Lubrizol launches biodegradable thickener for sulfate-free hair care and cleaners

Lubrizol has launched Glucamate Evolve, a biodegradable thickener for sulfate-free surfactant systems. The release aligns with consumers prioritizing products that balance clean beauty principles, heightened performance, and elevated sensory experiences. 

The ingredient is developed to deliver enhanced viscosity, clarity, foam quality, and fragrance tolerance in cleansers and hair care products. 

“Consumers increasingly favor rich gels, creams, and gel-to-foam formats, as well as creamy, abundant lather that enhances the overall cleansing experience,” says Lubrizol.

The personal care industry is increasingly investing in surfactant innovations to meet growing consumer demand for gentle, yet efficacious and sensorially rich products. There is also heightened demand for sulfate-free formulations, with sensitive skin and baby care products driving particular interest. The specialty chemicals supplier says that texture and foam remain key product differentiators in the segment.

Gentle efficacy and clean beauty

Lubrizol has launched a biodegradable thickener for sulfate-free personal care formulations. Lubrizol underlines that it developed Glucamate Evolve thickener to address the market momentum toward clean and efficacious beauty by delivering powerful thickening performance in sulfate-free systems, which are typically challenging to thicken.

“The ingredient provides excellent viscosity efficiency while maintaining outstanding clarity and smooth rheology, enabling the development of visually appealing formulations with a rich, honey-like flow,” says the company.

The ingredient is also said to support richer foaming and improve overall formulation feel, offering an enhanced sensory experience.

Glucamate Evolve thickener is designed for performance across a wide range of personal care applications. It is also compatible with silicones and supports efficient cationic deposition. The versatility of the ingredient is said to provide formulators with improved adaptability when developing multifunctional cleansing products.

According to Lubrizol, the thickening ingredient sustains its performance in formulations containing high levels of fragrance. “The ingredient tolerates up to 4–5% water-soluble fragrance loading, enabling brands to create differentiated sensory experiences without compromising clarity and smoothness.”

Personal care invests in surfactants

The new thickener supports clean beauty formulations with improved sensory properties. Lubrizol’s thickening ingredient enters a market where industry players are exploring surfactant innovations to meet sustainability demands — a globally evolving segment. 

Earlier this week, Personal Care Insights reported on other clean beauty-oriented surfactant updates. British biosurfactant producer Holoferm partnered up with Organica UK to build an end-to-end biotech platform offering ingredient development, formulations, and manufacturing.

The company’s partnership with the household-cleaning formulator aims to enhance production capabilities, addressing demand for fossil-free personal care products.

Meanwhile, as the category sees further investment, Turkish surfactants manufacturing company Kale Care Chemicals is raising its annual production capacity to 100,000 metric tons with the inauguration of a new production facility this month. The move enhances the company’s capabilities to serve its international partners, who make up over 62% of its exports.

In another biosurfactant advancement, Kensing released its first fully upcycled, low-carbon, and palm-free biosurfactants in North America earlier this year. The launch catered to the growing pressure in the personal and home care industries to reduce environmental footprints without compromising affordability or consumer experience.