Research on biodegradable bases for cosmetic masks

Relevance. The cosmetics industry significantly contributes to environmental pollution with microplastics. The global trend toward sustainable development and conscious consumption is driving demand for materials with natural, biodegradable ingredients. The aim of this study is to produce and evaluate the quality of biodegradable agar-based cosmetic mask bases.

Methods. The study subjects were samples of agar-based cosmetic mask bases, sodium agar and alginate, and collagen agar and hydrolyzed collagen bases. Flow charts for producing the agar-based bases are provided. The organoleptic (appearance, color, and odor), physical, and physicochemical properties (active acidity, thickness, transparency, solubility, and tensile strength) of the biodegradable bases were determined using generally accepted methods. The biodegradability of the base samples in compost was also assessed.

Results. The study results showed that the addition of sodium alginate and collagen hydrolysate increased the tensile strength of the agar base. A decrease in the solubility of the modified bases was also observed. The transparency of the bases with the addition of sodium alginate decreased by 4.5%, while that of collagen hydrolysate decreased by 45.5%. The addition of sodium alginate slowed the degradation process, while the addition of collagen hydrolysate significantly accelerated the decomposition of the material — by the end of the third week, the sample had almost completely turned to compost. A study of the quality parameters of the obtained samples demonstrated their compliance with regulatory documentation for the parameters studied, indicating the potential use of agar-based bases in the production of cosmetic facial masks.

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