Thirty years ago, the inauguration of the alkyl polyglucoside production plant in Duesseldorf, Germany, marked the birth of a groundbreaking raw material and a transformative technology that has since reshaped the surfactant market. Alkyl polyglucosides (APGs) are a class of surfactants valued for their outstanding environmental compatibility and excellent performance.

APGs are used in a huge variety of products – from personal and home care to industrial and institutional cleaning (I&I) as well as industrial applications. Made from fatty alcohols, BASF’s APGs are derived from sustainable palm kernel oil or coconut oil, and glucose from wheat or corn (non-GMO sources in Europe). The all-round sugar surfactants are known for their excellent ecological and toxicological profile, proven mildness and functional properties. Besides good foaming and cleansing qualities, alkyl polyglucosides have excellent skin compatibility and are readily biodegradable. BASF supplies the most comprehensive product portfolio of pure APGs, derivatives and compositions.

30 Years of Plantacare^®: Proven Mildness for Personal Care Applications

BASF offers its 100 percent plant-based APG line for the cosmetics industry under the tradename Plantacare^®, which was registered 30 years ago. Plantacare^® surfactants can be used in a variety of applications: from bath products, shampoos or facial cleansers to baby cleansing products and toothpaste. Performance tests have confirmed their very low irritation potential under usage conditions, making them an ideal choice, especially for mild cleansing products with a high degree of skin compatibility. Plantacare^® surfactants are also perfectly suited for concepts with alternatives to sulfate surfactant systems, and for concepts comprising alternatives to surfactants containing EO/PEG, meeting the trend for natural cosmetics. Plantacare^® 1200 UP, for example, is significantly milder than SLS and shows excellent foaming properties.

Figure 1: BASF Plantacare® surfactants show a very low irritation potential.

Base for Innovation: APG Blends and Compounds

Besides the Plantacare^® range, BASF offers various blends and compounds based on APG. Its latest product innovation is Lamesoft^® OP Plus, a wax-based opacifier dispersion providing a creamy white and caring appearance to formulations with various surfactant systems. Another example is Lamesoft^® PO 65, a care additive for intensive moisturizing shower and liquid soap concepts as well as mild baby and facial wash formulations. Plantasil^® Micro is a naturally derived, silicone-free conditioning booster for rinse-off formulations, working in combination with cationic polymers and anionic surfactants.

Outstanding Sustainability Benefits

APGs from BASF offer a variety of sustainability benefits. They are readily biodegradable under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions and non-bioaccumulative (Log POW <3). Their eco-conscious profile makes them ideal for formulations aligned with sustainability standards and suitable for products bearing natural or organic cosmetic certifications, such as COSMOS and NATRUE. BASF sources palm kernel oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Notably, the company was the first supplier in Europe to offer a complete range of APGs produced from certified sustainable palm-based raw materials, in accordance with the RSPO Mass Balance standard – a milestone for the cosmetics industry. Their footprint of greenhouse gas emissions is around zero CO₂ equivalents in the cradle-to-gate approach when CO₂ assimilation is considered, which equates to carbon neutrality. With production sites in North America, Asia and Europe, BASF ensures global availability while minimizing the environmental impact of transportation.

Learn more about Plantacare®

Authors: Elke Weimann, Karine Kross Maita

Product Page: Plantacare®

Website: www.personal-care.basf.com

Email Address: personal-care-eu@basf.com