P&G files patent for hair care product designed for hard water

P&G’s latest patent focuses on a common issue that many consumers face: the diminished performance of personal care products in hard water. As over 85% of US homes are estimated to have hard water, the new formulation seeks to address a pressing need for a majority of hair care consumers. 

Here are CosmeticsDesigns' key takeaways regarding the new patent, including an examination of the rising consumer demand for innovation in this space and the potential industry impact. 

Tackling the effects of hard water on cleansing

Hard water, which contains high levels of minerals such as calcium and magnesium, significantly impacts the performance of personal care products like shampoos and body washes. The dissolved minerals form metal ions that bind to surfactants, reducing their ability to foam and cleanse effectively.

As described in the patent, “using a personal care composition such as a shampoo, conditioner, or body wash in hard water tends to result in less lather production, as compared to soft water.” This leads to a less satisfying experience for consumers, especially since lather is commonly associated with cleaning efficacy.

P&G's new formulation addresses this issue by incorporating acyl taurate surfactants and N-alkyl acyl taurate surfactants, which provide “improved lather in hard water” and allow the product to maintain performance, even in high mineral content environments. This is a breakthrough for consumers who live in areas with hard water, as it promises to deliver a superior experience without compromising on effectiveness.

Consumer preference for sulfate-free products

The patent also highlights the growing consumer demand for sulfate-free products, which are perceived as being milder and gentler on the hair and skin. However, these formulations often come with drawbacks.

As explained in the patent, “recent trends indicate a desire by consumers to replace their sulfated cleansing compositions with milder, sulfate-free versions,” but conventional sulfate-free products are often “perceived as less effective due to poor foaming and lathering properties compared to their sulfated counterparts.”

This challenge is amplified in hard water conditions, where the lack of sulfates further reduces the product’s ability to generate foam. The patent emphasizes that the combination of acyl taurate surfactants and N-alkyl acyl taurate surfactants in P&G’s formulation provides desirable “foaming and lather properties, even in hard water,” making it a solution that caters to both consumer preferences and practical challenges.

A focus on improved formulation stability

Beyond the issue of foaming, P&G’s patent addresses several other formulation challenges. For instance, one common issue with sulfate-free shampoos is their inability to maintain appropriate viscosity.

The patent explained that “the alkyl methyl group bonded to the amide nitrogen in SMCT and SMLT can make it difficult to build viscosity in an aqueous personal care composition.” Without sufficient viscosity, products may be difficult to dispense and can be perceived as lower quality by consumers.

P&G’s formulation overcomes this challenge by allowing the addition of an electrolyte such as inorganic salts to thicken the composition. According to the patent, this enables the product to be dispensed easily and applied in a controlled manner, further improving consumer experience.

The patent described the new formulation as providing “suitable solubility, stability, foaming and cleansing properties,” which are critical for any personal care product.

Combining mildness and conditioning in a single product

In addition to improving lather and viscosity, P&G’s new formulation allows for the inclusion of conditioning agents, a feature that is often difficult to achieve in sulfate-free products. Conditioning shampoos typically combine anionic detersive surfactants with cationic conditioning polymers to improve hair feel and detangling.

However, as the patent noted, “the formation of a coacervate in the product prior to use ties up a portion of the surfactant and decreases the amount of surfactant available to provide foaming and cleansing,” which can be a drawback for sulfate-free systems.

P&G has addressed this by designing a formulation that can combine surfactants and conditioning polymers with minimal impact on foaming. The patent stated, “it has further been found that these combinations of surfactants can be combined with a cationic polymer... with little or no undesirable impact on foam properties.”

This advancement means that P&G's new product could offer both cleansing and conditioning benefits, while still delivering the rich lather that consumers associate with quality.

Industry impact and opportunities

For manufacturers and suppliers in the cosmetics and personal care industry, this patent could significantly shape future product development. P&G’s innovation not only caters to the demand for sulfate-free formulations, but it also solves performance issues related to hard water, a factor that affects a large portion of the population globally.

The patent suggested that by overcoming the foaming, viscosity, and conditioning limitations of conventional sulfate-free products, this new formulation could set a new standard for high-performance, sulfate-free hair care products.

The industry has already been trending toward sulfate-free and more natural formulations, but until now, these products have been plagued by performance issues, particularly in hard water conditions. P&G’s new composition could inspire competitors to develop similarly high-performance products that can be marketed to consumers living in hard water regions.

Additionally, this innovation creates opportunities for new product lines that specifically target the hard water challenge, providing a key differentiator in an increasingly competitive market.