Multifunctional chemistry claims space in personal and home care

Formulation is an intricate practice, straddling science and engineering. In the fast-moving market of personal care—and its close cousin, home care—each ingredient carries its own suite of chemical properties that formulators must balance and harmonize to create a product that is stable, effective, and pleasant to use.These days, chemical firms that supply molecules to consumer product manufacturers are leaning into the concept of multifunctionality: cramming two or more useful properties into a single ingredient. For consumers, multifunctionals mean shorter ingredient lists that let them feel they understand what they’re putting on their bodies or into their home environments. Formulators benefit from fewer variables in their work. And chemical makers win new sales within expanding parts of the home and personal care industry. R&D into multifunctionality is starting to yield some cleverly designed molecules. The start-up Skinosive, for example, uses chemical linkers to covalently connect ultraviolet (UV) filters to bioadhesives, creating sunscreen active ingredients that stick to the skin’s outer layer, the stratum corneum.CEO Benoit Canolle says the multifunctional approach means the UV protection lasts longer, even in water; stays where it’s placed on the skin’s surface; and doesn’t penetrate into the user’s bloodstream—three common concerns with sunscreens. The latter property should help Skinosive win regulatory approval for its ingredients; the amount of a chemical that reaches the blood is a key parameter for the government agencies that control sunscreens.A suite of fragrance molecules from the specialty chemical maker DSM-Firmenich also uses linkers to make single molecules do multiple things. Straight