Momentive Performance Materials introduces a 100% naturally derived elastomer gel, which has been engineered to provide equivalent performance to silicone elastomer gels whilst being compatible with natural and naturally derived lipids, UV filters and other polar materials

ABSTRACT

Momentive Performance Materials introduces a patent-pending elastomer gel technology enabling the next generation of high-performance colour cosmetics and skin care products. Harmonie™ NatuVel gel, a new 100% naturally derived elastomer gel has been engineered to exceed the performance of silicone elastomer gels whilst being compatible with natural and naturally derived lipids, UV filters and other polar materials. Designed with natural formulations and the needs of the clean beauty market in mind, the translucent gel is derived from 100% renewable, plant-based raw materials and developed with the guidance of the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry. Its unique 3D polyester network provides soft focus and blurring effects, offers luxurious sensory aesthetics, reduces the oily sensation of many cosmetic ingredients and mattifies the skin. In addition, it delivers many practical benefits to the formulator, this article will discuss its performance and formulation aspects too.

The beauty and personal care market is changing rapidly driven by new legislation, consumer behaviour and environmental concerns. Regulatory changes in Europe are challenging cosmetic companies to reformulate their products in order to remove or reduce volatile silicones and potential microplastics. Many companies have made public commitments such as L’Oreal for the Future and Procter & Gamble’s Responsible Beauty Platform.^1,2

A number of large beauty companies are also working together as part of the EcoBeautyScore Consortium. In March 2025 they launched a new tool to assess the environmental impact of cosmetic products, with the aim of bringing industry transparency and enabling the consumer to make informed decisions.³

Today’s informed consumer expects the companies that they buy from to act on these critical issues. Sustainability-related concerns such as pollution, depletion of natural resources and climate-related emergencies are at the forefront of consumers’ concerns according to a recent Mintel report on Latin America.⁴

Climate change is behind the upcoming European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), that will require larger companies to report their carbon emissions as early as 2025.⁵ This could drive many cosmetic companies to target a transition to ingredients with a lower carbon footprint.

A substantial portion of Scope 3 emissions for personal care companies come from the ingredients they purchase.⁶ This brings ingredient carbon footprint under scrutiny. Yet, of course, cosmetic products still need to perform, if the consumer is not convinced by the product performance or does not enjoy the sensory on the skin there will be no repeat purchase.

A recent report by Mintel found that sustainability is not a primary purchase driver in the BPC sector. Consumers are mainly drawn to products that offer tangible benefits, in one survey 51% of US skin care consumers cite “the product is proven to be effective” as the most important factor when shopping for skin care.⁷

Silicone elastomer gels

Silicone elastomer gel technology was a milestone in the history of personal care ingredients enabling the production of some of the most iconic products on the cosmetics market. It created opportunities for new application formats and textures unveiling a previously unseen level of sensory and performance.

The first market launches with silicone elastomers were seen at the very end of the 1990s and their adoption quickly grew in the 2000s primarily through use in skin care and colour cosmetics. The first reference to a “primer” based upon a silicone elastomer that can be found on Mintel’s GNPD database was 2003 and the popularity of this format quickly grew.⁸

In the late 1990s and early 2000s silicone elastomers and synthetic acrylate-based polymers changed the skin care market enabling a move away from heavy formulations based upon fatty alcohols to lighter, bouncier textures.⁹

Silicone elastomer chemistry

Silicone elastomers were first developed in Japan, with early materials being elastomer powders produced by cryogenic grinding of cured silicone. Over the following years, the technology evolved into gels, where the silicone elastomers were swollen in various solvents.⁹

Silicone elastomer gels are created by combining crosslinked silicone polymers with a 3D network structure and a silicone fluid or other lipids. Traditionally silicone fluids such as cyclomethicone were used but more recent generations have seen naturally derived alkanes widely employed. The crosslinked silicone polymer is synthesized through the hydrosilylation reaction, where a silane hydrogen polymer (Si-H) reacts with a divinyl polymer via solvent or emulsion polymerization.

The crosslinked silicone polymer can function as a thickener for oil-based systems and W/O emulsions where it imparts a degree of structural viscosity. In gels where a hydrophilic group is incorporated into the crosslinking portion of the network, the resulting product can function as a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsifier.

Unlike traditional emulsifiers, it effectively stabilizes emulsions with a wider particle size distribution, which is crucial for achieving a light and fresh skin feel. Additionally, its stabilization mechanism enables emulsification with low shear, eliminating the need for homogenization. Elastomer gels with a crosslinked silicone polymer structure containing alkyl chains in their molecular structure demonstrate good compatibility with non-polar, hydrocarbon oils, such as alkanes and isoalkanes.

Silicone elastomer gels are a powerful tool for enhancing skin aesthetics, providing noticeable differences when comparing product formulations where the inclusion of the elastomer is the only variable. They offer the visible benefit of soft focus and blurring properties that enables wrinkle masking and pore coverage making silicone elastomers ideal for consumers regardless their age.

In addition, elastomer gels offer a unique soft silky sensory, powdery feel and a cushioned effect. Functionally they can be used to support pigment dispersion, active ingredient delivery, and film formation. These qualities make them highly valuable in a variety of colour cosmetic and skin care applications.

Naturally derived elastomer gel technology

The new natural elastomer gel is comprised of a 100% biobased polyester in a 3D network structure, dispersed in the 100% naturally derived emollients squalane and coco-caprylate/caprylate, it has been engineered to replicate the luxurious feel of silicone elastomer gels. The crosslinked polyester network is synthesized using 100% plant-based fatty acids and polyols as naturally derived building blocks.

Its medium-polarity polymer network, featuring a balanced combination of polar ester bonds and non-polar alkyl chains, makes the biobased elastomer gel highly compatible with natural oils, natural waxes, esters, ethers, UV filters and other polar materials.

The elastomer gel swells in the oil phase, creating a robust 3D network that adds structure and optimizes pigment dispersion in the formulation. When exposed to shear forces, the polymer entanglements in the biobased elastomer gel break and have less time to resist deformation, resulting in a reduction in viscosity. It allows manufacturers to create formulas that are easy to apply, while maintaining the desired texture, stability, and performance in the final product.

Once the shear force is removed, the gel thickens back to its original, more viscous state, ensuring it stays in place and delivers long-lasting benefits without feeling greasy or heavy. This shear-thinning behaviour also makes the naturally derived elastomer easy to handle during production where it can be processed hot or cold and under high or low shear.

The Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry

The Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry can be used to guide developments of new chemical processes.¹⁰ In line with these principles, the 100% naturally derived elastomer gel is manufactured entirely from plant-based feedstocks, the palm derived components are from an RSPO certified supply chain, and the commercial material will be available as RSPO certified, all feedstocks are vegan and GMO free.

The production process for the gel requires no catalyst or volatile solvents and the only by-product is water. All materials throughout the process are benign and the gel has been shown to biodegrade. (OECD 301B/F)

Carbon footprint data for the material confirms that the naturally derived elastomer gel can support cosmetic manufacturers working to reduce their carbon footprint compared to historical silicone-based references. Considering the requirements of ISO 16128 the natural elastomer gel has a natural origin index (NOI) of 1.

Biobased elastomer performance

The plant derived elastomer gel provides proof that biobased materials can deliver the same high-performance benefits as historical silicone and synthetic materials. It offers a soft-focus effect while mattifying the skin to reduce shine.

The sensory experience is luxurious as it absorbs quickly, reduces oiliness, and delivers a soft, powdery-dry, cushioned skin feel. In addition, it brings functional benefits for the formulator, supporting stabilisation of W/O emulsions and helping to disperse and suspend pigments and powders.

A series of experiments were performed to confirm that performance attributes of the biobased elastomer gel in the laboratory. A simple inverse emulsion chassis was created to evaluate different inclusion levels.

A 5ml film of each emulsion was drawn down onto a clear substrate using an automated applicator. The film was allowed to dry for 30 minutes before evaluation. Soft focus and line blurring could be clearly demonstrated from low inclusion levels with the blurring increasing with increasing concentrations, as shown in Figure 1. Visual results were confirmed by an increase in diffuse transmission measured using a Color-eye 7000A from X-rite of over 24% at an inclusion level of 20%.

Using the same experimental emulsion, it was possible to demonstrate the mattifying effects of the naturally derived elastomer gel. Some 2 mg/cm2 of the emulsion was applied to the subject’s forearm and the formulation was completely rubbed in.

A Skin-Glossymeter was used to measure the performance. With increasing levels of gel, a reduction in gloss and an increase in matte finish could be seen, images of skin topography using the Visioscan by Courage-Khazaka also demonstrated an increase in skin smoothness. Further studies were conducted to confirm the benefits of the plant derived elastomer in powder and pigment wetting and dispersion.

Formulating with the naturally derived elastomer

The naturally derived elastomer gel can be used to create unique new cosmetic formulations, providing an anhydrous chassis base and supporting the creation of multi-functional products. By addition of UV filters, pigments, and lipophilic actives a wide range of systems can be created such as primers with SPF, mousse foundations, or three-in-one products offering soft focus, colour and SPF benefits.

Alternatively, it can be used as an additive to emulsion, solid and semi solid formulations from about 3% being particularly efficacious in products where the oil phase is in direct contact to the skin. It is easy to handle and can be processed hot or cold and added with cowls blade mixers or homogenisation.

Anhydrous formulations

The bio-derived elastomer gel can be used to develop primer formulations with equivalent performance to existing silicone elastomer gel products. Here, the primer formulation can be considered to be a three-component system, with the elastomer gel, a light, polar emollient oil, and a secondary stabiliser. In the formulation in Table 2 an oil absorbing silica from rice is used but other materials that can be considered include starches such as corn and tapioca and mineral additives like diatomaceous earth.

SPF primers

Invisible gel sunscreens are becoming increasingly popular in the market following the launch of “Unseen Sunscreen SPF30” from Supergoop! in addition to a rise in clear sunscreen sticks such as Shiseido “Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF50+”.

Sunscreen sticks allow for the targeted application of sunscreens to parts of the body of high risk of burning such as ears, noses and shoulders. The benefits of the biobased elastomer gel can be clearly demonstrated in such formulations.

In sensory panel tests the clear sunscreen stick was compared with and without the natural elastomer. In the control formulation the balance was made up with Coco-Caprylate/Caprate.

As can be seen in Figure 3, the addition of the biobased elastomer gel to the clear sunscreen stick formulation had substantial benefits both during application and in terms of afterfeel. Its use was found to greatly improve product absorption and reduce greasiness on the skin.

Interestingly, this benefit was seen with the naturally derived elastomer but did not occur with the silicone elastomer benchmark. After application, it provided a matte, powdery dry and cushioned afterfeel. These benefits would provide substantial improvements in the sensory experience for consumer use of SPF products.

Multifunctional products

A recent survey by Veylinx in 2024 uncovered an increasing consumer desire in the US for multifunctional SPF products in particular tinted SPF products of foundations with sun protection included.¹¹

This opportunity to grow the beauty space also presents challenges as UV filters can take up a significant percentage of the formulation and often bring less desirable characteristics such as being oily or whitening on skin.

The naturally derived elastomer gel can be used to formulate anhydrous multi-functional products, reducing the number of items required by the consumer and the unnecessary transport of water and less packaging use. Facial primer, SPF protection and mousse foundation can all be delivered from one efficient product.

Performance in emulsions

The naturally derived elastomer gel also functions as a performance additive to emulsion formulations. In foundation formulations based upon water-in-oil emulsions it was shown to reduce oiliness and increase the sensation of cushioning. After application it was particularly seen to improve colour uniformity even when compared to a silicone elastomer benchmark.

In oil-in-water emulsions the natural elastomer was found to have the greatest impact on the sensory afterfeel. Compared to a control without elastomer gel the cream was found to provide a powdery dry, velvety sensation that was non-sticky and had a matte finish. The skin also felt more moisturized to the test panel. Formulations were found to have better absorption and a less oily feel during application.

Conclusion

With the introduction of Harmonie NatuVel gel, a new generation of cosmetics and skin care can be offered to the consumer. This is just the beginning of the possibilities created by this technology platform.

The current technology offers opportunities for further developments with adapted structures and different solvents offering a multitude of benefits across different product categories.

References

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