Ultra-Low Salt Surfactants

Reducing salt levels, not performance!

As consumers pay more attention to their skin health, they are increasingly turning to sulfate-free products for hair and skin cleansing. However, products without sulfate-based cleansers such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) and ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) which have the potential to cause discomfort to eyes, mouth, skin, and scalp, can often run into formulation problems. This is due to a high level of salt that is either added to the formula to increase viscosity or contained in alternative, sulfate-free surfactants. 

Too much salt can cause formulation issues, as well as make the product unsuitable for specific applications and important beauty care targets. Syensqo offers formulators a range of ultra-low salt (ULS) surfactants to help control total salt levels, optimize foam properties, and maintain formulation clarity and stability.  

Creating an ideal salt level threshold
 

The use of salt-containing surfactants or adding NaCl to sulfate-free formulas can be useful to build viscosity.  However, too much salt causes clarity & stability issues. This is especially evident when the formula incorporates cationic polymers to provide conditioning benefits, naturally-derived thickening polymers with limited salt tolerance or surfactants such as Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, that can phase out in the presence of too much sodium chloride. Based on our experience, we have observed that to gain the benefits of salt without the issues, it is ideal to keep the total salt level of the formulas < 1.5 - 2.0% max to avoid stability/compatibility issues.  

It is always important to consider that:

Total salt in a formula = Salt carried over by the surfactants + Added salt 

and that many sulfate-free surfactants come with a high level of salt.  So, if the surfactants are not well selected, the 1.5 - 2.0% max threshold above can easily be exceeded.

Ultra-Low Salt Surfactants to the Rescue 

Syensqo has developed a range of Ultra-Low Salt surfactants designed to allow better flexibility in sulfate-free formulation frameworks allowing formulators to build viscosity without compromising on transparency and stability.   
 

Address stability issues when formulating with cationic polymers

Ultra-Low Salt Amphoterics enable the design of ultra-gentle conditioning cleansers relying on the use of an amphoteric surfactant as the primary surfactant of the formulas. Indeed, the amphoteric surfactants usually carry out a significant amount of salt with them, leading to exceeding the 1.5 - 2.0% salt threshold if used as a primary surfactant, which leads to clarity and stability issues if the formula incorporates a cationic polymer as shown in the figure on the left-hand side. If the equivalent ultra-low salt amphoteric is used, there is no issue anymore (figure on the right end side).

Address stability issues when formulating with natural polymers

Ultra-Low Salt Surfactants enable the use of natural polymers to thicken sulfate-free formulas Natural thickening polymers like guar gums have limited salt tolerance. If the surfactants are not carefully chosen to limit the total amount of salt in the formula, the polymer very quickly phase separates as shown here in the picture on the left-hand side. Switching to the ultra-low salt taurate enables to get a stable formula.

Address stability issues when formulating with Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

Ultra-Low Salt Amphoterics also enable to solubilize Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate without getting it precipitated due to the presence of too much sodium chloride.

Mirataine® DAB ULS MB: for greater freedom in the design of ultra-mild, clear, and stable cleansing formulas

Mirataine® DAB ULS MB is an “Ultra-Low Salt” Lauramidopropyl Betaine. It facilitates the formulation of sulfate-free cleansers. Thanks to its significantly reduced level of salt versus standard betaines (0.5% max versus 5-7% for a regular betaine), it provides the freedom to use a betaine as a primary surfactant for ultra-gentle cleansing, while making it possible to include: 

• cationic polymers, 
• natural thickening polymers, 
• sodium chloride-sensitive co-surfactants 

without facing clarity & stability issues. Mirataine® DAB ULS MB is based on pure vegetable lauric acid and is RSPO mass balance certified.

Ask for your Sample of Mirataine® DAB ULS MB
 

Mirataine® CB 35 ULS HP MB: the COSMOS-validated ultra-low salt betaine that delivers both cleansing and caring benefits

Mirataine® CB 35 ULS HP MB (INCI: Coco-Betaine) shares all the same performance characteristics of Mirataine® DAB ULS MB,  with the added advantage of contributing to care benefits delivered to hair when used in shampoo formulas. It therefore enables improved ease of combing & softness versus the same formula based on the Mirataine® DAB ULS MB. Mirataine® CB 35 ULS HP MB is also Cosmos-validated.

Ask for your Sample of Mirataine® CB 35 ULS HP MB

Geropon® TC 95 P: Ultra-low salt amino-acid surfactant with broad formulation flexibility, good foaming and caring wet feel signature

Geropon® TC 95 P (INCI: Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate) is a high purity (ultra-low salt, low free amine) amino-acid surfactant in powder form with outstanding foaming and cleansing properties. It is suitable for cold processing and clear formulas and is very gentle on the hair and skin. Geropon® TC 95 P is ideal for the design of solid or concentrated cleansers and can be used in many personal care applications, including body wash, bar soap, facial cleanser, shampoo, and toothpaste. 

Ask for your Sample of Geropon® TC 95 P

Too much salt weakens foaming

On top of helping to solve stability/compatibility issues, relying on ULS surfactants can help improve the foam properties, particularly for purely cleansing formulations that do not contain conditioning or thickening polymers.