TONY O’LENICK
Nascent Technologies Corporation, Lawrenceville Ga, USA

Abstract

Today’s formulator is faced with developing products in a shorter and shorter time, with fewer people, more regulations and a more demanding consumer and at a more cost effective price. This has put more pressure of the formulator to improve efficiency. 

The adoption of new approaches to formulate continues. One of the key approaches is not to start from scratch, but to pick existing formulations as platforms from which to develop modifications that provide a different sensorial that the consumer can appreciate and purchase. This article presents an example of Functional Formulation and encourages the consideration of this approach by the formulator.

MINIMALLY DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY

The concept of minimally disruptive formulation (1-4) was introduced in 2015.  This approach depends upon the ability of personal care formulators to provide products that have consumer perceptible differences that meet a market need. Since product aesthetics are a key attribute of personal care products, the ability to alter product aesthetics to provide a different consumer perception with minimal change to the formulation is a very cost effective way to develop new products. The concept was to add a particular polymeric surface active agent (including silicones, polyester or other polymers), to an existing formulation to effect a consumer perceptible change in the formulation.

The fact is that polymeric surface actives, properly chosen at a concentration of 5% or less, will provide to the formulation a lowering of surface tension, an alteration of feel, an altering of cushion and play time, a change in gloss, and a perception to a customer the product is different from the formulation to which the addi ...