Useful information about cosmetic chemistry

This article on cosmetic science is primarily intended to benefit anyone interested in chemist careers but hopefully the Beauty Brains community will find this information useful as well! Surfactants It is amazing how little time is devoted to surfactants in college when you consider the importance they play in so many industries. What are they? Surfactant is a shorter way to say “surface active agent”. These are molecules that have the property of reducing surface tension, thereby allowing oil and water to form stable (temporarily) mixtures. Examples – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycol Distearate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Polysorbate 80 Why are they used? Surfactants are used for various purposes in cosmetic formulas including * Detergents – for cleansing * Wetting agents – for helping formulas spread more easily * Foaming agents – to produce consumer friendly suds * Emulsifiers – to create stable mixtures of oil and water * Conditioning agents – to improve the surfaces of hair and skin * Solubilizers – to help mix fragrances into water-based formulas * Preservatives – to keep cosmetics microbe-free * Special Effects – to improve the look of certain formulas Where can you learn more? For a quick primer on the subject, see this book on surfactants on Google. For a more general discussion of surfactants, start with the Wikipedia surfactant page. Emulsions This topic is related to surfactants and covered even less in col...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs