A new multifunctional, shine-enhancing emollient: PPG-3 benzyl ether myristate

A new emollient ester--Crodamol STS (INCI name: PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate) has been developed and characterized. This special non-volatile emollient is safe to use and provides silicone-like feel and multiple cosmetic functionality. It is a liquid with a viscosity about 100 cps at room temperature. It has a high refractive index--1.4696, which enhances hair shine, contributes to high gloss in lip products, and reduces whitening effect of fatty alcohols and silica in anti-perspirants/deodorants applications. This emollient has high solubility of UV filters, low skin-spreading factor, and good pigment wetting behavior, which are preferable in sunscreen and make-up formulas to enhance the pigment localization and improve SPF value. In this paper, the chemical structure, physical properties, and various cosmetic applications of the emollient will be discussed. Especially, an objective hair shine (luster) test method (color image analysis) has been established and applied to study the enhancement in hair shine by Crodamol STS in hair spray and hair gel formulations. The objective measurements in hair shine showed good agreement with the results obtained from subjective evaluations. The substantivity of Crodamol STS on hair surface, which was delivered from a rinse-off cream, was also determined by a solvent extraction method.