Seeking a Technology Reducing the Adherence of Cosmetic Formulas on Packaging Inner Surface

A SpecialChem Client is looking for a technology significantly reducing adherence of personal care formulas on packaging inner surface.

A SpecialChem Client is seeking to reduce adherence of cosmetic formulas on the inner side of their containers to minimize product wastes and let end-consumers benefit from close to 100% of the packaged cosmetic products.

Cosmetic suppliers tend to fill their containers with extra quantities of product in order to make sure consumers can benefit at the minimum from the nominal quantity indicated on the packaging (this is a legal requirement). The extra quantity is intended to compensate for the fraction of product that cannot be dispensed.

An effective solution would be applied on large quantities of units, leading to a promising business opportunity for potential solution providers.

The “Bulk” (i.e. formulated viscous liquid products) that is packaged in the cosmetic containers is formulated on one of the 3 following bases:

• Water - mainly,
• Isoparaffin solvents – marginally,
• Silicon – even more marginally.

The usage conditions are the following:

• Utilization of the Bulk is typically done by periodically taking out a fraction of the total initial quantity, not in one unique use.
• The taking out of each sample of the Bulk is typically done by pouring, pumping (bottle-like container) or by scooping (jar-like container).
• The period of time between 2 successive uses can vary between a few hours and a few days/weeks. The total use time is typically in the range of 6-12 months. Air is typically able to re-enter the container to compensate for the volume used.
• The container, including any surface treatment to its inner surface, must be chemically ‘neutral’ in relation with the Bulk.

Elements of the container should not be released into the Bulk and the Bulk should not deteriorate the container. It is tolerable that a small interaction may exist but under the condition that the quantities of material exchanged are neglectable in the sense that they should not yield a modification to the properties of the container and of the Bulk. ‘Properties’ include visual properties (color, aspect…), organoleptic properties (odor, taste…), active properties (galenic activity, claimed performances…).

The containers are traditionally made of:

1. Polypropylene, Polyethylene – mainly,
2. PET,
3. Styrenics (ABS, SAN) – marginally,
4. Glass – marginally.

To be determined depending on the nature of the proposed solutions and whether additional equipment needs to be added to existing production lines or not. Ideally 6-12 months.