Silicone-like feel with eco-friendly alternatives

For years, the cosmetics market has faced a dilemma: consumers love the skin feel and hair gloss silicones can deliver, yet there are uncertainties about their environmental impact. BASF’s silicone alternatives deliver the best of both worlds, combining silicone-like sensory profiles with verified eco-friendliness. With consumer awareness of environmental issues increasing, cosmetics manufacturers need alternatives to volatile silicones.

BASF has been developing light emollients to meet this need in products ranging from skincare, colour cosmetics and sun care to hair care and antiperspirants. The goal: to match or surpass the benefits of silicones while fulfilling demands for eco-friendliness. The result is our specially developed line of emollients, highly versatile ingredients that enable a light touch and smooth, non-greasy skin feel in different systems.

All are based on renewable feedstocks and are readily biodegradable. The newest addition to the family, Cetiol® Ultimate, is very close to cyclomethicone thanks to its volatility. Using a patented technology, the emollient provides an exceptionally light and pleasant skin feel, making it ideal for modern products that appeal to all the senses – including the sense of responsibility.