I + D / Acabados técnicos, salud, confort, deporte y medio ambiente

FUNDETEX II – RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF DETERGENT FORMULATIONS WHICH CONFER FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES TO IMPROVE THE USER’S SKIN AND GENERAL WELFARE

Year: 2020

MOTIVATION

Globally, the soaps and detergents sector in Spain turns over close to 3,400M euros (source: IFEDES Business Development Study. Report on the Soaps and Detergents Sector in the Valencian Community and Spain, 2019). The variety of detergents and fabric softeners on the market is as wide as the needs and expectations of users, so if a manufacture is seeking to differentiate themselves from the competition, they must innovate more and more in products that provide an added-value factor and functionalities of interest to the consumer that go beyond washing whiter or cleaner.

Detergents come in a variety of formats (liquid, powder, capsules) and softeners with different fragrances (lavender, jasmine, citrus, rose, etc.). In spite of the evolution of the sector, manufacturers still tend to advertise the reliability, functionality and sustainability of their products backed up by user experience.

Today’s consumers are increasingly demanding better detergent quality and functionality. However, there is a lack of detergent and cleaning products designed to protect the health and well-being of the user, and that transfer properties from the detergent to the clothes, and from there to the user’s skin. Similarly, there are few detergents that, despite consumer demand from target groups including millennials and senior citizens (source: Kantar Worldpanel, 2017), are environmentally friendly, manufactured with natural or renewable materials and have zero allergens.

AITEX proposes the development of different detergent and softening formulations that provide functional properties to the user’s skin, based on research into additives and functional liquid and solid compounds of interest. The FUNDETEX project has now entered a phase where different functional additives were studied (anti-mosquito, moisturisers, anti-cellulite, etc.), to determine their compatibility, stability and mixing capacity at different concentrations. The project has also devised a washing methodology to evaluate the degree of transference and some of the formulas were validated. The second year will study the transfer of the properties of the detergent/softener to the user, through contact with the washed clothes and fabrics.

OBJECTIVES

The scientific-technical objectives are indicated below:

• To investigate new liquid and solid functional compounds and additives, of interest for different aspects related to skin care and health.
• To determine the compatibility, stability and mixing capacity of these compounds with detergent and fabric softener bases.
• To establish the need to protect functional compounds, to ensure their functionality and stability against the passage of time and contact with other chemical products.
• To develop the most suitable formulations and mixing procedures, establishing the optimum concentration of an additive to provide an adequate functional level, while creating a technically and economically viable formula.
• To study the transfer of properties of the detergent to the user, through contact with washed clothes and fabrics, determining the necessary dose of functional detergent per wash, recommended washing time and the influence of the type of fabric or garment while not affecting the detergent or fabric softener’s washing performance.
• To develop or implement appropriate methods for evaluating functional properties, by means of a combination of analytical techniques and a user panel, which will provide information of interest for the transfer of results to companies, and for this information to be transmitted to consumers clearly.
• Develop a specific communication and marketing plan.

EXPECTED RESULTS

• To continue developing different formulations and impregnations in fabrics with different probiotics that can confer properties to the skin.Identify additives or functional compounds for atopic skin and psoriasis, study the transfer of properties to the user through contact with washed clothing and fabrics, and develop and implement assessment methods.Another important aspect will be to develop and implement reproducible assessment methodologies for special properties. Armed with this information, it will be possible to genuinely validate the proposed functionalities and obtain technical information that will be vital for future R&D with manufacturers and the marketing campaigns that will follow.

This project is funded by the Conselleria d’Economia Sostenible, Sectors Productius, Comerç i Treball de la Generalitat Valenciana, through IVACE.

GRANT NUMBER: IMAMCI/2020/1

MORE INFORMATION IN THE NON-ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES PLAN

Additional Information

• Year: 2020

• Status: Finished

• Entity: IVACE

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