Skin Constituents as Cosmetic Ingredients. Part I: A Study of Bio‐mimetic Monoglycerides Behavior at the Squalene‐Water Interface by the “Pendant Drop” Method in a Static Mode

This work presents the behavior of bio‐mimetic monoglycerides at the squalene/water interface. The study was done in the so‐called “static” mode using the “pendant drop method”, enabling us to characterize these molecules according to the value of their critical efficiency concentration (CEC), their maximum surface excess concentration (Γ_∞), the efficiency of the surface tension reduction parameter (pC20), and the minimum value of their interfacial tension (γ_min). It also permitted the study of the influence of the structure of the carbon chain of those monoglycerides on their interfacial behavior.

The analysis of the different parameters shows that monoglycerides with small hydrocarbon chains, monoglycerides with one or more double bonds, and monoglycerides possessing a hydroxyl function grafted in the middle of the chain constitute excellent surfactants. Two different groups can be found: one group composed of short saturated hydrocarbon chain monoglycerides (C12∶0 to C16∶0) and long hydrocarbon chain monoglycerides (C18∶0 to C22∶0); the second group, composed of unsaturated hydrocarbon chain monoglycerides, also includes hydroxystearate and isostearate monoglycerides. The first group could be used for the formulation of “hydrating” cosmetic products having secondary droplets, the second group for W/O emulsions.

Keywords:

• Monoglycerides
• surfactant
• squalene
• CEC
• pC20
• surface concentration
• molecular area
• γ_min

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Lars Norlen, Mrs. B. Delorme and C. Boinon from ITConcept as well as Mrs. A. Cagna and P. Brochette, Ms. V. Walters and M. P. Olivier for their collaboration.