demands for safer and environmentally preferable products looms
over the industry. Honeywell’s Solstice Enhance
and Solstice Propellant have enabled innovation
of new aerosol product forms, e.g. foams/
mousse, cooling and crackling gels and dry
shampoo sprays that are safe, convenient and
meet consumers’ needs. An important invention
that uses Solstice Propellant is Mission
Pharmacal’s spray product to treat diaper rash in
babies and the elderly. This innovation enables
a no-mess, hands-free application of the product
for mothers and long-term facility caregivers, to
protect sensitive skin from diaper rash.
Personal Care: Consumer trends
impacting formulations
Today, consumers look for products that are
packed with both convenience and beauty benefits. Products that
are easy to use and carry around, provide superior performance,
are fuss-free to handle and have zero side-effects make an ideal
recipe for a successful personal care formulation.
Another trend today is the demand for products made with organic
and natural ingredients, mostly inspired by food. Detoxifiers
such as honey and lemon extract, cooling agents such as cucumbers
and aloe vera and cleansing oils such as almond and neem
are gaining traction and consumers
seek the benefit of these ingredients.
The challenge for formulators is to
deliver formulations with “good-foryou”
ingredients in a way that is easy
to use.
The industry is also seeing the birth
of several new product forms, such
as crackling gels. Further, consumers
have become very ingredient-savvy and
conscious of products they are using.
The demand for product variants
without silicones, phthalates, alcohol
and parabens keeps growing.
Regulatory hurdles impacting formulations
Many regulations and mandates have been implemented by
government bodies across the world to improve air quality and
consumer safety through the use of aerosol products, leading to
extensive transformation of aerosol formulations and ingredients.
Some of these regulations have been summarized in the table
shown top right.
New benefits for personal care
Honeywell’s materials—Solstice Enhance and Solstice Propellant—
can help boost personal care formulations with distinctive and
lasting properties that deliver enhanced performance.
Solstice Enhance is nonflammable, has an ultra-low GWP of
one and favorable toxicity properties. It can be used as a solvent,
carrier fluid or co-propellant with multiple benefits such as:
• Improved safety in formulations (flame suppressant)
• Enhanced performance
• Long-lasting cooling properties
• Delayed post foaming effect
• Improved drying time in formulations
• Meets and exceeds government regulations
Solstice Enhance enables the development of innovative and
novel personal care formulations for face, body and hair products.
42 Spray March 2019
Current Regulations & Treaties
• Global warming: F-Gas, EPA (ODP), Paris Agreement, Kigali
Amendment to Montreal Protocol
• USA VOC restrictions: EPA, CARB
• Volatile silicones coming under scrutiny
Anticipated Regulations
• CA GWP/HFC reduction
• Lower VOC limits
• Chemicals of concern: Methylene chloride, n-bromopropane
• Transparency / ingredient disclosure
Taxes/Tariffs
• HFC taxes: Australia, France, Norway
• Steel and aluminum tariffs
• End-use regulations: FDA, USDA, FIFRA
• Storage and transportation: DOT, NFPA, IATA
Corporate & Retail Requirements
• Safer Choice label
• Ingredient disclosure and chemicals of concern
• Sustainability policy
It is highly compatible with a wide variety of commonly-used
plastics and elastomers. It is classified as a UN class 2.2 nonflammable
liquefied gas and has a WEEL of 800 ppm.
Consumers can experience distinct sensations due to the benefits
provided in products such as:
Cooling and Foaming
• Absorbs heat from skin
• Enhances foaming action
Superior Solubility
• Solubilizes heavy oil-based ingredients
• Solubilizes a wide variety of ingredients
• Miscible with liquid surfactants
• Greater removal of oils on skin
Surface Wetting and Spreading
• Enhanced surface wetting for delivery of active ingredients
• Better spread-ability
• Penetrates nooks and crannies
• Enhanced carrier (non-VOC carrier fluid for active ingredients)
Fast Drying
• Evaporates quickly
• Well suited for hair applications
Dispersion
• A powerful combo: Solstice Enhance can be combined with
Solstice Propellant to provide dispersion of solids-based
aerosol products.
Solstice Propellant and Benefits
Honeywell’s Solstice Propellant is the only nonflammable, ultralow
GWP propellant available today. Benefits include:
• Improves safety by reducing flammability
• Suitability for hair and beauty applications
• Provides extra drying effect in certain formulations
• Good compatibility, stability and miscibility
• Meets and exceeds government regulations
Solstice Propellant can be blended with other common propellants
such as HFC-152a, DME, butane, isobutane and propane