Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate sounds like something you could hear during an Advance Chemistry lecture. However, if you want to be part of the new generation of educated and greener skincare consumers, it’s time to pay more attention to the ingredients label on the back of your shampoos and body washes. After all, you should know what you are ultimately putting on your face or body and if it is harmful to your health.
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate and other natural amino-acid surfactants are the answer to the public outcry for greener and more skin-friendly products. They are the solution to an eager community that is putting natural and milder products as their first choice.
This new generation of so-called wash-active amino acid surfactants is giving Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)-based products a run for their money, mainly because they combine excellent performance without producing skin allergies or having carcinogenic potential.
Additionally, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate and other amino-acid surfactants are biodegradable and can be manufactured using green technology (biotechnology).
So, when it comes to a green, sustainable, and dermatologically safe surfactant, it doesn’t get any better than EversoftTM UCS-30S, the best Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate in the market.
Surfactants in Personal Cleansing Products
Cleansing products include soaps (salts of fatty acids of natural origin), and the newer syndets, aka synthetic detergents, more commonly in the form of bars and liquids cleansers.
Surfactants in shampoos and personal care products are behind the cleansing properties and foaming when applied. They are what give a cleansing product its power, removing skin debris and forming an emulsified mixture.
Indeed, surfactants are agents that play a major role in lowering the surface tension or tremendous cohesive forces between oil and water molecules. They are made of amphipathic molecules with hydrophilic (water-friendly) heads and hydrophobic (oil-friendly) tails.
The oil-friendly tails dissolve in the oil, sebum and dirt on the skin's surface, whereas the water-friendly heads remain oriented to the outside, thus forming spherical structures known as micelles.
These aggregates (micelles) are the secret behind surfactant wetting properties and the speedy process of washing away dirt and oil. They allow soaps and shampoos to penetrate deeper too.
Also, surfactants lower the interfacial tension between liquid and air, preventing the collapse of bubbles. So, surfactants are behind the lathering and characteristic foaming of soaps and cleansers.
Surfactants in these products vary in composition and are also categorized according to the charge present in the water-friendly (hydrophilic head) after dissociation in water.
There are four groups: anionic (negatively charged), cationic (positively charged), amphoteric (dual charge) and nonionic (no charge).
Syndets generally use anionic (negatively charged) surfactants, mainly alkyl sulfates, such as the infamous Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) made from polyethylene glycols (PEGs).
What Is The Problem With Synthetic Surfactants?
We know that cleansers are essential to remove dirt, oil, impurities and dead cells. Still, constant exposure may also cause repeated insults to the cutaneous barrier by striping the skin of its natural protective oils.
The damaging effects include:
- Altering skin pH (alkalization).
- Modifying lipids (mainly ceramides).
- Protein damage.
- Skin cell death.
These translate into redness, itching, dryness, flakiness and scaling.
As a rule of thumb, the greater the cleansing performance and larger pored foam, the more aggressive, penetrating and irritating the surfactant will be. And on the top shelf are cationic and anionic surfactants.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is the cheapest but most skin-damaging synthetic surfactant, with high allergy and irritant properties. And Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) has carcinogenic potential due to the presence of a compound known as 1,4-dioxane.
Due to their good cleansing power and low cost, Lauryl sulfates are major ingredients in body washes, shower gels and shampoos. And, despite their skin irritant potential, they remain the workhorse surfactants in the liquid cleansers market for the last decades!
On the other hand, Cocamidopropyl Betaine (amphoteric surfactant) is responsible for increasing cases of allergic contact dermatitis.
Nevertheless, according to the latest research, the skin sensitization issues may be due to impurities (Dimethylaminopropylamine) present in some sources of the surfactant.
In consequence, this has led to tighter specifications on the level of impurities in them, and betaines continue to be used in personal cleansing products.
Surfactants in “Natural Cleansing Products”: Skin Irritants In Disguise
Sodium Coco-Sulfate, closely related to SLS and present in most natural cosmetic shampoos (even though it is a synthetic surfactant), has a high skin irritant potential.
Though derived from coconut oil, Sodium Coco-Sulfate is obtained through complex chemical processes and contains SLS as its main component, with all the concerns attached to that chemical. It is a clever way to hide SLS in formulations using another name.
After all, ingredient lists on labels can sometimes be hard to decipher, but Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is a commonly known offender to avoid. So, don’t be fooled because many so-called “natural cleansing products” have synthetic surfactants in their composition and are anything but skin-friendly.
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate: A New Gen of Amino-Acid Surfactants
As part of the movement for free-sulfate products, amino-acid surfactants have found a niche in the market. After all, consumers are looking for natural, sustainable, skin-friendly and effective ingredients.
Amino-acid surfactants include acyl glutamates and glycinates. For example, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate is a combination of coconut oil fatty acids and glutamic acid, a naturally occurring amino acid.
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate is an anionic surfactant that is milder towards the skin, with great hair compatibility.
In a study comparing Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate with a standard Sodium Laureth Sulfate cleansing formulation, both detergents showed a degreasing effect on the skin.
However, SLES induced an increased sebum production again after the application break. Conversely, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate showed a prolonged effect, preventing reactive seborrhea and lessening conditions for developing acne.
Hence, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate emphasizes the importance of thorough but gentle skin cleansing.
Let's Talk about EversoftTM UCS-30S
EversoftTM UCS-30S is a 30% liquid of Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate with nearly 30% solid and 25% active content. It is a gentle surfactant for personal care used in shower gels, shampoos, liquid soaps, facial cleansers and baby care products.
Primarily included along with botanical ingredients, EversoftTM UCS-30S is a product that combines excellent performance with biodegradability. It is dermatologically safe and gentle enough, leaving the skin with a silky, soft after-feel.
Also, EversoftTM UCS-30S improves the overall foaming power of any formulation, particularly in the acid range.
Amino-acid surfactants are set to become the new generation of surfactants in the Personal Care Industry. They are a promising field, and continuous research is still needed to widen their application. But it is worthwhile. After all, with EversoftTM UCS-30S, cleansing never felt so good while protecting the skin and the planet!
