Eco-Conscious Skincare

The bar is back, and it is here to stay! Gloriously easy skincare in a solid form? Spill-proof travel? Eco-conscious transport with reduced packaging footprints? Yes, yes, and yes: the bar has it all. And depending on the consumer profiles your brand caters to, the breadth of formulation options may make these versatile products a contender in nearly every target demographic.

Formulations that feature brevity in the ingredient lists are enjoying a surge in popularity. This can be a boon for formulators when the right ingredients are at hand. When you choose the right waxes and oils for facial care bars, the bar strength, color, richness of lather, and level of emollience can be finely tuned to meet your carefully curated image. The right wax can be particularly important to getting exactly the right texture for your bar without adding more ingredients to the system.

Minimalist formulas and natural ingredients keep skin care bars on trend for a cost-effective approach towards being more water conscious. As consumers become more aware of the ecological footprint of the products they purchase, lowering freight weight by cutting the water in end products, and reducing plastics in packaging are growing in value as indicators of sustainable market behaviors. These trends are proving beneficial for both consumers and manufacturers.

Soap bars may have had a reputation for drying skin, and it is long since time to change that.  Formulating a traditional bar of soap into a cleansing bar suitable for all face types requires one major step: superfatting. This is a process in which less lye is used to leave behind more unsaponified material, giving the bar moisture and reducing the harsh after-feel that traditional soaps can have. The fats that remain unsaponified are free to act as emollients to soften and nourish the skin.

Our Creamy Face Cleansing Bar formula highlights the features and benefits of Kester Wax K-24, which imparts an overall softer feel and unique creamy lather.  The high percentage of Coconut Oil creates plentiful, rich lather. Rice Bran Wax and Sustainable Beeswax give the bar just the right hardness. Our Beeswax is available in yellow or white so no matter the desired color of your finished bar, you can maintain your sustainable commitment.

Formula#:  11/22-849/421/286-2

Many consumers are looking for vegan options in every aspect of their personal care. It is possible to formulate this Creamy Face Cleansing Bar without Beeswax for your vegan customer base. Simply split the difference between two solid raw materials (in this case, Rice Bran Wax and Cocoa Butter, re-calculate the amount of sodium hydroxide required to saponify the blend based on the saponification values and enjoy a vegan bar with similar feel, lather, and characteristics.  

Formula#: 11/22-849/358/286-1

For facial care, bars are a stable, practical option. Solid cosmetics allow consumers to carry their favorite formulations wherever they travel yet can be made luxuriously pleasing enough to be a daily go-to. Koster Keunen offers the waxes and esters, along with expertise to help if you have questions. Please contact us to start the conversation.