Seeking Low Friction Solution for Personal Skin Care Devices

A SpecialChem Client is seeking solutions (material, process, technology or partner) that significantly reduce the skin friction of a personal care device (friction coefficient between device and skin must be lower than 0.1).

The outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, acts as a barrier that protects the skin from dehydration, chemicals, mechanical stress and infection.

Friction between two surfaces can convert kinetic energy into heat. This heat can damage the stratum corneum. It becomes warm, reddened and irritated. The irritation can be itchy and painful. Further damage can cause dry skin, roughness and blistering. Extreme damage can lead to infections.

The goal of the SpecialChem Client is to reduce friction between the skin and personal care devices, so to reduce the above mentioned irritation and provide a more pleasant experience.

The main SpecialChem Client challenge is to find a technology, which has the following specific functionality:

• Results in a friction coefficient between device and skin of
• Adheres to the device surface consisting of plastic
• Optimal working condition under:
  • Contact temperature = 5 - 35 °C
  • Dry conditions
  • Contact pressures ranging from 2 - 10 N
  • At velocities up to 10 cm/s
  • Indifferent to direction of use
  • Environmental conditions up to 85 % relative humidity / 45 °C


• Safe and friendly to human skin:
  • Also when skin is mildly damaged on stratum corneum
  • E.g. is non-allergic, non-irritating and non-penetrating the skin


• Preferably works under wet (watery) conditions as well and also optionally with use of topical e.g. gels or foams
• The low friction mode should be active immediately at moment of device touching the skin
• Can be integrated in or connected to a device, e.g. as:
  • A coating
  • An attachment not thicker than 0.5 mm
  • A film or layer
  • Slow release materials
  • Slip agent


• The friction reducing solution can be either integrated/connected to the device by the manufacturer or by the user him/herself, provided that that can easily be done
• Should last and work optimal at least for 60 minutes when used before it wears off. When the product is not used the solution should not degrade for approx. 4 months
• When wore off, it should be easy to replace/update again at reasonable costs (cost price
• Should not leave visible and / or noticeable residues and no strong aroma

All approaches that can meet the success criteria are acceptable. Possible approaches could include but are not limited to:

• A coating
• An attachment not thicker than 0.5 mm
• A film or layer
• Slow release materials
• Slip agent

The SpecialChem Client is NOT interested in:

• Highly complex and expensive solutions
• Chemical / topical (e.g. crème / gel) solutions
• Solutions that require specific user skills
• Solutions that require rinsing or removing residues

The technology solution provided should be ready for integration in a consumer proposition which can preferably be launched in 2015, but options which require tailoring of the solution and fit a longer term roadmap will be considered as well.