Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Middle East Foam & Polyurethane
  • UTECH Asia/PU China
  • UTECH Europe
  • UTECH Las Americas
Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Ukraine
  • News
    • Asia
    • Americas
    • Europe
    • M & A
    • Financial results
    • Automotive
  • Data
  • Information
    • Country Overview
    • Market Sector overviews
    • Technical articles
    • Company profiles and strategies
  • Events
    • Exhibitions
    • Conferences
    • Webinars / Livestreams
    • Become a Speaker
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Issues
  • Subscribe
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
March 17, 2010 12:00 AM

Making cosmetics green and waterproof with polyurethanes

Utech Staff
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    Leverkusen, Germany -- It's not a traditional use for polyurethane, but cosmetic materials are exploiting some novel properties of the material that give distinct advantages -- specifically in meeting environmental demands and in making waterproof sunscreen formulations which retain a pleasant, 'silky' feel, according to developer Bayer MaterialScience.

    Bayer's Baycusan C cosmetics products meet key requirements for "green" raw materials, being water-based with no preservatives or co-solvents. And sister material Baycusan C 1000 can raise the sun protection factor (SPF) of sunscreen cosmetics without use of UV absorbers. It also makes formulations waterproof -- but also offers smoothness without stickiness, BMS said.

    "We are able to offer Baycusan C products without preservatives, because they are manufactured and filled at our plant in Chempark Dormagen using a germ-free, ultraclean and high-quality process developed in-house," said Dr Steffen Hofacker, head of cosmetics at BMS, in an 11 March company statement.

    Cosmetic companies gain freedom in product design and preservation, Hoffacker continued, adding that the Baycusan C range includes a polyurea powder as a sensory additive and four solvent-free polyurethane dispersions with film-forming and conditioning properties. These raw materials can be used to good effect in skin-care products, decorative cosmetics, sunscreen and hair styling products, according to BMS.

    In Baycusan C manufacture, process by-products such as waste are minimised, and chemical reactions use energy-saving and efficient procedures under mild conditions, Bayer said.

    BMS will spotlight these 'green' credentials at Stand G 70 in Hall 7.3 at In-Cosmetics, the world's leading trade fair for cosmetic raw materials, in Paris 13-15 April this year.

    Another BMS focus at the show will be on test results validating the benefits of the PU material Baycusan C 1000 for sunscreen formulations. This film-forming polymer raises the SPF of sample formulations, without UV-absorbers, the company explains.

    The SPF booster has the added benefit of making sunscreen products extremely waterproof.

    "We developed and tested a whole series of possible formulations, varying the UV-A and UV-B filters, both inorganic and organic, while doing so. In our suggested formulations, we also took into account the fact that people in various countries around the world have very different ideas about the ideal skin feeling," said Dr Sophie Viala, head of cosmetics application engineering at BMS.

    "Baycusan C 1000 offers the perfect solution to a well-known dilemma: how to respond to the trend towards ever-higher protection factors without compromising on the pleasant skin feeling provided by products with lower SPF values," Viala claimed.

    Without boosters, SPF can only be increased by using higher concentrations of UV filters, and usually makes sunscreens feel wax-like, greasy or sticky on the skin, according to BMS. In contrast, Baycusan C 1000 forms elastic films that feel "very pleasant on the skin," the company said. Tests also confirm that they support a high level of water-vapour transmission and allow the skin to breathe, the company said.

    "

    Recommended for You
    Jaguar TCS Racing Formula E car Aero wrap 800
    Aero’s urethane films add to Jaguar Formula E cars’ sustainable credentials
    Hexion
    Hexion’s “safer” alternative to 2-ethylhexanoic acid meets ECHA demands
    A smiling executive wearing a suit and tie, standing in front of the Pearl Polyurethanes Systems logo.
    Pearl expands into Egypt, appoints regional sales head
    Latest Issue
    UTech April/May 2023
    Get the latest edition here
    View All Archives
    Get our newsletters

    Breaking news and in-depth coverage of essential topics delivered straight to your inbox.

    Subscribe today

    Register to access our archive of leading information on the polyurethanes industry.

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Youtube

    Follow us on social media for the latest polyurethanes industry news and event updates.

    Logo
    Contact Us

    Crain Communications
    11, Ironmonger Lane
    London
    EC2V 8EY
    United Kingdom

    Editorial
    Phone +44 (0) 20 3287 5935
    Email click to send

    Customer Service
    Phone +1 313 446 0450
    Email click to send

    Resources
    • Advertise with Us
    • Media Kit
    • Staff
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • Ukraine
    • News
      • Asia
      • Americas
      • Europe
      • M & A
      • Financial results
      • Automotive
    • Data
    • Information
      • Country Overview
      • Market Sector overviews
      • Technical articles
      • Company profiles and strategies
    • Events
      • Exhibitions
      • Conferences
      • Webinars / Livestreams
      • Become a Speaker
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Issues
    • Subscribe