Climate warming and the alarming rate of consumption of natural resources mean that more and more people decide to change their lifestyle to a more ecological one. Therefore, there is a growing demand for cosmetics produced in a more environmentally friendly manner.

Saponlabs’ research on natural surfactants for cosmetic industry employs various models to mimic a human skin. Recently we have published a scientific paper comparing the action of synthetic and natural surfactants on two model skin layers. The paper entitled “Effect of synthetic surfactants and soapwort (Saponaria officinalis L.) extract on skin-mimetic model lipid monolayers” was published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal “Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Biomembranes”.

Until recently, one of the most popular cosmetic raw materials, especially among washing cosmetics, was Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) – a sodium salt of lauryl sulfate. This material, however, was characterized by a significant degree of skin irritation, a relatively low aqueous solubility and limited possibilities to thicken the cosmetic formulation. Today, SLS has been mostly replaced by its ethoxylated derivative - Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES).

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