Challenging supply chains conditions for traditional alkyl conditioning quats are steering brands towards the exploration of hair conditioning alternatives, such as ester quats. Esterquats deliver comparable conditioning performance to more traditional ingredients whilst also maintaining an improved sustainability profile, a major benefit for brands wanting to minimise their environmental footprint.
Conditioning | Performance Alternative
Alkyl quats, such as centrimonium chloride (CTAC) or behentrimonium chloride (BTAC) are commonly used ingredients within hair conditioning formulations. However, more recently, we have witnessed more brands experimenting with esterquats, a class of cationic conditioning agents that can deliver comparable or better performance to CTAC and BTAC.
Key Benefits of Esterquats
- Comparable / more superior performance than traditional hair conditioning agents
- A cleaner and more sustainable option
- Lower aquatic toxicity profile than alkyl quats
- Readily biodegradable, even at pH greater than 7
Next Generation of Conditioning Agents
- STEPANQUAT® Soleil (Dioleoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate (and) Sunflower Seed Oil Glycerides) | Stepan - this modern hair conditioning agent is based on local, European sourced, non-GMO sunflower oil. Key benefits include; smoothing of individual hair strands, for super-soft, manageable hair, easy combing on both wet and dry hair
and provides great substantivity to the hair. - VARISOFT® EQ 100 ( Bis-(Isostearoyl/Oleoyl Isopropyl) Dimonium Methosulfate) | Evonik - this speciality ingredient is a high performance conditioning agent with an improved sustainability profile and superior performance to Behentrimonium Chloride. For formulators, it offers exceptional conditioning properties in both wet and dry hair. It is also effective on curly hair types. Due to its liquid form, it is universally applicable in a hair care formulations, such as conditioners, shampoos and leave-in sprays. In surfactant-based formulations it provides significant thickening benefits.
- VARISOFT® EQ 65 MB (Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride (and) Cetearyl Alcohol) | Evonik - VARISOFT® EQ 65 Pellets is a readily biodegradable, COSMOS approved esterquat which offers excellent conditioning performance, comparable to Behentrimonium Chloride. The high rinsability properties of this product enables water saving and sustainability claims for your products. This emulsifier has a typical cationic skin feel, is solvent free, and has a high flash point. Within hair care formulations, VARISOFT® EQ 65 Pellets is particularly suitable for hair conditioners and leave-in hair treatments.
- VARISOFT® EQ F 75 MB (Distearoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol) | Evonik - this speciality ingredient functions as an emulsifier and conditioning agent. This esterquat, based on high purity stearic acid compounded with cetearyl alcohol, is vegetable-based, solvent-free and has a high flash point. Its performance is comparable to Cetrimonium Chloride. For consumers, it offers detangling, wet comb feel and substantivity to hair.
- Sustainable Recovery Hair Mask (including VARISOFT® EQ 65 MB)
- Double Cream Cleansing Conditioner (including VARISOFT® EQ 100)
- Curl Quenching Co-Conditioner (including VARISOFT® EQ 100)
- Creamfields Wash Bar (including VARISOFT® EQ 100)
- MaskALL (including VARISOFT® EQ 100)
- Water-less Pre Shampoo Treatment (including VARISOFT® EQ 100)
Find Out More
For more information on the next generation of hair conditioning agents, or to request a sample, please contact us or send us an email at info@surfachem.com
Discover more about our expertise and how we can help you:
