Understanding How Chemicals Enhance Personal Care Products
Personal care products range from cosmetics to topical medications designed to clean, protect, and maintain skin and hair. With approximately 12,500 ingredients from which to choose in the United States, manufacturers can create millions of unique personal care products. Statistically, women in the United States use an average of 9 to 15 personal care products a day, equating to 515 specific chemicals apiece. Bell Chem, your personal care raw ingredient supplier, wants to shed light on the most prominent categories of ingredients within these products to assist in better understanding the role of personal care products in everyday life.
Colors
Whether consumers are hiding a blemish or applying lipstick, color plays a large role in daily personal care. Ingredients may be mineral (such as iron oxide or manganese) or natural (plant-based ingredients such as beet powder or cochineal extract), and pigments can be broken down into organic or inorganic compounds (primarily metal oxides, such as magnesium oxide and potassium oxide).
Fragrances
While some consumers prefer the odor of soap as their fragrance, others choose a floral scent or a musk odor. These scents are properties of chemicals or natural oils. For citrus, not much tops d-limonene. Toothpaste and mouthwash manufacturers frequently choose spearmint or peppermint oils. Aldehydes are the basis of many synthetic perfumes, such as citronella, orange, rose, and vanilla.
Preservatives
The use of preservatives is essential for clean, safe ingredients since preservatives inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi, and yeast. Salicylic acid and EDTA are frequently used as personal care preservatives.
Surfactants
By lowering the surface tension of water, surfactants have the ability to quickly combine water and soap to gently remove oils and grease from the skin. Surfactants include stearyl alcohol, polysorbates, trolamine, and magnesium stearate. Emulsifiers are a category of surfactants that stabilize fine droplets of oil within a product. An emulsifier helps treat itchy, scaly skin by packing the areas between skin cells. Emulsifiers form a physical barrier atop the epidermis, holding in moisture. Glycerin and mineral oil are stunning examples of emulsifiers.
Thickeners
When a tube dispenses a watery substance, the situation can quickly become disastrous. A thickener ensures uniform consistency. Varieties of thickeners include lipid thickeners (stearic acid and carnauba wax), naturally derived thickeners (guar gum and xanthan gum), mineral thickeners (silica and maltodextrin), and synthetic thickeners (propylene glycol alginate).
Bell Chem is a personal care raw ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including a vast array of personal care products. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.