Seeking Aluminum-free Alternatives to Antiperspirant Technology

A SpecialChem client is seeking an aluminum-free technology reducing sweat flow in cosmetic applications.

Antiperspirants technologies are used to control the flow of sweat to control humidity under the arms when deodorants work only by neutralizing odors.

Aluminum salts are the most widely used compounds to lower the sweat flow. Their acidic water solutions are known to flocculate the proteins through highly charged ionic forms and to precipitate as an amorphous gel by pH 6. These two features are supposed to be involved in their antiperspirant action because they can lead to a partial obstruction of the sweat ducts (20-30 μm diameter) under physiological conditions and then to a reduction of the sweat production.

Thanks to the growing opportunities on this field, an efficient solution would lead to a large market potential.

The antiperspirant technology sought by the SpecialChem Client must:

• Be aluminum-free
• Reduce flow of human sweat under arms (efficacy should be detected at least for 24h under clinical assessment done by the seeker)
• Be safe for health and environment. Safety assessment can be completed while evaluation of performance properties
• Not be derived from animals
• Not contain CMR compounds

The SpecialChem Client would appreciate a price range estimation as well as current production capacity (if not yet scaled-up the potential capacity).

Ready-to-launch or already industrially developed technology requiring small adaptation would be a plus, even though the SpecialChem Client will need to assess the proposed technology in a suitable formulation in vitro and in vivo,. Hence, 18 months is a minimum before incorporating a technology into final product.

The SpecialChem Client is open to very innovative technologies - besides obstruction of the duct, any mechanism can be considered – and would consider co-developing technologies based on promising antiperspirant concepts.