Formulations evolve.

The right ingredients make them work.

In formulation development, what matters is not only the function of an individual ingredient, but also its effect on the overall system. That is why we approach ingredient selection in terms of application, specifications and practical needs. Developing a new formulation, qualifying a supplier or looking for an alternative? Explore ingredients worth evaluating and request a sample for your own testing.

25+

years of experience in the ingredients market

200+

ingredients in our portfolio

100+ companies

have chosen MEDICOS solutions

The challenges formulators face

One change affects the entire system

Adding an ingredient for a specific function can change viscosity, foaming, stability or after-feel. Every modification therefore needs to be assessed in the context of the complete formulation, rather than a single parameter.

Stability is not everything

A formula may pass stability tests yet still feel too heavy, tacky or difficult to apply. The challenge is to find the right balance between structure, stability and the desired sensory profile.

A replacement that performs

The same INCI name does not always mean the same behaviour in a formulation. When reformulating, what matters is function, application performance and the effect of the change on the entire system, not just the ingredient name.

Fewer trials. More informed choices.

Rather than testing numerous options at random, narrow the selection to a few ingredients chosen on the basis of function, specifications, documentation and availability. Each can then be evaluated in your own laboratory.

Each of these challenges can arise in different types of formulations and at different stages of a project. Explore five areas where ingredient selection is particularly important.

From formulation needsto the right ingredient

Different formulation objectives call for different ingredient selection criteria. Choose one of the five areas below to explore the functions, specifications and ingredients to consider for further testing.

How can you combine hydration and barrier support with the desired sensory profile?

Increasing the level of humectants, emollients or occlusive ingredients can affect not only a product's skin care properties, but also its viscosity, spreadability and after-feel. Ingredient selection therefore needs to take account of both function and behaviour within the complete system.

What does your formulation need?

Ingredient to consider

The formulation needs greater moisturising potential.

Urea Ph. Eur./USP / Sorbitol LGK (INCI: Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate) – two different approaches to humectancy. Urea is a crystalline humectant and a natural component of the skin's natural moisturising factor (NMF), with a purity of ≥99.9% and high water solubility. Sorbitol LGK is a liquid, non-crystallising humectant that can also help shape the formulation's texture.

The W/O emulsion needs a more protective, occlusive profile, together with support for binding the aqueous phase.

EWALAN 30-PA – anhydrous lanolin with emollient and occlusive properties, used in W/O systems and characterised by a high-water absorption capacity.

A richer lipid phase delivers the desired skin care effect, but the product feels too heavy or is difficult to spread.

NEOMIN ISN / NEOMIN OP – two different sensory profiles. NEOMIN ISN is a fast-spreading emollient that delivers a light, fresh, non-greasy feel. NEOMIN OP offers medium spreadability and a dry, velvety sensory profile.

A vegan formulation needs to retain the rich feel, water-binding capacity and protective properties associated with lanolin.

PLANDOOL-G – a 100% plant-based alternative to lanolin, combining high water-binding capacity with a rich, soft feel and good adhesion to the skin.

The formulation needs to combine a rich lipid profile with a new approach to replacing conventional plant butters and oils.

ZymaLipid Complex – a semi-solid blend of fatty acids produced by fermentation, offering an alternative approach to conventional plant butters and oils. It combines a rich sensory profile with film-forming properties and an effect on the rheology of the lipid phase.

The choice of ingredient and its use level must always be verified in the specific formulation, based on technical documentation and application testing.

Have a different formulation challenge?

Describe the issue or the result you want to achieve. We will suggest ingredients worth evaluating and provide documentation and samples for your own testing.

How can you build the right formulation structure while maintaining the desired sensory profile?

A formulation's structure affects not only its stability and consistency, but also dispensing, spreadability and after-feel. The interplay between emulsifiers, structuring agents, emollients and rheology modifiers is key, as is selecting them for the specific type of system.

What does your formulation need?

Ingredient to consider

You need a non-ionic emulsifying system for O/W emulsions and want to select a grade that suits the target formulation structure.

NEOWAX B1 / NEOWAX B200 – non-ionic O/W emulsifying systems to compare according to the target formulation structure. NEOWAX B200 is a self-emulsifying system with high stability in acidic and alkaline systems, helping to build texture and consistency.

The W/O formulation needs a lipophilic emulsifier suitable for a phase based on plant oils.

LAUROPAN S/80 – Sorbitan Oleate, a non-ionic W/O emulsifier suitable for systems containing plant oils, among other applications. It can also be used as a dispersing agent in pigmented formulations.

The O/W emulsion needs higher viscosity and a firmer structure without changing the main emulsifying system.

CESTOPAL C16 – Cetyl Alcohol, used to adjust viscosity and support the stability of O/W emulsions. It helps build consistency and gives creams and lotions a dry, waxy sensory profile.

A solid or semi-solid formulation is too soft and needs a stronger structure.

EWALAN Wax – a hard lanolin wax used to build structure and increase the hardness of anhydrous and wax-based systems, such as sticks and solid balms.

The formulation needs higher viscosity without further increasing the lipid phase.

PANGUAR AF-303 – Hydroxypropyl Guar, a thickening polymer that increases formulation viscosity without further increasing the lipid phase.

The choice of ingredient and its use level must always be verified in the specific formulation, based on technical documentation and application testing.

Have a different formulation challenge?

Describe the formulation type, target consistency and any stability or application issue. MEDICOS will suggest ingredients worth evaluating and provide available documentation and samples for your own testing.

How can you build a mild cleansing system while maintaining foam, viscosity and comfort after rinsing?

Changing the cleansing base can affect not only cleansing performance, but also foam, viscosity, clarity and the feel after rinsing. Surfactants and supporting ingredients should therefore be selected as components of the complete system, taking account of their mutual compatibility and function in the formulation.

What does your formulation need?

Ingredient to consider

The formulation needs a mild, non-ionic surfactant derived from renewable plant-based raw materials while retaining good foaming properties.

NEOPAL APG 200 / NEOPAL APG 302 – non-ionic alkyl polyglucosides: Lauryl Glucoside and Coco Glucoside. They combine a mild cleansing profile with foaming properties and can be incorporated into mild cleansing systems.

The mild cleansing system needs a surfactant suitable for sensitive-skin or baby care products.

LAUCOSOL TGT-30 H – Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, a mild amino acid-based surfactant derived from renewable raw materials. Suitable for gentle cleansing products, including formulations where a high level of comfort in use is required.

The cleansing system needs better foam quality and higher viscosity while maintaining a mild profile.

LAUCOSOL TB-SHD – Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, a very mild amphoteric surfactant that supports foam generation and stability while helping to build formulation viscosity.

The mild surfactant system is difficult to thicken and also needs an improved feel after rinsing.

NEOMIN LIS80 – a complex that combines emolliency with viscosity modification, particularly useful in cleansing formulations that are difficult to thicken. It also helps deliver a more comfortable feel after rinsing.

The product cleanses effectively but leaves the skin feeling too dry or uncomfortable after rinsing.

LAUCOSOL PGO – Decyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate – an ingredient for cleansing formulations that combines emollient and cleansing functions. It may help the skin retain moisture and reduce the feeling of dryness after washing.

The choice of ingredient and its use level must always be verified in the specific formulation, based on technical documentation and application testing.

Have a different formulation challenge?

Describe the product type, planned surfactant system, target viscosity and desired foam characteristics. MEDICOS will suggest ingredients worth evaluating and provide available documentation and samples for your own testing.

How can you combine conditioning, smoothing and a lightweight feel across different hair care formats?

In hair care formulations, the level of conditioning needs to suit the product type, base system and desired effect on the hair. A lightweight 2-in-1 shampoo or a clear, silicone-free formula requires a different approach from a conditioner, mask or product for damaged hair. The ingredient's effect on viscosity, film formation, sensory properties and the behaviour of the complete formulation also matters.

What does your formulation need?

Ingredient to consider

A daily-use shampoo needs to provide lightweight conditioning without weighing the hair down excessively.

PANGUAR AF-3 – a self-hydrating guar gum derivative designed for applications including daily-use products and 2-in-1 shampoos. It supports cationic conditioning and enhances hair shine.

A clear formulation needs more pronounced conditioning while viscosity must be controlled or silicone content reduced.

PANGUAR AF-7 / PANGUAR AF-S5 – two highly cationic guar derivative grades. AF-7 combines conditioning and thickening functions and can be used in translucent formulations. AF-S5 provides a high level of conditioning and is also designed for clear and silicone-free formulations.

A conditioner or mask needs a ready-made conditioning base to help build the right product structure.

NEOQUAT BC / NEOQUAT 6405 – ready-made bases for conditioner formulations. NEOQUAT BC combines structuring and cationic components, providing an antistatic effect and shine. NEOQUAT 6405 is a mild, self-emulsifying conditioning base.

A product for damaged or porous hair needs hydrolysed keratin selected to suit the formulation type and intended function.

TuriKer® – a range of Hydrolyzed Keratin ingredients with different molecular weight profiles, from <1,000 Da to a full molecular weight spectrum. Selecting the appropriate grade allows the molecular weight profile to be matched to the product type and intended formulation function.

The conditioning formulation needs an additive to improve wet and dry combability.

NEOQUAT CTA 25 / NEOQUAT CTA 30 – Cetrimonium Chloride – cationic conditioning additives that improve wet and dry combability. The grades differ in active matter concentration.

The choice of ingredient and its use level must always be verified in the specific formulation, based on technical documentation and application testing.

Have a different formulation challenge?

Describe the product type, cleansing system used and desired level of conditioning. MEDICOS will suggest ingredients worth evaluating and provide available documentation and samples for your own testing.

How can you maintain the target formulation parameters when its composition changes?

Changing an ingredient can simultaneously affect a product's viscosity, stability, clarity, foam and sensory properties. When reformulating, comparing the stated function or INCI name is therefore not enough: the ingredient's behaviour within the complete system and the processing conditions must be reassessed.

What does your formulation need?

Ingredient to consider

Reformulating an O/W emulsion requires a change of emulsifier while maintaining compatibility with different oil phases and a broad pH range.

CESTOPAL 25 M INS – Ceteareth-25, a non-ionic O/W emulsifier with a good stability profile, compatible with various cosmetic oils and designed for formulations in the pH range 3–12.

The emulsifying system needs to perform across a broad pH range or at high salt levels.

NEOWAX MX – a multi-component emulsifying system designed for acidic and alkaline emulsions, suitable for a broad pH range and high salt levels, particularly in depilatory systems.

The reformulation needs to reduce PEG/ethoxylated ingredients among the structuring components while retaining flexibility to adjust consistency.

CESTOPAL 1618 30/70 SC / 50/50 / 70/30 – Cetearyl Alcohol – PEG-free structuring agents derived from renewable sources, designed to adjust the viscosity of O/W emulsions.

After a change to the surfactant system, the formulation needs viscosity to be rebuilt, with NaCl among the ingredients used to adjust rheology.

GIFRAN 2 M / GIFRAN 3 M – Laureth-2 / Laureth-3 – thickeners for aqueous surfactant systems, effective in building viscosity in combination with sodium chloride.

After a change to the fragrance, oil or another hydrophobic ingredient, the formulation needs improved solubilisation in an aqueous or hydroalcoholic system.

NEOSOLV EMA – Trideceth-9, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil – a highly efficient solubiliser for fragrances, essential oils and other hydrophobic substances, effective even at low use levels in aqueous and hydroalcoholic systems.

The choice of ingredient and its use level must always be verified in the specific formulation, based on technical documentation and application testing.

Planning to change an ingredient or adjust the parameters of an existing formulation?

Describe the type of system, the ingredient being changed and the issue you have observed. MEDICOS will suggest ingredients worth evaluating and provide available documentation and samples for your own testing.

From formulation needs to a sample in your lab

We start with the function, desired result or constraint that matters to your project. This helps us identify the ingredient properties that are truly relevant.

We assess the ingredient's function, application properties and project requirements to narrow the search.We start with what the formulation needs, rather than with a catalogue.

We identify ingredients to consider first, together with the key technical and application information.Instead of numerous options chosen at random, you receive a few carefully considered options for further evaluation.

We provide documentation and samples of selected ingredients for testing in your own formulation. The results help confirm the selection or guide the next iteration.

We do not start with a product list. We start with what your formulation needs.

Why MEDICOS?

Selection by function

We organise our portfolio by application, function and formulation needs, not simply by trade name.

Application expertise beyond the product data sheet

We bring together ingredient specifications and the technical and application data available from manufacturers, helping you relate them to your specific application.

From selection to testing

We help you move from initial ingredient selection to practical evaluation by providing documentation and samples for testing in your own formula.

A partner at every stage

From your first enquiry through selection and testing to information on availability and delivery, you have a single point of contact.

Evaluate an ingredient in your own laboratory

Request a sample of your chosen ingredient, or describe your formulation's function, application and requirements. We will help you narrow the selection, provide the technical and regulatory materials available for the product, and answer your questions about availability and delivery.