Cellulose Fibres as Trendsetters in Solid Cosmetics without Microplastics and Packaging Waste

Jeanette Brüggen, Project Manager Cosmetics, CFF
CFF GmbH & Co. KG

In your opinion, what are the latest trends in the cosmetics industry?

Trends in the cosmetics industry change very quickly and the industry is constantly moving towards new trends. If we consider the activities during the last 20 years, we can clearly see that the topics of naturalness and sustainability have developed from a niche trend to the "trend of the future". Nature-friendly cosmetics are becoming increasingly important in our society. Even manufacturers of conventional cosmetics cannot ignore this trend and start to avoid environmentally harmful raw materials and to specifically use vegan and above all animal-free raw materials. Of course, it is not only the legal adjustments that play a driving role in this development, but also the changing consciousness of consumers. The younger generations in particular are very strongly committed to the environment. This development naturally influences the cosmetics industry, which is increasingly focusing on natural packaging and innovative presentation forms such as solid cosmetics.

What exactly are solid cosmetics and why is it the “trend of the future”?

Solid cosmetics stand for sustainability and environmental compatibility, because it is not just a question of using nature-friendly raw materials, but a question of avoiding plastics, especially in the form of packaging, and of avoiding water as far as possible. There are numerous studies on plastic waste in the oceans. Because of the enormously high pollution, it is high time to do something about it. Solid cosmetics applications can reduce some of the plastic requirements, as solid cosmetics often do not require individual packaging and can be easily stored in reusable glass containers. Solid products can also be easily dosed when purchased.

Another advantage of solid cosmetics is the reduced amount of water. Some products can even manage completely without water. This helps to conserve what is probably our most precious raw material, because many cosmetic products contain large amounts of water. 

Solid cosmetics are very versatile. How can SENSOCEL®serve all applications? 

That is correct. We find solid cosmetics in skin care and skin cleansing, in hair care, in dental care, but also in colour cosmetics, really in every conceivable field. The product variety of SENSOCEL® our natural cellulose fibers, is as diverse as all cosmetic applications.SENSOCEL® is available in different particle shapes and lengths, which bring individual characteristics with them. For example, within our particularly developed solid toothpaste formulation SENSOCEL® dental can be used as a mild and effective cleansing agent. White and colourful SENSOCEL® scrubs, based on natural raw materials, are ideal for the use in solid skin and hair peelings. As environmentally friendly and sustainable exfoliants, they perfectly complement the solid trend. 

Of particular interest are the developments of solid creams in which SENSOCEL® significantly improves the skin feel and contributes to the stability of the formulation. In short, SENSOCEL® are natural all-rounders and multifunctional for the use in numerous cosmetic products - whether solid or liquid.

CFF GmbH & Co. KG is active in many areas, especially with SENSOCEL®several new developments have been made in the last years. Which are these?

The production of natural cellulose fibres is our passion. This raw material accompanies us through so many areas of everyday life without us noticing it.

We constantly try to exploit our possibilities and look for new applications.

Especially in the cosmetics sector, the demand must be met quickly. When starting in the cosmetic field about 5 years ago, our focus was on natural cellulose, which conjures a luxurious skin feeling in a natural way. We developed dental cleansing bodies and peeling particles, which were evaluated during a research project as an alternative to microplastics and silica in terms of abrasion and cleansing performance. The results are outstanding: besides a considerably lower abrasion but comparable cleansing performance, SENSOCEL®is also up to 100 % biodegradable under freshwater conditions within 1-2 months.

Our product portfolio is complemented by natural stabilising systems which replace microplastics and at the same time improve sensory performance. In addition to the development of raw materials to stabilise Pickering emulsions, our development work also focuses on alternatives to microplastic powders like nylon or PMMA. Our latest developments are black and coloured granules and fibres based on 100 % natural raw materials. 

What can we expect from SENSOCEL® in the future?

We always try to cover current needs and expand our portfolio. Solid cosmetics is only one trend among many others that is perfectly suitable for the use of cellulose fibres.. For example one of our new targets  is to develop a natural absorber and/or filler for baby products.

And of course we are curious about the future trends. For sure, it will not get boring.

 

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