A-Leen 5 and E-Leen Clever Mixtures – Smart Solutions for Self-Preserved Natural Cosmetics

25 Ağustos 2020

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The increasing consumer demand for more natural cosmetics is a continuing global trend. The manufacturers of cosmetics and cosmetic ingredients therefore share a common goal: finding cost-effective bio-based ingredients. “A Leen 5” is a nature-derived version of the popular ingredient “Pentylene Glycol”. It is produced on the basis of sugarcane bagasse and provides the same skin humectant, emollient and antimicrobial effects as its petrochemical equivalents. The ”E-Leen” product range consists of optimized mixtures based on A-Leen 5. These blends create self-preserved cosmetics at low use-levels.

With the aid of the internet and mobile media, consumers are more educated and better informed than ever before. Global discussions on product safety, environmental compatibility and sustainability affect more and more purchasing decisions.

Suppliers of consumer goods should therefore be able to answer two key questions:

1) How can products be designed, which are attractive, safe and sustainable at the same time?
2) How can these products be cost-effective for the consumer?

Here is where the joint creativity of product and ingredient developers is demanded.

Sustainable Production

The production of sustainable cosmetics ingredients from renewable resources should ideally not compete with food production. A viable alternative is to use off-products from food production. One such example is sugarcane bagasse, a waste product from sugar production that is normally incinerated or composted. However, the bagasse contains indigestible hemicellulose that can be converted to the nature-derived key intermediate “furfural”. This intermediate is used as raw material for the popular multi-functional ingredient Pentylene Glycol (brand name: A-Leen 5). A Leen 5 is a colourless and odourless liquid, free of genetically modified organisms, USDA BioBased certified, Cosmos approved and Natrue compliant. All this makes it perfectly suitable for applications in natural cosmetics.

Green Protection

Typically, the addition of 3 to 5% of A-Leen 5 to cosmetic products makes them fully self-preserved. The efficacy of classical preservatives or antimicrobial agents also are significantly increased by A Leen 5, an effect known as “boosting”. Such combinations are highly effective at lower use-levels than A-Leen 5 alone, resulting in lower costs and enhanced mildness to the skin. Several optimized “smart mixtures” are offered by Minasolve under the brand name “E-Leen”:

E-Leen Green A: A-Leen 5 combined with the natural aroma compound Phenylpropanol allows for reliable preservation, also at high pH values. E-Leen Green A contains a bio-sourced, Cosmos approved and patent pending version of Phenylpropanol (brand name: A Leen Aroma 3) that is exclusively produced by Minasolve. The smart mixture E-Leen Green A (INCI: Pentylene Glycol, Phenylpropanol) is exceptionally effective at 2% use level against bacteria, yeasts and moulds. In addition, it provides a warm and pleasant balsamic scent to formulations.

E-Leen Green B: E-Leen Green B (INCI: Pentylene Glycol, Water, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid) is a Cosmos-compliant way for achieving a highly cost-effective preservation of natural cosmetics. The patented solution combines A-Leen 5 with benzoic acid and its salt, sodium benzoate. Both are effectively stabilized by A-Leen 5 in an optimised mixture. Any of the pH variations typically generated by pure benzoic acid are thus avoided and the preservative effect is enhanced.

E-Leen Green C: E-Leen Green C (INCI: Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate) is a particularly mild solution to protect green cosmetics, especially against bacteria and yeasts. The mixture is made of 100% nature-derived ingredients from renewable sources. Its composition based on non-ionic ingredients allows for a wide range of applications, especially for sensitive skin.

E-Leen Green OR: E-Leen Green OR (INCI: Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Bioflavonoids) is a unique combination of A-Leen 5 and organic citrus extracts from food waste. Its antioxidant properties make E-Leen Green OR especially suitable for face care products and detox-concepts.

The abilities of A-Leen 5 and the E-Leen clever mixtures for creating self-preserved formulations were proven in microbial challenge tests according to ISO 11930. The results are summarized in Table 1. All mixtures showed high to very high efficacy in the two tested products.

Nature-derived ingredients, sustainably produced from nonfood vegetable raw materials, open up new opportunities for the creation of natural cosmetics. The multifunctionality of the biosourced ingredient “A-Leen 5” includes antimicrobial protection of formulations, moisturization of the skin, sensory improvement of skin-care products, as well as the solubilisation of other components. A Leen 5 also acts as efficacy booster in the ready to use mixtures E Leen Green A, E-Leen Green B, E-Leen Green C, and E-Leen Green OR. All these ingredients are Cosmos approved solutions for the creation of fully self-preserved natural cosmetics. A-Leen 5 and the E-Leen range allow for decreasing the carbon footprint of personal care products without compromising on performance.