Abstract
The use of surfactants in personal care products falls into two categories: hair care (cleansing) and skincare. In hair-care, two different developments are apparent: the search for mild surfactants and for conditioning agents. Also, the combination of surfactants with other ingredients can result in special characteristics of shampoos. Since the development of rinses, which employ cationic surfactants that adhere to hair, researchers try to improve the surface treatment of hair.
In skincare, highly functional ingredients require new surfactants. In addition, surfactants that allow the formation of highly structured complexes such as liposomes or liquid crystals, which resemble natural structures, are being developed.
