There is Chemistry Here: Part VII. Surfactants in Commercial Products

Abstract

Surfactants are organic substances that present amphiphilic behavior, that is, they can interact with polar and non-polar substances. This property is explained by the fact that these molecules have a hydrophobic (non-polar) and a hydrophilic (polar) region. There are many surfactants embedded in formulated products that are sold in big markets and pharmacies. It is millenary the art of planning, executing and analyzing a formulation for food, medicine, etc. as well as the selection of the appropriate surfactant. Currently it takes a lot of chemical knowledge to perform this task. The surfactant is the most important structural ingredient in the formulation and, without it, the formulation either does not form or is not stable for a long time. The number of surfactants reaches thousands of substances that can be of natural or synthetic origin. As with all chemical production, the demand for sustainable and renewable development methods is growing and this is no different for green surfactants in the production of cosmetics, personal care and household cleaning products, and even considering the development of products free from surfactants. The replacement of surfactants based on finite petroleum products by other natural products with a less toxic and ecologically friendly bias still remains a challenge, as the fate of many surfactants is the environment. The intention of this dissemination article is to demonstrate that there is a lot of chemical knowledge present in the surfactants used in formulations that are commercially available to the general public. The authors hope that these goals have been achieved and that they consider the article scientifically useful.