Designed to enhance consumer sensory experience in skin care, hair care and hair color formulations, Lubrizol’s new Sensomer Tara polymer is a natural and biodegradable thickener derived from a gum made from the tara tree, also known as Peruvian carob or spiny holdback.
Lubrizol Life Science Beauty (LLS Beauty) has officially launched its new Sensomer Tara polymer [1], a multifunctional, biodegradable natural film former and thickener, which was previewed at in-cosmetics 2023 in Barcelona.
According to the manufacturer, at a concentration of 2%, the new ingredient can reach viscosity of 40,000 mPa∙s, enabling creation for a thicker, creamier and silkier feel in beauty formulations, including moisturizers, sunscreens, hair conditioners, styling products and color treatments.
Silky feel in skincare
When used in skin care applications, said Lubrizol, Sensomer Tara has a silky feel with no drag or stickiness, while its creamy texture provides good pickup with no stringiness.
A blind test [2] revealed a perception of the polymer being softer and less sticky during application, with reduced pilling in afterfeel.
According to Lubrizol, Sensomer Tara also has a synergy with Kelco-Care diutan gum that increases the yield value, leading to robust emulsion stabilization and an even higher viscosity.
Benefits to the hair fiber
When added to conditioners and hair treatments, Sensomer Tara polymer brings conditioning benefits to the fiber, while providing a smooth and easy to spread texture.
In styling applications, it shows better curl retention and better smoothness feel than guar gum. In addition, it has anti-pollution properties, protecting the fiber against particle adhesion.
Finally, in coloration it enables no-drip rheology for a better consumer experience.
100% natural origin
Obtained by a 100% mechanical process undertaken on the Tara (Caesalpinia Spinosa or Tara Spinosa) seed endosperm, Sensomer Tara polymer is COSMOS approved, vegan suitable and microbiome friendly. It is also readily biodegradable (according to OECD 301F), with a natural origin index of 100% (according to ISO16128).