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August 28, 2026

Sustainability and Tailored Performance Can Be a Reality, A Review of Bioderived and Bio-Produced Surfactants

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Household & Industrial
Oil & Gas
Personal Care

A trend towards biorenewability and sustainability has incentivized the increased commercialization of natural classes of surfactants; bioderived (e.g., alkyl polyglucosides) and bio-produced (e.g., sophorolipids and rhamnolipids). Bio-based surfactants also offer the formulator marketing advantages around renewable carbon or bio-based formula content and less reliance on petroleum-based ingredients. They demonstrate favorable safety profiles including low skin irritation, as well as negative sensitization, and genotoxicity results. Sophorolipids and rhamnolipids are capable of significant surface activity and antimicrobial properties. However, there are also limitations involved when dealing with bio-produced surfactants including an inefficient manufacturing process, high-priced material, and lack of application flexibility. In contrast, alkyl polyglucosides, are versatile and can be further functionalized synthetically allowing the chemistry to be geared towards specific applications. Additionally, functionalized alkyl polyglucosides can also be altered to different ionic classes of surfactants such as anionic, amphoteric or cationic. This allows them to compete with petroleum-based surfactants in many industries in terms of performance while enhancing sustainability. This article explores bio-based surfactants, their advantages and limitations.

Read the Article Here:

Read Here

Cited:

Lucas R. Moore, Barae Jomaa, Garret Bryant, Zechariah Avello

Sustainability and Tailored Performance Can Be a Reality, A Review of Bioderived and Bio-Produced Surfactants. Journal of Surfactants and Detergents (2026)

https://doi.org/10.1002/jsde.70093

February 12, 2026

Lowering Dioxane in Formulations – Part Four

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Household & Industrial
Personal Care

Going Dioxane-Free: Replacement Emulsifiers and Solubilizers

In parts one and two of this blog series, we discussed how ethoxylation is a tremendously useful tool for building surfactants that is under fire due to concerns over a potential byproduct, 1,4 dioxane. With stricter dioxane regulations pushing formulators away from traditional ethoxylates, what are the alternatives? In this segment we’ll discuss alternatives for emulsifiers, including oil in water (o/w), water in oil (w/o), and emulsifiers for fragrance microemulsions, sometimes referred to as solubilizers.

Emulsifier Alternatives

When looking for ethoxylate (PEG) replacements, formulators are expected to weigh several factors: biorenewable content, toxicity profile, ease of use, efficiency, cost, and how well the ingredient fits brand positioning.

For small molecule emulsifiers to replace common emulsifiers like Steareth-2 and Steareth-20 along with polysorbates, some options include:

  • Glyceryl Stearate with Stearic Acid: Typically 100% naturally derived, though the stearic acid is very pH-sensitive. This has become a workhorse option today for simple, economical o/w body lotions.
  • Polyglyceryl Esters: This is an incredibly diverse class of emulsifiers with various chain lengths and substitution patterns, allowing for robust emulsion stability and good control over aesthetics. Polyglyceryl-3 Oleate (Cola®Mulse 3GO), for example, is an outstanding w/o emulsifier that’s suitable as a co-emulsifier or as a key ingredient in oil cleansers to incorporate small amounts of water-based additives with high clarity.
  • Amino Acid Esters: This emerging, innovative group of emulsifiers can be naturally derived and customizable, but come with a higher price tag for premium facial care formulations.
  • Phosphate Esters: This class of high biobased emulsifiers is well known for their highly elegant feel and ability to stabilize o/w emulsions at low or high viscosity. Cetyl Phosphate (Cola®Fax CPE) and Potassium Cetyl Phosphate (Cola®Fax CPE-K) are go-to emulsifiers for organic sunscreen or skin protectant formulations.

For those preferring polymeric emulsifiers, there are synthetic acrylate-based options (low cost but petroleum-derived), natural cellulosics and crosspolymers, and silicone-based options (luxurious feel but facing other consumer perception challenges).

Fragrance Solubilization Options

Fragrance solubilization is really about creating microemulsions; emulsions with oil droplets so tiny that light passes through without getting refracted, keeping products crystal clear. This typically requires high-HLB emulsifiers at relatively high product loading, though product performance varies widely by emulsifier chemistry as well as the fragrance or essential oil chemistry. Due to the unique challenges of this application area, this has been one of the hardest application areas for formulators to find simple replacements.

The leading dioxane-free approaches include:

  • Polyglyceryl Esters: Benefit as mentioned before by bio-based content, though no single “workhorse” product has emerged yet. Formulators usually need to blend different types for each specific formula.
  • Small Molecules: Some surfactants like Decyl Glucoside (Suga®Det D) have been demonstrated to have some efficacy, in particular for highly polar fragrances.
  • Surfactant Combinations: Using a combination of surfactants can be extremely effective, though this adds multiple ingredients to the label.

Testing shows that some newer technologies like Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer (Poly Suga®Mulse D9) can actually outperform traditional ethoxylated solubilizers for certain essential oils. The key is matching your solubilizer choice to your specific application and fragrance.

What are your challenges as you search for lower dioxane alternatives in the formulation work you do? Reach out and let’s discuss how we can best serve your needs!

January 23, 2026

Lowering Dioxane in Formulations – Part Three

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Household & Industrial
Personal Care

Gentle Cleansing, Better Thickening: Dioxane-Free Alternatives for Surfactants and Emollients

In parts one and two we discussed the reasons why ethylene oxide is a tremdously useful chemical intermediate and why shifting regulatory and consumer landscapes are causing formulators to consider products made via alternate synthetic routes. Moving away from ethoxylates means abandoning industry staples like SLES for cleansing and PEG-based thickeners and emollients for rinse-off products. Here’s how formulators are creating effective products with extremely low or non-detectable amounts of 1,4-dioxane.

Low-Irritation Cleansing Surfactants

The challenge with replacing SLES isn’t just avoiding dioxane—consumers are increasingly avoiding sulfates altogether. Fortunately, several alternatives deliver gentle cleansing:

· Alkyl Polyglucosides like Decyl Glucoside (Suga®Det D) and Lauryl Glucoside (Suga®Det L) are 100% bio-based and biodegradable, though they can be tricky to formulate with for achieving target viscosity. These are better employed in smaller amounts to modify foam or salt response.

· Colonial’s Alkyl Polyglucoside derivatives like Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropyl Sulfonate (Suga®Nate 160NC) and Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropyl Citrate (Suga®Citrate L1C MB) have a substantially expanded application range. Our testing shows these products can dramatically reduce irritation when blended with traditional anionics. They also improve viscosity building of non-traditional anionic surfactants like olefin sulfonates and amino acid surfactants (see below)

· Sulfosuccinates like Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate (Cola®Mate LA-40) provide very good foaming potential. Formulators should watch out for stability issues at pH extremes. Surfactant mixtures like Suga®Det LSDG and Suga®Det LSLG provide formulators with an easy to handle way to incorporate these useful ingredients without the traditional challenges of pre-heating.

· Olefin sulfonates like Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate (Colonial AOS-40 UP) offer formulators a low cost option with high ease of use, but are not demonstrated to be as mild as the Sodium Laureth-2 Sulfate they’re intended to replace. With some extra care in formulation design formulators can incorporate products like Suga®Nate 160NC to substantially reduce the irritation potential while maintaining other attractive properties of these useful ingredients.

· Amino acid surfactants (like Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate) offer good mildness and are generally very stable in formulations. The tradeoff here is typically cost, though products produced from synthetic amino acids like Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate (Cola®Mate SMCT-40 launching in 2026) offer a good balance of cost and performance.

Surfactant Thickening Solutions

Have you had challenges replacing PEG-150 Distearate and similar thickeners? Consider:

· Long-chain zwitterions and amphoterics like Oleamidopropyl Betaine (Cola®Teric OAB-UP) and Cetyl Betaine (Cola®Teric CMB). These are very effective viscosity boosters that can significantly increase peak viscosity at low usage levels. Additionally, these products have been shown to improve foam feel and skin after-feel, useful attributes for cleansing systems (more on this later).

· Alkanolamides like Cocamide DIPA (Cola®Liquid DC-5), Cocamide MEA (Cola®Mid CMA), and Cocamide MIPA (Cola®Mid CMPA) are economical, but watch for potential secondary amine issues.

· Amine oxides like Cocamidopropylamine Oxide (Cola®Lux CAO-35) and Stearamine Oxide (Cola®Lux SO) offer excellent performance but are less well characterized for personal care applications. This offers a substantial opportunity for innovation.

Emolliency and Refatting

For that moisturizing after-feel in rinse-off products, formulators are turning to:

· Glyceryl esters like Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Laurate (Colonial Monolaurin), and Polyglyceryl-3 Oleate (Cola®Mulse 3GO) are 100% bio-based. These can be tricky to manage in a rinse-off system as the effect use rates are very small.

· Lecithin and other phospholipids are all natural options with a substantial price tag. Phosphobetaines like Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate (Cola®Lipid C) and Linoleamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate (Cola®Lipid SAFL) are structural analogs to natural phospholipids and are offered at a fraction of the price

· Long-chain zwitterions and amphoterics are very low cost options that can provide similar efficacy to traditional ethoxylates. As a bonus, they improve viscosity response (as mentioned above)

While industry norms are rapidly changing, formulators are benefiting from existing and emerging chemistries that make formulating to extremely low or non-detectable levels of

1,4-dioxane absolutely achievable. It requires weighing the trade-offs of cost, performance, ease of use, and sustainability. But with regulations tightening and consumer awareness growing, mastering these alternatives isn’t just good practice, it’s the new standard for formulation.

January 7, 2026

Lowering Dioxane in Formulations – Part Two

Personal Care
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Household & Industrial

The 1,4-Dioxane Problem: Why Regulations Are Tightening

In part one, we discussed how ethylene oxide is an important base chemical for producing a wide range of chemical intermediates and formulation ingredients. As with most chemical reactions, there is a potential for the formation of byproducts. When two molecules of ethylene oxide react with each other during the ethoxylation process instead of with the intended reagent, they form a six-membered ring called 1,4-dioxane. This unwanted byproduct has become one of the personal care industry’s most pressing concerns.​

The Hazard

1,4-Dioxane carries some concerning classifications. The National Toxicology Program calls it “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” while the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” based on animal studies. Beyond cancer concerns, it’s known to affect multiple organs including the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system.​

Unlike ethylene oxide, which breaks down quickly outside of neutral pH conditions, 1,4-dioxane is moderately persistent in the environment. Improper handling of dioxane and dioxane-contaminated chemicals has resulted in high groundwater levels in some areas of the country which persist long after the initial contamination.

The Regulatory Patchwork

Regulations vary wildly depending on where you are. The European Union’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety recommended a 10 ppm limit in 2015. ASEAN countries implemented 10 ppm limits by 2023.​

At the end of 2019 New York State’s Governor signed into law the nation’s strictest rules. For cosmetics (leave-on products), the limit is 10 ppm. For personal care products (rinse-off items like shampoos and body washes), it’s now just 1 ppm. That’s incredibly tight—and the law includes provisions to potentially make limits even stricter if technology allows.​

The Industry Response

The personal care industry has been proactive in reducing dioxane exposure and household products are now not far behind. Surveys conducted before the NY State law took effect showed that about 65% of cosmetic products already contained less than 1 ppm of dioxane, and 84% were below 5 ppm. Manufacturers had been working hard to reduce contamination levels, but the newest regulations are pushing the industry toward eliminating ethoxylates altogether. In parts 3 and 4 we’ll examine the technologies being used to accomplish that.

December 16, 2025

Lowering Dioxane in Formulations – Part One

Personal Care
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Household & Industrial

What Exactly Is Ethoxylation? Common Ethoxylates and Their Uses.

In the world of surfactant chemistry, ethoxylation is a chemical process where ethylene oxide, a highly reactive three-membered ring molecule, is added to a base ingredient, typically an alcohol. Ethoxylation can also be part of the process to make a wide variety of chemical intermediates and additives like Isethionic Acid and Triethanolamine.

The starting alcohols can come from natural sources like coconut or palm kernel oil, or they can be synthetically derived from petrochemicals. Depending on how much ethylene oxide gets added, you end up with ingredients that have very different properties—some dissolve better in water (high HLB), others in oil (low HLB).

The Workhorse Ingredients

Ethoxylated ingredients have been industry favorites for decades because they’re incredibly versatile:

Steareth-2 and Steareth-20: The classic oil-in-water emulsifier combination that keeps your lotions stable
Polysorbates: Another go-to emulsifier family
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil: The fragrance industry’s favorite solubilizer—helps those lovely scents blend into water-based products
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): A gentler cousin of SLS, this cleansing surfactant creates abundant lather in shampoos
PEG-150 Distearate: A thickening agent that helps keep cleansing formulations from running through your fingers
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate: Adds that moisturizing, “refatting” feel to rinse-off products

Why They’ve Been So Popular

The beauty of ethoxylation is customization. By varying the amount of ethylene oxide added, chemists can fine-tune ingredients for specific jobs like making them more water-soluble, less irritating, or better at foaming. This flexibility made ethoxylates the foundation of modern personal care formulation.

However, there’s a catch. During the ethoxylation process, a byproduct called 1,4-dioxane can form—and that’s raising some serious concerns we’ll explore in our next post.

November 14, 2025

Welcome to the Blog!

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Industrial Lubricant Additives
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Welcome to the Colonial Chemical blog, a space designed to give formulators valuable insight into the science, trends, and innovations shaping our industry.

As we continue exploring new ways to share essential information with formulators, we are excited to introduce the CCI Blog. This will be a dedicated space for timely trends and practical formulation insights for people developing products across a wide range of industries. Formulators from all trades including personal care (cosmetics, lotions, cleansers), home care (hard surface, dishes, laundry), pet care, vehicle care (from pre-treatment to drying), institutional, and beyond, will find useful and relevant content here.

This blog builds on what we have already created through our webinar series, the Formula Girls podcast, and our regular email updates. We will be curating highlights from those resources to make them more accessible and searchable on our website, while also adding new content that addresses today’s most pressing formulation challenges and trends. Most articles will be quick reads (about two to three minutes) and are designed to give you actionable tools you can take straight to the bench. If there is a topic you would like to see covered, we would love to hear from you. Please email us at [email protected] with the subject line “CCI Blog”. Your ideas will help guide the types of content we create.

In the coming months, look for articles on navigating the complexity of “free-from” claims, including “sulfate-free”, “PEG-free”, “palm-free”, and more. Also look for tips on building viscosity in modern surfactant systems, increasing foam and developing mild and gentle products for facial care, intimate care, and other sensitive skin applications.

We are excited to share this new resource with you and look forward to your feedback and suggestions.