Trade visitors will have their first opportunity to see the new silicone elastomer gel – marketed as Wacker-Belsil^® RG 90 – when it premieres at this year’s in-cosmetics. The gel’s properties make it a versatile additive in different cosmetic formulations. It acts as a binder in powder formulations and as a film-forming additive in cream and stick formulations. The silicone polymer used forms a coherent elastic film that adheres readily to the skin without being tacky. The water-repellent silicone film feels silky-soft.

Lipsticks, mascara and foundation keep their decorative effect for a long time, because the silicone elastomer gel, due to its ready film-forming and adhesive properties, increases or enhances water and transfer resistance. What’s more, kiss-proof lipsticks can be formulated with Wacker-Belsil^® RG 90. In sunscreens and other skin-protection and skin-care preparations, this silicone elastomer gel stabilizes the film that forms after the cosmetic’s application, thereby improving its water resistance.

Chemically speaking, Wacker-Belsil^® RG 90 is a swollen gel. Its solid constituent is a crosslinked silicone resin. Wacker-Belsil^® RG 90 differs from other silicone elastomer gels in that its liquid constituent is isododecane, which is found in the network cavities. Isododecane is a volatile hydrocarbon used as a solvent in cosmetics, making the skin supple.

The colorless and translucent gel is non-sag in the steady state and reversibly liquefies under shear. This behavior makes Wacker-Belsil^® RG 90 easy to apply and spread over the skin. The film starts to form as soon as the isododecane solvent has evaporated.

WACKER’s second highlight features cyclodextrin tea tree oil complexes. These are inclusion compounds that are ideal for use in cosmetic and personal-care products. They give the cosmetics sector a simple way of using tea tree oil in skin-care and personal-care products. For the first time, consumers can thus take advantage of all the properties of this sensitive oil.

Australian tea tree oil is known for its insect-repellency and for being highly effective against a wide range of microorganisms. Until now, it was hardly possible to benefit from the oil’s properties, because tea tree oil is volatile, with a strong smell. It also oxidizes rapidly on contact with air and light, producing compounds that irritate the skin or are allergenic.

WACKER succeeded in solving these problems via the reversible molecular inclusion of tea tree oil in cyclodextrin. Complexing stabilizes the oil, reduces the odor problem and ensures that the oil is released onto the skin at a controlled rate in its juvenile, chemically unmodified form. This avoids skin irritation. At the same time, inclusion into a cyclodextrin makes the oil easier to use.

The beta-cyclodextrin tea tree oil complex (CAVAMAX^® W7/tea tree oil complex) is ideal for use in cosmetic and body-care products. Tea tree oil’s highly heat-resistant 2:1 alpha-cyclodextrin complex (CAVAMAX^® W6/tea tree oil complex) is suitable for high-temperature processing.

The protection of highly sensitive actives and ensuring their long-lasting effectiveness are examples of how WACKER paves the way for cosmetic applications that had previously been difficult, or even impossible, to achieve or had involved adverse side-effects. The products showcased by WACKER at in-cosmetics 2009 tap into a broad range of effects for hair care, decorative cosmetics and skin-care formulations. WACKER products enable cosmetics to spread evenly. Permitting softness, gloss, moisturizing action and a pleasant feel on the skin, they also make hair easy to comb and give hairstyles excellent hold.