Concentrated expertise for sustainable home and personal care formulations

From October 26 to 28, 2022, at the SEPAWA Congress in Berlin, specialty chemicals company LANXESS will be showcasing its comprehensive portfolio and concentrated expertise in the field of active ingredients and formulations for household cleaners, detergents, and personal care products. “After two years in which the biggest European forum for home and personal care solutions was held only virtually due to the coronavirus, the congress and exhibition now once again offer a platform for cultivating and establishing personal contacts and discovering the key trends and requirements of the end markets. It also offers an excellent opportunity to present our new Care business area, which was established following the acquisition of the microbial control business from U.S. Corporation International Flavors & Fragrances,” says Anneliese Bischof, who heads the Care business line. This business line is integrated in LANXESS’s Material Protection Products (MPP) business unit, which specializes in microbial applications.

Sustainable preservation in green- and clean-label products

Benzoic acid (Purox B) and sodium benzoate (Purox S) are highly effective preservatives that are nature-identical and fully biodegradable. They provide effective protection for body care products and detergents against bacteria and, in particular, fungi. Holger Hueppeler, Head of LANXESS’s Flavors & Fragrances business unit: “With Kalaguard SB, we also offer the world’s only sodium benzoate product approved for the home care industry.” Its antimicrobial effect can be further enhanced by the also nature-identical multi-function active ingredient Emerald X7, which means that Kalaguard SB can also be used in products with high pH values. As a solubilizer, Emerald X7 also facilitates the incorporation of low-soluble ingredients and improves the effect of stain removers.

“Our new sustainable product line, which comprise up to 40 percent natural, renewable raw materials and do not necessitate the classification and labeling procedures of the end products, have a better environmental profile, for example in terms of their biodegradability,” says Franziska Roemhild, MPP product manager. This antimicrobial product line will be unveiled at the SEPAWA Congress and was developed in response to the marked trend toward sustainable products in the home market. The Bioban, Kathon, Neolone, and Neolone Bio product lines also encompass a range of highly efficient conventional preservatives as well as nature-identical/ISO 16928-compliant preservatives derived from natural raw materials. The Neolone Bio range is based on ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE) hydrochloride derived from the chloride of lauric acid, the amino acid L-arginine, and ethanol. This active ingredient has a strong preservative effect even at low doses and is yet another attractive, nature-identical alternative for the personal care market.

“Green” surfactants: a plus for consumers and the environment

The multi-function active ingredient Solbrol CLL (sodium caproyl/lauryoyl lactylate) is ideal for clean-label body care products. It is based on coconut oil, has an antimicrobial effect, and also shows valuable surfactant properties, meaning that it improves foam quality and acts as an emulsifier and mild thickener. “Green surfactants like these play a vital role in the development of end products with optimized environmental and safety profiles,” says Dr. Matthias Kunze, Business Development Manager in Flavors & Fragrances at LANXESS. The readily soluble, biodegradable anionic surfactant Mersolat H, too, can be used across a broad pH range in disinfectant cleaning products and concentrates. It helps to prevent electrostatic charging both during production and when the finished product is in use – a vital property of PVC flooring, for example.

Biodegradable dispersing and complexing agents

Biomimetic chemistry acted as the blueprint for the Baypure line of dispersing and complexing agents. “These products are therefore eco-friendly and readily biodegradable. Their fundamental structural base is the natural amino acid aspartic acid,” says Dr. Ralf-Johann Moritz, who works in the Polymer Additives business unit. They are used for stabilizing the bleaching system in modern dish and washing detergents and stop the dirt that has been removed from being redeposited on the fabrics. They also reduce water hardness and prevent the precipitation of lime and other poorly soluble calcium salts. The Bayhibit phosphonates also make for ideal stabilizing additives in washing detergents and cleaning products. Thanks to their stability in concentrated solutions and bleaching agents at high temperatures, they not only are widely used for industrial-scale bottle cleaning but also constitute an ingredient of special cleaners used in cafeterias as well as in the food-service and hotel industries.

Healthcare by Saltigo – gentle, long-lasting protection against insect bites

The insect repellent Saltidin is ideal for producers of not only insect repellents but also of cosmetics looking to supplement their product portfolio with a gentle and effective health care product. “Products containing Saltidin provide long-lasting protection against insects and ticks that transmit the pathogens that cause diseases such as Lyme disease, malaria, and dengue fever. It is also highly effective, gentle and suitable for use in a range of cosmetic formulations – a quite remarkable combination,” says Dr. Nora Hofmann, Global Business Manager Saltidin for Saltigo GmbH. The active ingredient, which goes under the trade name Icaridin, has been recommended by numerous national and international organizations as an effective prophylaxis and, thanks to its outstanding cosmetic characteristics, can be used for the production of user-friendly insect repellents for the whole family.