Suitable for a wide variety of personal care applications including skin care, deodorants and bath tablets, S. Black said unlike traditional MAS, the powder has an extremely porous amorphous structure.
Adsorption powers
This gives it a large surface area that enables the powder to adsorb 330 per cent of its own weight in oils and other materials and still remain in powder form.
Adsorption here is distinguished from absorption and refers to the process by which a substance becomes attached to the surface of another rather than penetrating it.
Manufactured by Japan-based Fuji Corporation, the MAS powder is marketed under the trade name Neusilin UFL2 and will now be available to formulators in the UK and Ireland through S .Black.
Fights oily skin and acne
S. Black spokesperson Gillian Berry told CosmeticsDesign.com that its large surface area and porous structure makes it particularly suitable for skin care products designed for oily skin and acne treatment.
The ability of the ingredient to efficiently adsorb oil off the skin makes it ideal for manufacturers targeting the growing teenage market, added Berry.
Additional applications
Besides skin care, life science firm S. Black said Neusilin UFL2 also tackles bad smells by trapping them in its porous structure making it suitable for antiperspirants and deodorants.
More precisely the MAS powder fights bad smells by forming hydrogen bonds with the offending compounds.
Neusilin UFL2 may also be used in bath tablets to help them disintegrate quickly because its porous structure allows water to permeate through it quickly.
In other applications the ingredient may be added as a carrier for liquid or fragrance actives as it does not dissolve in liquids and boasts good process stability.
