Sisterna is the world’s foremost company for the research and development of high-grade sucrose esters. It has wide and long-term experience in this area and maintains an intricate sales and promotion network in Europe and the USA. Sisterna has developed countless proven and innovative applications of these multifunctional emulsifiers for the cosmetic and other industries.
Sucrose esters
Based on sucrose and vegetable fatty acids, Sisterna® sucrose esters are a unique range of natural, PEG-free non-ionic emulsifiers with an exceptional skin-feel and mildness to skin and eyes. Not only are they used in the personal care industry, they are also approved and widely used in the food industry. In addition, Sisterna® sucrose esters can offe other unique benefits to personal care formulations.
Sisterna® sucrose esters are obtained by esterifying sucrose with edible fatty acids. By varying the degree of esterification of the sucrose molecule it is possible to obtain emulsifiers with HLB values ranging from 1 up to 16.
Sisterna® sucrose esters have a range of benefits.
- They are based on natural and renewable raw materials.
- High quality.
- Easily biodegradable.
- Non-ionic and ethylene oxide free.
- They cover a wide range of HLB values.
- Neutral in taste and odour.
- Suitable for food applications.
Physical, chemical and physiological properties
Sisterna® sucrose esters are non-toxic, off-white powders and neutral in taste and odour. They are stable at pH values between 4 and 8 and can be heated to temperatures up to 185 ºC without any negative effects on performance.
Sisterna® sucrose esters of fatty acids are proven to be very mild to skin and eyes. Besides being non-irritant, they provide a silky feeling to the skin and can reduce the irritant properties of other substances present in cosmetic formulations. In addition, they assure skin moisturization.
Functionalities and applications
Sisterna® sucrose esters can be used as emulsifiers in a wide range of personal care applications. In addition, they have a number of other unique characteristics which allow them to be used as multifunctional ingredients.
Emulsification properties
Due to their wide range of HLB values, Sisterna® sucrose esters are excellent emulsifiers for both oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions. In O/W emulsions, Sisterna® sucrose esters can also form lamellar liquid crystalline networks by themselves or in combination with other emulsifiers, ensuring optimal emulsion stability and excellent rheological properties.
Sisterna® sucrose esters are effective with a wide range of oils of different polarity, such as vegetable and mineral oils, medium polarity and silicon oils, and in the presence of high levels of powders. They also provide an excellent skin feeling, largely independent of the oil phase.
Lipidic phase modification
Sisterna A10E-C does not act as an emulsifier, but improves the quality of the lipidic phase or performs as a fat itself. It has outstanding thickening and/or gelling properties for both polar and non-polar oils. In general, adding Sisterna A10E-C reduces the greasy and sticky sensation of oils. Spreadability stays unchanged, while skin absorption is increased. The final perceived effect is a silky and dry feel. This property of Sisterna A10E-C suggests its use in highly viscous make-up products or lipsticks.
Mild cleansing characteristics
In toiletries, Sisterna® sucrose esters provide good foam quality and excellent skin mildness, especially the higher HLB Sisterna® sucrose esters. This makes them especially valuable in frequent-use and baby shampoos, for example.
The same effects are achieved when adding Sisterna® sucrose esters to soap or syndet bars.
The presence of Sisterna® sucrose esters in toiletries reduces the irritant properties of anionic surfactants. When compared to formulations based on conventional surfactants, those con-taining Sisterna® sucrose esters show a considerable improve-ment in terms of skin tolerance and sensorial properties.
Selective anti-microbial activity
Sisterna® sucrose esters, especially those with high HLB values, show a selective anti-microbial effect on the growth of certain, less desirable micro-organisms, while not interfering with normal skin flora. In vitro tests have shown that Sisterna® sucrose esters inhibit the growth of micro-organisms causing odour formation, nappy rash, dandruff, caries and athlete’s foot.
Further information
If you are interested in more details about sucrose esters, please contact Sisterna B.V., info@sisterna.com or check our website www.sisterna.com.
Sisterna B.V.
Oostelijke Havendijk 15
4704 RA Roosendaal
The Netherlands
