Hectone®
Hectone® products are a range of predispersed natural organoclays in
various oils and solvents. They are used primarily as thickeners, but they can also suspend solids, stabilize emulsions, and modify the consistency and feel of cosmetic products.
Technical information
The clay minerals, which generally have a relatively small particle size and affinity to water, have in aqueous systems gelling and viscosity-increasing properties. When these materials are treated with long chain organic compound, their structure becomes organophilic and hence they exhibit gelling abilities in various lipid materials.
Until not so long ago, the building of viscosity of lipids or oil phases was generally accomplished through use of soaps. During the same period, aqueous systems usually were thickened with inorganic materials, notably montmorillonite clay minerals. Over the past ten years there has been a reversal in this with gums, alginates, cellulose, and polyacrylates being used for viscosity build-up in water, and surface treated inorganic materials replacing some of the soaps used in oils, solvents, and other organic liquids.
Hectone® clay lipid suspensions are composed of anisotropic disk-like charged particles, by edge-to-edge or edge-to-face interactions, or by both by very strong mixing with high shear. Hectones® control the degree of thixotropy as they create ideal flow characteristics. This phenomenon enhances the application of a lotion or other low viscosity products, as they do not drip upon application.
Properties and application areas
Hectones® are rheology modifiers, which thicken non-aqueous systems or oil phases in emulsions. They are stable to temperature modifications, they stabilize emulsions and improve the suspensions of colour pigments and physical UV-filters. They impart silky skin feel and they are especially suitable for cosmetic use, as they are non-abrasive materials.
Hectones® are ideal thickeners for lipsticks, mascaras, O/W and W/O emulsions for skin care, sun care and hair care. They are very high viscosity products and they always require energy to be homogenized in cosmetic formulations.