasy it was perceived as drying and had somewhat less shine/gloss than the other products. This being a key attribute of lipsticks, the Permethyl 296 actually scored highest in the overall preference numbers.

The foundation product we chose to evaluate was an O/W system (see Appendix 3) which used Permethyl 216C, Permethyl 222C and Permethyl 296C at the 10% level. The results of the panel study are given in Table 3. In this study the Permethyl 222C received the highest score, most probably due to the high ratings given for after feel and spreadability. These are important attributes for foundations.

Summary/conclusions

Based on the panel studies it appears that these new materials offer certain advantages in specific applications. In the skin care product the Permethyl 216C appears to have been chosen as the clear product of choice, offering the best overall performance in the formulation tested. In the lipstick and foundation formulations the best choice was not as clear cut. In the lipstick our panelists rated the Permethyl 216C product a close second to the Permethyl 296C, while in the foundation product both the Permethyl 216C and the Permethyl 296C were rated close to the overall winner, Permethyl 222C.

The results of this panel seem to demonstrate that while each of these new materials has certain properties that make them more suitable for one application over another, there may also be contributions from the other ingredients in a specific formulation that need to be considered.

Further work is ongoing to identify specific synergies that can be used to the advantage the formulators to maximize a product’s attributes based on specific claims.

Further information

Anthony Ansaldi

VP Sales and Marketing

aansaldi@presperse.com

Dennis Laba

Senior Marketing Manager

dlaba@presperse.com

Tel: +732 356 5200

Fax: +732 356 3533