Unilever to launch bio-enzyme-based Sunlight liquid soap in Thailand

06 Oct 2022 --- Unilever is bolstering its Sunlight liquid soap brand’s cleaning power with a tech-led, bio-enzyme-fuelled formula touted to deliver on performance, purpose and sustainability. The formula will launch in Thailand this month.

“Our new Sunlight is built on a powerful insight: everyone wants maximum performance with minimum effort,” says Duygu Ersoy, global lead at Sunlight.

In order to achieve this, the company has made use of bio-enzymes, which are small, naturally generated proteins that are adept at accelerating metabolic reactions.

This is the first time they have been used in a Unilever hand dishwashing liquid, where, according to the brand, they have proven to be effective at breaking down encrusted food. They were previously used in laundry and machine dishwashing solutions.

“Sunlight with bio-enzymes works up to ten times faster on encrusted food, saving consumers time and effort,” claims Duygu.

Gaining plant-based traction
Bio-enzymes are not the only technology applied in the new Sunlight recipe. The components that enable foaming and cleaning, known as plant-based surfactants, have also been changed.

“The plant-based surfactants mean the Thai formulation is now 99% biodegradable and 79% renewable,” says Bert Nijhuis, product development director of Home Care at Unilever.

He adds that this innovation “will help to reduce the use of more than 5,533 metric tons of petrochemical-based chemicals, the equivalent in weight to 133 Boeing 737-800 aircrafts,” as per Sunlight core product sales in Thailand in 2021.

“Our new Sunlight is built on a powerful insight: everyone wants maximum performance with minimum effort,” says Duygu.Facing biosurfactants
Apart from the surfactant’s foaming and cleaning capabilities, the components can be used in color cosmetics, skincare and hair care formulas.

Surfactants produced from natural products, like yeast or bacteria, are called biosurfactants.

The personal care sector is “keen on going green, improving the sustainability of formulations and reducing carbon footprint” and the industry has to change to accommodate this, says Ronald Lieffering, VP of EMEA at Locus PI – the industry has to.

Recently, Locus PI created two lines of innovative sophorolipid biosurfactants in line with this consumer demand.

Kitchen sink claims
Eco-friendliness is also making a growing appearance under household kitchen sinks, with consumers paying increasingly more attention to sustainability claims.

Norwegian cleaning brand, Norwex, recently reinforced its 28-year legacy of reducing chemicals in households with the launch of Eco-Wash Laundry Detergent Strips. The pre-measured strips have a low-sudsing formula that can dissolve quickly, increasing wash efficiency. The fully biodegradable strips come in a plastic-free cardboard sleeve and one package can clean up to 36 standard loads of laundry.

Edited by Mieke Meintjes

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