Clariant Glucotain®: The Future of Eco-Beauty

Clariant has developed an innovative and environmentally friendly alternative to surfactants widely used in hair and skin care products in Turkey.

According to the 2016 Cosmetics Sector Report published by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Economy Export General Directorate Chemistry Products and Special Export Department, the cosmetics and personal care products market in Turkey is growing at an average rate of 10% annually in light of economic developments. The market share of natural cosmetics and personal care products stands at 5%, close to the global average.

Hilal Durgun Çınar, Sales Manager for Clariant Turkey and Near East Industrial and Consumer Specialties (ICS), states: "Eco-beauty, although it has advanced significantly in Turkey over the past 10 years, still has serious growth potential.

With the increase of chain cosmetics stores, consumers in Turkey have been introduced to new cosmetic brands. This has also brought demand for natural products in its wake."

Gentler, More Sustainable

Surfactants are the substances that provide the rich lather of shampoos and the hair-cleansing properties. Found in all products from detergent to shower gel, these cleansing agents help remove dirt and oil from skin and hair. However, as demand for beauty products that are environmentally friendly and free of toxic substances has increased, the personal care sector has focused on developing surfactants from natural materials. An alternative recently developed by Clariant is the GlucoTain^® surfactant series. Derived from sugar, GlucoTain^® products provide gentler and environmentally sustainable cleaning without compromising cleansing and foaming properties.

Peter Klug, Strategic Innovation Project Manager for Clariant Global Application Development, states: "These sugar-based surfactants combine excellent cleaning power with intensive conditioning properties for the first time in the industry. In addition to being highly effective, their production from renewable raw materials is an important factor."

A Scientific Look at Surfactants

The high surface tension of water reduces its adhesion to oil and dirt, causing it to be unable to provide sufficient cleansing on its own. This phenomenon can be seen in raindrops hitting glass: water molecules stick to each other rather than spreading across the surface, forming droplets.

This is where surfactants come into play. By reducing water's surface tension, they enable it to spread more easily and penetrate gaps and crevices.

The molecular structure of surfactants also facilitates their adhesion to dirt and oil. All surfactants have one end that is long and hydrophobic (water-repelling) in nature, while the other end is hydrophilic (water-attracting). The hydrophobic end adheres to dirt and oil and removes them from the scalp and hair shaft, while the hydrophilic end allows them to mix with water.

During rinsing, water molecules attach to the hydrophilic end of the surfactant, removing dirt and oil.