Page 31 - HPIC E-Magazine (January-2021)

Cover Story

However the team also note that biodegradable, it is an inert material, offers a “safe synthetic” – a wax-
the ‘best’ alternative depends on which can be engineered to give high based exfoliant, derived from natu-
the context. For example, titanium performance. ral and renewable feedstocks and
dioxide, used in toothpaste, has a far less likely to irritate the skin.
relatively high environmental impact Alginate microbeads Compared to sharp-edged alterna-
– but it is also used in sunscreens, Scientists at South Korea’s Chun- tives like silica and cellulose, test-
where alternatives may not have the gnam National University Calcium ing has shown that ‘Cegesoft’ Peel’s
same health benefit of preventing have developed alginate microbeads (INCI: Ethylene glycol distearate)

skin cancers. as a promising and cost-effective smooth, spherical edges are far less
alternative to polymer microbeads. likely to cause scratches and redness,
Evonik, another leading chemical The process of making them involves while providing equivalent exfolia-
company, offers synthetic amorphous electro-spraying an aqueous alginate tion.
silica-based microbeads, which are solution into distilled water containing
chemically identical to natural silica, calcium ions. The process allows full Vantage Personal Care, the per-
but produced at significantly higher control over the size and shape of sonal care unit of Vantage Specialty
purity and consistency than the natu- the microbeads and large quantities Chemicals, offers a biodegradable
ral alternative. can be easily made. Importantly, the ingredient called Jojoba Scrubeads,

microbeads rapidly degrade in sea- which is created from castor oil and
Perlite – another natural alternative water due the exchange of the cal- jojoba oil and is said to be a viable
Extensive research and develop- cium ions in the microbeads with the alternative to microbeads. They are ideal
ment into alternative ingredients sodium ions in the water. for formulations that require higher
have identified several minerals that mixing temperatures, as their melt-
deliver good scrub performance. One Wax-based options ing point is 82-90°C, which is above
such material is perlite. Though not German chemical company, BASF, that of a traditional wax sphere.
Exfoliants from nature In a study done at the Central
Research Institute in Nagoya Japan,
jojoba was found to be one of the
mildest preparations among scrub
agents, and even the excessive use
for three minutes may induce almost
no skin irritation.
Conclusions
Microbeads have been particu-
larly controversial because of the exi-
stence of several viable alternatives
which do not have the same environ-
mental impacts. Where those alterna-
tives are natural in origin, companies
should ensure they are sustainably
sourced. Where they are artificially
produced, they should ensure that
appropriate environmental impact
assessments are undertaken.

Beauty companies are striving to
meet the challenge of eliminating mi-
crobeads in their products, and many
have sourced natural alternatives,
such as sugar or salt, apricot ker-
nels, cornmeal, pumice, silica, coffee
grinds and walnut shells.
Home, Personal & Institutional Care India January 2021 31