Givaudan brings bio-based dimethicone alternative to hair care

Givaudan Active Beauty has released SensoTrue DM5, a bio-based emollient alternative to 5 cSt dimethicone (DM5 silicone). The ingredient was developed via a combination of white biotechnology and green chemistry. 

For decades, silicones have set the standard for softness, shine, and smoothness in hair care. Today, growing environmental concerns, evolving regulations, and increasing consumer demand for naturally derived ingredients are reshaping this benchmark, driving the search for alternatives that do not compromise on sensory experience or efficacy. 

SensoTrue DM5 addresses this challenge through an emollient complex engineered from renewable sugarcane and upcycled pine terpenes. The emollient is said to pair sensory performance with an improved environmental profile, delivering the luxurious feel that consumers expect from silicones while supporting the beauty industry’s shift toward more sustainable formulations.

Fabrice Lefèvre, innovation and marketing director at Givaudan Active Beauty, says: “SensoTrue DM5 demonstrates how biotechnology can open up new possibilities for high-performance, naturally derived hair care ingredients. By combining renewable resources, green chemistry, and advanced molecular design, we are enabling brands to meet consumer expectations for a premium hair care experience, without compromising on their environmental commitments.”

The ingredient is suitable for shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, leave-in treatments, and styling products, offering formulators hair care versatility. It has an odorless, colorless, and preservative-free profile.

Mimicking silicone on three levels

SensoTrue DM5 features a silicone-like performance with a bio-based, upcycled composition. The hair care ingredient’s multi-molecular alkane architecture is combined with complementary polymeric emollients that act on three complementary levels. 

It has low molecular weight volatile alkanes that mimic cyclopentasiloxane by spreading evenly across the hair before evaporating cleanly, for smooth, uniform coverage without residue. The mid-molecular-weight non-volatile alkanes penetrate the cortex to provide long-lasting hydration, while strengthening the hair fiber from within. Meanwhile, high molecular weight polymeric emollients form a lightweight, flexible film that smooths the cuticle, reduces friction, and controls frizz, delivering silicone-like conditioning without build-up. 

According to consumer testing, over 85% of participants perceived visible efficacy after one application. Up to 88% of women felt their hair was healthier after 10 days, and up to 92% of women expressed high satisfaction with the SensoTrue DM5 routine.Consumers want smooth hair without relying on silicones. 

The results were garnered through a 10-day home usage test conducted among 199 women aged 18–55 (99 Brazilian and 100 Indonesian women) using a hair regimen featuring SensoTrue DM5 at 2.5%. 

“SensoTrue DM5 delivers a significant improvement in hair performance: 60% less wet combing force, 24% less frizz, and 42% less flyaway, outperforming both 5 cSt dimethicone and D5 across all three parameters,” says Ricky Ho, senior category manager at Givaudan Active Beauty, about instrumental testing conducted on European hair, compared with placebo.

Pressure on silicones builds

The personal care industry’s search for DM5 alternatives is gaining urgency. Linear dimethicones resist biodegradation and rely on energy-intensive manufacturing. Meanwhile, EU REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) curbs on cyclic siloxanes D5 and D6 are forcing brands to rethink silicone-heavy hair care portfolios.

Ingredient suppliers, like Givaudan, are innovating to fill the gap. 

Earlier this year, green chemistry firm P2 Science closed a US$23 million funding round to scale its portfolio, which includes a polymeric hair and skin care emollient made from pine forestry byproducts. 

Meanwhile, BASF pushed beyond emollients, offering personal care formulators a naturally derived cationic conditioning agent for conditioners, masks, and treatments as an alternative to persistent quats. 

However, sustainable alternatives still need to match silicones in performance. 

Seppic previously released data showing that its plant-based, biodegradable Emogreen emollients can reproduce key sensory and performance attributes of silicones. The company told Personal Care Insights that formulators replacing silicones face three main challenges: recreating the slip and softness of the “silicone feel,” matching shine and frizz control on the hair fiber, and keeping formulas chemically stable. SensoTrue DM5 is entering a market where those are now the standard tests.