Transformative textures with oil gel emulsifier

A quick search of “texture” or “format” in Mintel Insights will yield an abundance of listings about innovative launches offering sensory experiences designed to connect customers with products and brands. For example, innovating with jelly textures can be used to evoke excitement and fun in consumers and create an opportunity to boost the product’s benefits with enhanced claims, such as cooling and hydrating. Creating products with gels and jelly textures can add a touch of lightness and bounciness to signal playfulness.1

Oil-based formulations have a wide appeal for consumers who perceive oils as gentle and nourishing, making them ideal for inclusion in personal care products. Oil cleansing has become especially pertinent during the pandemic as skin over-cleansing leads to excessive dryness and strips it of friendly bacteria.2 In the hair care industry, the popular use of hair oils can be traced back to the 4,000 year-old Ayurveda heritage. While Indian consumers are accustomed to using hair oils for overnight treatments, Mintel research suggests that achieving wider appeal in Asia will require products to adopt a routine with a rinse-out step after a 20-minute application to prevent grease and residue build-up.3 The inconvenience of using oils, however, does present a unique opportunity to introduce a more easy-to-use product, such as an oil-ingel, that can provide the consumer with more control during use.

The combination of an oil-in-gel hybrid format provides the ingredients needed to create a recipe with engaging textures and formats. According to Mintel, developing transformative textures that are fun, more convenient or eco-friendly (i.e. use less water) also provides an opportunity to sharpen the focus on facial cleansers during the COVID-19 crisis.2 Consumers are said to associate gelbased cleansers with a refreshing and gentle feel that invigorates the skin. This perception is observed with gel textures that transform to oil upon touching skin for better sebum and makeup-removing effects, or those that foam up when mixed with water for product residue removal.1