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Surfactants are a unique type of organic compound. They help liquids to spread and mix more easily by reducing surface tension.
Surfactants are amphiphilic &#; meaning they have a hydrophilic (water attracting) head and a hydrophobic (water repelling) tail. This allows them to be absorbed into air-water (or, sometimes, oil-water) &#;interfaces&#;, with the hydrophobic tail in the air and the hydrophilic head in the liquid. This results in a decrease in surface (or &#;interfacial&#;) tension.
What allows us to classify and group surfactants is the &#;charge&#; of the head &#; the tails are usually very similar across all types of surfactant. The two most commonly produced types of surfactant are anionic and nonionic. A little more on this later.
Surfactants are chiefly applied in cosmetics and cleaning formulations. Their detergency properties are of particular value: by breaking down the interface between water and dirt, they hold it in suspension, making it easier to remove.
But they also have wetting, emulsifying, foaming and antifoaming properties, giving them industrial uses for biocides, firefighting foams, insecticides, the deinking of recycled papers and even across food production.
All types of surfactant are all used to lower surface tension, but they have differing compositions that provide properties allowing them to serve different purposes. Surfactants are classified according to their &#;head&#;.
Anionic surfactants contain a head with a negative charge. They represent around 50 percent of all industrial production.
These types of surfactants excel at emulsification &#; they help to break down dirt. This effectiveness, particularly against particulate soils, makes them popular for inclusion in household laundry detergents, dishwashing liquids, shampoos, soaps, toothpaste and bath products. They are adept at keeping the dirt, once dislodged, away from fabrics.
One characteristic of anionic surfactants is that they tend to generate a higher level of foam. One of the most popular types of anionic surfactant is sodium lauryl ether sulphate (SLES).
These types of surfactants have a neutral charge, resulting from a head without a net charge. Nonionic surfactants represent around 45 percent of all industrial surfactant production.
Although both types can be used together, compared to anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants have limited sensitivity to water hardness &#; they don&#;t react with calcium and magnesium &#; and do not generate as much foam. Where anionic surfactants excel at removing particulate soils, nonionic surfactants are useful for removing oily soils.
They can be found in low-foam formulations and for shampoos, perfumes and beauty products. In make up, they can aid in dispersing pigment across the skin. This type of surfactant is commonly used as a wetting agent in coatings, as a food ingredient and as polish, cleaner and fragrance carrier.
What sets apart cationic surfactants is the positive charge in their head. This makes them useful for interacting with negatively-charged substances, and for neutralising static charges.
This type of surfactant is manufactured in a far smaller quantity than its anionic and nonionic counterparts. It is typically more expensive.
For their antimicrobial and antifungal properties &#; they can disrupt the cell membranes of bacteria and viruses &#; cationic surfactants are often paired with other surfactants in household and industrial cleaners and fabric softeners.
Also known as zwitterionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants are unique in that they contain both a positive and a negative charge in their heads. This zero net charge makes them particularly versatile and effective across a wide pH range.
They are generally mild and combine the properties of both anionic and cationic surfactants; they will behave as anionic or cationic based on surrounding pH. They are often added to formulations to help prevent skin irritation and to help condition hair.
They are fairly new to the market and are still undergoing development. They are significantly more expensive than other types of surfactant, limiting their use to smaller quantities in more premium cosmetics products. They also have quick dry properties, lending them to use paint products for quicker coagulation.
Anionic and nonionic surfactants account for the vast majority of surfactants manufactured. They are often used together to build formulations. To give a few examples of how the different types of surfactants may be worked into various products:
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Whether you&#;re after a helping hand selecting the right surfactants for your formulation or there&#;s another question you&#;d like the answer to, our expert team is perfectly placed to help &#; simply get in touch.
What you&#;ll learn:
What are surfactants?
How are surfactants useful?
The different types of surfactants
About
anionic surfactants
About amphoteric surfactants
About quaternary surfactants
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About non-ionic surfactants
Which surfactants are used in The Hair Routine products
As we become more conscious about the formulas of self care products, it is only natural to discuss the most common type of ingredient: surfactants.
Surfactants are one of many different compounds that make up a detergent and have the ability to remove dirt, product buildup, and pollutants. They work by holding the buildup or dirt in suspension and allowing the removal through rinsing.
A surfactant gives a solution its cleansing ability. For example, laundry detergent has several different surfactants that help remove grease, stains, and dirt from clothes. Surfactants have the ability to dissolve substances that don&#;t normally dissolve with only water.
Anionic surfactants are the most common ones. They have the chemical power to remove silicone buildup and residues from the hair. &#;Anionic surfactants are characterized by a negatively charged hydrophilic polar group.&#; (Science Direct) This means that in the presence of water, they can attach to dirt or oil particles and wash them away. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is the strongest surfactant and is very effective at stripping all oils, including the natural protective ones. Unfortunately, this ingredient has been banned in many countries from use in hygiene products due to the potential harm to human health.
Read More: The Scariest Ingredients in Your Hair Products
Another common surfactant found in many hair care products is Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, an anionic surfactant and a cousin to the sulfates that is good at removing different magnetic buildup, but may be very irritating to the skin and is considered to be toxic or harmful.
Some anionic surfactants are milder and more gentle than others because they are produced from a different range of fats such as soybean, palm, and coconut. Some examples are sodium lauryl sulfoacetate and disodium lauryl sulfoacetate.
Amphoteric surfactants
These are surfactants that are derived from coconut and are very gentle and curly-girl approved. Some examples are: Cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, Lauryl hydroxysultaine, Sodium cocoamphoacetate, Sodium lauroamphoacetate, and Coco caprylate. Most companies lean heavily on using these when creating formulations that specifically don&#;t contain any sulfates. These surfactants don&#;t create any foam but are effective at removing oily buildup from sweat and dirt.
Quaternary surfactants
Are usually found in co-wash products as these are the mildest surfactants. Behentrimonium chloride, behentrimonium methosulfate, cetrimonium chloride are all examples of quaternary surfactants and they have very low cleansing abilities which is why they need to be combined with other types of surfactants.
Non-ionic surfactants
There are two common non-ionic surfactants: Decyl glucoside and Lauryl glucoside. They have mild cleansing properties and are both curly-girl approved. Products that contain these will not strip the hair from its natural oils.
At The Hair Routine, we believe in making informed decisions and learning what&#;s best for your hair. Complete this online test to see what your ideal hair care routine looks like, and keep on reading our journal to learn more about ingredients and their properties.
This is an inclusive list of all the surfactants used in The Hair Routine products:
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate &#; Organic salt that removes oils and bacteria without irritating the skin. It is safe to use for most skin types, including sensitive skin.
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate &#; Organic salt and alcohol used to replace the harsh sulfates, it will cleanse the hair, but will not strip it from the natural oils.
Lauryl Glucoside &#; Mild cleaning agent made from sugars and lipids.
Decyl Glucoside &#; Mild cleaning agent made from sugar.
Coco-Glucoside &#; Mild cleaning agent made from sugar and coconut oil.
Behentrimonium Chloride &#; Colza Oil conditions, detangles, fights static, softens, and strengthens hair.
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