Lipids and oils are among the most important ingredients in personal care, providing formulators with the texture, spreadability, moisturisation and stability that shape product performance and sensory appeal.
Animal fats, palm oil, coconut oil, shea butter and cocoa butter are all widely used because of the specific properties they bring to a formulation.
However, these natural ingredients have their shortcomings from an environmental, formulation and supply point of view.
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As formulators face increasing pressure to improve performance while addressing sustainability concerns, a new category of ingredients is beginning to emerge that aims to address some of these challenges: designer fats.
Designer fats have been deliberately engineered for specific functional characteristics that go beyond the characteristics naturally provided by animal- or plant-based lipids and potentially allow formulators to design the lipid around the product and not vice versa.
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