Building on consumer demand for natural ingredients in cosmetics, French plant-based ingredients company Naturex has developed a 100 percent natural foaming agent, which offers manufacturers an alternative to synthetic surfactants.

Naturex will be showcasing some of the applications for which the product is suited at in-cosmetics 2015. These include cleaning products for blemish-prone and sensitive skins, sulfate-free soothing shower gel and scalp soothing shampoo, baby wipes and natural toothpaste.

The foaming agent, called Sapnov™, contains extracts from Soapbark trees grown in Chile. According to manufacturers, studies have shown that Soapbark has soothing and dermo-purifying properties, giving Sapnov™ benefits that cannot be found in common surfactants.

Sapnov™ is a non-ionic and water-soluble surfactant that mixes well with classical solvents works in a wide range of pH and shows good stability even at high salt concentrations, manufacturers state.

Stéphanie Puel, Business Unit Director for Personal Care at Naturex, commented, “With the goal of capturing and passing on the power of nature, adding this functional, natural and minimally processed ingredient to our portfolio seemed like a logical step. This ingredient also meets the demand for both sulphate-free, mild surfactants and biodegradable ingredients in finished products,” she added. Non-ionic surfactants are expected to enjoy one of the strongest CAGRs in shampoos between 2013 and 2018.”