COLOURSPHERES®

■ colourant

■ volumizing additive

■ soft focus agent

colourspheres® are spherical composite materials, in which colourants have been encapsulated into a polymer structure. Colourspheres® offer many advantages in comparison with conventional pigments as their structure is very different, and as their surface characteristics have been modified. The wetting properties of Colourspheres® are excellent due to their small specific surface area. They are very easy to disperse allowing easy colour shading. Colourspheres® are available in different particle sizes and with choice of hydrophilic (HL) or hydrophobic coatings (HB) depending on the needs.

Colourspheres® SILare based only on Silica and Iron Oxides; hence they are completely suitable for natural formulations. These colourants provide excellent spreadability along with softness and soft focus effect. As the Iron Oxides are encapsulated into a Silica sphere, Colourspheres® SILproducts are ideal in transformation formulations or where a natural skin matching tint is desired.

Application Areas

Colour Care

Colourspheres® are suitable for all colour care applications from foundations and powders to mascaras and lip glosses.

Foundations and Powders

In emulsions, it is recommended that the hydrophilic Colourspheres® are added to the water phase as this gives the best results in terms of light diffusion. Colourspheres® SILare added at the end of the formulation.

Colourspheres® are ideal also for blushers, eye shadows and other types of powdery products as their shape and surface characteristics give an even application and an illusion of smooth skin. This is a definite advantage when formulating eye shadows for mature skin types.

Mascaras

Colourspheres® can be used to replace traditional pigments in mascaras. The Colourspheres® with 40 micron size not only deliver colour, but they also function as a volumizing agent, thickener and rheology modifier in addition to giving the mascara base some structure. The rheology and surface charge of Colourspheres® have been modified to maximize the colour take-up and application.

Conventional stearate-type mascaras have poor, brittle film applications, which crack easily. Colourspheres® modify the film forming properties of the formulation, improving the wear and performance. Colourspheres® permit low viscosity emulsions with high colour impact and volumizing effect. In volumizing mascaras, Colourspheres® with hydrophilic surface treatment, is recommended, as the volumizing effect is stronger when the Colourspheres® are added to the water phase. Colourspheres® SILshould be added at the end of the formulation, in emulsions or anhydrous systems.

Lipsticks and Lip Glosses

As Colourspheres® are spherical particles, they have a soft and smooth application which glides on with ease. Due to their big size compared to the conventional colorants, Colourspheres® hinder the feathering of lipsticks.

Sun Care

Colourspheres® SILcan be used in sun care products, and especially those that contain mineral UV-filters. Indeed, they allow creating a natural nude shade, which will reduce the whitening effect of sunscreens upon application.

Formulating

Colourspheres® are easy to formulate with even though they are in powder form. They do not need to be pre-dispersed; they can be added directly to formulations such as mascara bases. They do not need to be pre-dispersed; they can be added directly to formulations such as a mascara bases. This means that colour shading can be done a lot faster than with traditional pigments. Colourspheres® can be used in both hot and cold processes, but they do not tolerate high shear mixing. If grinding is needed, it can be done lightly, but not with three-roll mill.

Powder Applications

Colourspheres® should be added to the powder base before the addition of binders.

Emulsions

When formulating emulsions with optical effect of smoothness or mascaras with volume, the hydrophilic Colourspheres® should be used. Colourspheres® SILColours should be added after emulsification, under slow stirring.

Anhydrous Systems

Colourspheres® are not heat sensitive and they do not need to be pre-dispersed. They can be added into lipstick bases directly just like colour dispersions. In lipglosses, the Colourspheres® can be added into cold or hot bases.

Typical use level: 10-15%.

Packaging

25 kg sealed aluminium bag in cardboard box.