Unlock eco-friendly conditioning for natural hair care
Bio-based hair conditioning solutions
Hair is an extension of our individuality, reflecting personal style and defining our entire look. Maintaining a more natural and healthy hair style is a trend that is growing with the movement to embrace all hair types and textures at the root. Whether treating wavy, curly or straight hair, conditioning is an essential part of our personal care routine to protect, revitalize and nourish the biomaterial that helps define us.
Minimal ingredients with good performance
Conscientious consumers desire more natural, simpler formulas containing few ingredients (perceived to be gentler on the scalp/hair) and products that are eco-friendlier and more sustainable, with a lower environmental impact.
The ethos of hair care brands focuses on transparent, traceable ingredients, minimalist labels to give consumers confidence in a product's content, biodegradability for peace of mind and responsible, proven formulations (energy/waste/materials). People want proof that the product works – and proof that the ingredients are more sustainable.
In a time overshadowed by so much uncertainty and questioning, proving the efficacy and credibility of products will gain consumer trust and increase the value of hair care products. Ingredient verification and product claims are becoming increasingly important to consumers. In hair care, there is tremendous pressure to provide consumers with the highly effective end results they want, while acting honestly and responsibly, both socially and environmentally.
Hair conditioning formulas for all textures and types
When given the choice, consumers primarily use hair care products formulated for their hair texture and style and expect them to deliver the desired result. The challenge is that – depending on the hair texture – products are not always readily available or explain how they can help. There is an opportunity for hair care brands to clearly explain how a product formula works for each hair texture and type. Segmenting hair products for suitability by hair length will appeal to those with longer hair as well as those with textured or curly hair, especially since hair looks and behaves differently at the roots than at the ends.
Different application methods are possible to condition the hair, make it supple and keep it looking healthy. Conditioners that stay in the hair or need to be washed out, hair oils and rich conditioning masks are common products on the market.
What are the most important factors in achieving healthy hair, frizz control and protecting hair against heat are key questions from the end consumer. As a result, hair should fall softly and feel smoothly, while having a great shine and look healthy and strong.
To meet the needs of consumers to protect the hair and the environment at its best, Univar Solutions offers a broad portfolio of different bio-based ingredients such as cationic surfactants, polymers, thickeners and waxes or conditioning agents to meet the varied needs of customers and to develop new innovations in the area of hair care and hair conditioning.
Discover our natural bioderived, conditioning ingredient solutions and formulation ideas and gain inspiration for your next hair care development.
- Natural origin polymer derived from corn for styling and hairstyle maintenance
- Eco-friendly and natural origin cationic surfactant
- Natural origin soy blend
- Bio-based gum blend for hair serum
- Natural origin multifunctional conditioning agent
- Eco-friendly and vegetable origin surfactants
Need a bit of inspiration?
Explore our prototype hair conditioning formulations
Cleansing Agents & Foam Boosters
For an effective cleanse, you want to explore surfactants and cleansing agents that are gentle enough not to strip the hair or weigh down curls, while still removing product build up and oils. The cleansing agents and foam boosters we’ve selected to get you started will be effective in creating sulfate-free shampoos that are mild enough to be gentle on the scalp, while delivering a rich, luxurious foam. Our selection includes a number of bio-based cand biodegradable options to allow you to create naturally-derived and sustainable shampoo formulations that appeal to the clean beauty consumer.
Brazil
Kao’s Akypo® Foam LM 25
Anionic surfactant that offers all the properties required for ultra-mild cleansing products.
Kao’s Emanon® EV-E
Non-ionic surfactant, Solubilizer and Emulsifier. It is vegetable-origin and preservative-free
Kao’s Levenol® H&B
Extra-mild non-ionic surfactant with emulsifying properties.
Mexico
Solvay’s Miracare®Soft S 525
Mild sulfate-free multifunctional performance concentrate
Stepan’s Bio-Terge® AS-40
Anionic surfactant providing excellent viscosity, foam characteristics and mildness
Dow’s EcoSense Surfactants
Naturally-sourced, readily biodegradable surfactants
Stepan’s Mild® PCL
Mild, sulfate-free, anionic surfactant blend that generates high foam with good viscosity building characteristics
Conditioning & Hair Repair Agents
Consumers expect their shampoo formulations to not only cleanse their hair, but also repair, condition and treat different kinds of damage. There are many unique polymers you can leverage to customize your hair cleansing and shampoo formulas to target specific forms of hair damage, as well as offer light or deep conditioning benefits. Here, we’ve selected options that can help you address anything from split ends to heat and color damage. We’ve also include the HydroxySHIELD™ polymer from Dow, which focuses on protection, allowing you to create preventative shampoo formulations.
Brazil
Kao’s KAO Sofcare® GP-1
Plant-derived multi-functional conditioning agent for personal care products
Dow’s DOWSIL™ 7113 Microemulsion
Microemulsion for hair repair and volume
Mexico
Solvay’s Polycare® Split Therapy
Naturally-based and non-ecotoxic hair repair active
Dow’s HydroxySHIELD™ Polymer
Multi-functional polymer for protection from heat and color damage
Solvay’s Jaguar® range
Bio-based conditioning polymer suitable for transparent formulations
Dow’s UCARE™ Extreme Polymer
Bio-derived & biodegradable cationic cellulosic conditioning polymer
Solvay’s Mackpro® KLP
Replace natural oils and protein lost by shampooing and provides conditioning without an “oily” feel.
Thickeners & Viscosity Boosters
Great texture and viscosity is important for liquid shampoo and hair cleansing formulations, in order to create a fantastic visual and sensory experience for your consumers. We’ve provided you with some great bio-based options here to help you achieve the ideal viscosity for the specific hair type you’re targeting with your formulation.
Brazil
Cargill’s Actigum™VSX 20
Rheology modifier that builds over the well-known properties of two highly safe and nature- derived ingredients
Kao’s Kaopan® TW-IS399S
Strong thickener effective for sulfate-free formulations.
Mexico
Stepan’s MILD® GCC
Ester providing thickening, foam enhancing, and solubilizing agent
Stepan’s MILD® L3
Viscosity builder, foam booster, emulsifier and emollient applied to different formulations.
Stepan’s NINOL® CAA
Secondary surfactant designed to optimize hygiene formulation chassis with no compromise on performance
Humectants & Volumizing Agents
Now that you’ve selected your cleansing agents, conditioning and repair agents, as well as a thickener, selecting a great humectant and incorporating volumizing and styling benefits can take your shampoo formulation to the next level. The materials we’ve selected to get you started are highly compatible, and offer additional benefits to their humectant and volumizing properties.
Brazil
Angus’s Tris Amino® ULTRA PC
Tromethamine buffer for personal care and cosmetic products
Mexico
Novachem’s Extracell™ Plex
Active ingredient obtained from yeast that increases resistance to breakage for damaged hair
Novachem’s Capilmax™
Active that increases hair thickness, redensifies, prevents hair loss and repairs the fiber
Novachem’s Royal Elixir™
Active with an exceptional concentration of nutrients, it restores hair in just minutes, providing balance and strength to the hair fiber
Shampoo & Hair Cleansing formulations to inspire
We know the hair cleansing market is competitive, so we’ve selected a few of our own formulations to help inspire your next innovative product:
Brazil
Detox Refrescante – Espuma de Limpeza de Couro Cabeludo
Your scalp also needs love. Whether dry, oily, normal or overloaded with many products. This refreshing cleansing treatment instantly removes oil and build-up with an explosion of invigorating micro-bubbles. Click here to access
Todo Levinho – Shampoo Livre de Sulfatos
Transforming what is known shampoo around the world, this sulfate-free formula offers a dense, rich and creamy foam, redefining a simple bath into something superior. This incredible texture sharpens your senses and rescues you from moments of stress and tension. Feel your hair healthy and shiny after an extraordinary moment. Click here to access
Superfood – Shampoo Pré Tratamento
Perfect complement to your daily wellness routine. This nutrient-rich shampoo is formulated for a moment of deep cleansing preparing the strands to receive the treatment it deserves. Sulfate-free, a friend of the scalp and nature, is step 1 for hair full of attitude. Click here to access
Mexico
Sulfate Free Shampoo
As effective as they are in ridding your hair of dirt, sulfates can also strip your hair of essential natural oils. This unique shampoo formulation helps retain the natural moisture of the hair so that your hair does not lose its natural shine and softness. Click here to access
Clinical Scalp & Beard Shampoo
Thinking about practicability and flexibility we formulate a shampoo thoroughly cleans and deeply conditions, leaving your scalp and beard feeling soft, clean and manageable. Click here to access
Split Ends Restoring Shampoo
Split ends stand in the way of great hair, and we're all susceptible to them. Our shampoo with rich formulation treats hair to extra nourishment repairing and preventing split ends. Click here to access
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