The chemical giant’s 1,4-Dioxane Online Calculator allows beauty and cosmetic formulators to reassess product formulas when necessary, and helps them navigate regulation for continued success.
Chemistry giant BASF has made the
lives of beauty and cosmetic formulators easier with its new 1,4-Dioxane Online
Calculator. This digital tool
enables personal-care formulators to check the total level of 1,4-Dioxane in
the final formula and recommends alternative ingredients to bring the total
1,4-Dioxane value of the formulation to less than 1ppm.
1,4-Dioxane is an organic compound found in products such as paint strippers,
dyes, greases, antifreeze and aircraft deicing fluids; and in consumer products
including deodorants, shampoos and cosmetics, that the EPA has classified as
a “likely human
carcinogen.”
It’s a trace element that forms as a by-product during the manufacturing process
of certain surfactants, emulsifiers and solvents and is miscible in water.
The new calculator comes on the heels of a New York State
law, signed in December
2019, which prohibits the sale of personal-care products and household cleaning
products containing more than 2ppm 1,4-Dioxane; as well as cosmetic products
containing more than 10 ppm 1,4-Dioxane by the end of 2022. These levels drop to
a limit of 1ppm in personal-care products by the end of 2023. The state of
California is also assessing 1,4-Dioxane in home and personal-care products
through the Safer Consumer Products program and its
research is estimated to be completed in three years.
The 2019 law left formulators with a need to reassess their ingredient choices
and reformulate certain products. Harnessing the expertise of BASF and using the
1,4-Dioxane Online Calculator helps them navigate regulation for continued
success.
“Right now, regulations have become stricter in terms of level of 1,4-Dioxane in
products, such as shampoo or body wash, so BASF is proactively helping our
partners with their formulations,” said Prerna Chatterjee, Sustainability
Marketing Manager at BASF Care Chemicals North America — the designer of this
tool.
“The 1,4-Dioxane is a regulatory change that seems to align with the current
rise in ingredient transparency,” Chatterjee says. “Consumers are more aware
about ingredients and continually educate themselves. Beauty consumers
specifically are savvier about product ingredients and increasingly favor Clean
Beauty products — those that are mindfully created and produced without any
proven or suspected
ingredients,”
she added.
To allow full-formulation flexibility, in addition to BASF product offerings and
recommendations, the 1,4-Dioxane Online Calculator allows inclusion of non-BASF
ingredients if the 1,4-Dioxane level in them is identified and typed into the
system. Formulators are also able to place sample requests for BASF ingredients
directly from the calculator.
“The calculator is a testament to our commitment to support the growth of our
customers by providing digital tools that ultimately support faster formulation
decisions,” said Daniele Piergentili, VP of BASF Home & Personal Care North
America.
Learn more about the 1,4-Dioxane Online Calculator here.
Published Nov 9, 2020 7am EST / 4am PST / 12pm GMT / 1pm CET
Anna Spiewak is a content manager at BASF.
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