A Solution for Every Need

Alkyl polyglucosides (APGs) are naturally derived nonionic surfactants produced from renewable feedstocks and are well known for their excellent foam, detergency, and relatively low irritation potential. Nonetheless, their functionality is limited in most personal care cleansing formulations, where gel viscosity with low to moderate surfactant concentration is desired. By adding anionic functional groups, Colonial Chemical produces surfactants that keep or even further improve the gentle, plant-based profile of an APG while gaining the cleansing power and foam performance formulators expect from anionic chemistry. In some instances, the APGs are further polymerized to create novel, EO-free polymer surfactants with unique surface properties.

With so many demands today on formulators for high biobased, low irritation, high viscosity, and high foam, where can they turn to? It seems most replacement products have serious negative tradeoffs, but Colonial’s wide range of APG anionics provide excellent solutions for every formulation need. They are all very high (up to 100%) biorenewable carbon and readily biodegradable.

A Portfolio Built for Flexibility

Colonial Chemical’s Suga® and Poly Suga® lines illustrate how much range this chemistry actually offers. Rather than a single surfactant solution, our platform spans several anionic groups, each suited to different formulation goals:

Our flagship sulfonate-based (Poly Suga®Nate 100P NC, Poly Suga®Nate 160P NC, Suga®Nate 100NC, Suga®Nate 160NC) deliver robust foam and cleansing, positioning them as sulfate alternatives for shampoos and body washes. These 100% biorenewable carbon products are produced from Decyl (100/100P) or Lauryl (160/160P) Glucosides to give a wide range of performance and compliance features. SugaNate 160NC is completely unique in the fact that it’s a non-irritant, even as supplied, making it the product of choice for advanced care products for babies, distressed skin, sensitive intimate areas, and more. APG sulfonates are incredibly robust, with excellent clarity and stability even in harshly acidic, caustic, or oxidative conditions. The Decyl Glucoside derivatives have very high flash foam properties while the Lauryl Glucoside derivatives deliver higher viscosity response. SugaNate 160NC has a wide array of certifications, including USDA Biopreferred and NSF/ANSI 305 compliance.

Phosphate-based (Poly Suga®Phos 1000P, Poly Suga®Phos 1200P) derivatives are mild, low-irritation options often used where phosphate esters’ conditioning and emulsifying properties are wanted. These products feature strongly in our SugaDet EcoPearl, providing outstanding control over pearl appearance.

Another unique option is our recently introduced citrate-based APG (Suga®Citrate L1C MB), where the anion is completely biorenewable. It is derived from Lauryl Glucoside and offers many of the same benefits as SugaNate 160NC, but with added COSMOS approval.

Our APG carboxylate (Suga®Mate LGC MB) rounds out the toolkit with a high biobased option that has significant market acceptance.

Global compliance status varies by product, ranging from limited-market clearance to global regulatory acceptance. Please check the sales bulletin and RDS (available upon request) for additional details.
Having options across these anionic groups means a formulator isn’t locked into just one performance profile or claim or regulatory scheme. A sulfate-free shampoo, a low-irritation baby wash, and a naturally positioned cleanser can each pull from the same underlying APG platform while landing on the specific derivative that fits the claim, texture, and cost target.

Where APG Anionics Fit in a Formulator’s Toolkit

In practice, these surfactants show up as primary or secondary cleansers in:

• “Sulfate-free” and “sulfate-alternative” shampoos and conditioners (properly said, those without SLS or SLES)
• Facial and body cleansers marketed on mildness or sensitive-skin claims
• Baby and kids’ personal care lines, where low-irritation profiles are non-negotiable
• Natural and organic-positioned brands needing ingredients that can actually support the claim, not just the marketing copy

APG-based anionic surfactants are more than a single ingredient swap for traditional SLS and SLES. They’re a category that lets formulators dial in cleansing strength, mildness, and sustainability positioning from one related chemistry family instead of stitching together unrelated surfactants to hit each goal separately. As biobased and environmentally safe claims move from niche to expected, having a portfolio of sulfonate, phosphate, citrate, and carboxylate options built on the same renewable backbone gives brands real flexibility instead of forcing a trade-off between performance and a clean ingredient story.

Since they are not produced from fatty acids or fatty acid chlorides like many other sulfate-free surfactants, our APG derivatives are inherently more stable in low pH environments, which is a problem for many applications requiring high clarity and stability at low pH.

Ready to see which anionic group fits your next formula? Explore the full Poly Suga® and Suga® product listing or reach out to Colonial Chemical’s technical team for formulation support.