Amino-Acid Surfactants in Personal Cleansing (Review)

The consumer demand for greener, sustainable and skin friendly chemicals is driving the use of amino-acid based surfactants in the personal care area. Acyl glutamates and glycinates are already being used in commercial products. Available literature dearly shows that the amino acid based surfactants are generally milder than their corresponding alkyl sulfates and carboxylates. However, they do offer some interesting challenges in the area of structuring and consumer desired lather properties. Furthermore, the amino acid surfactants, unlike alkyl sulfates, have pH as an interesting variable for fine-tuning their functional properties. In this paper, the solution, interfacial and skin mildness properties of commercially relevant amino acid surfactants are reviewed and the opportunities and challenges for their wider application are outlined.