Cyclomethicone also known as decamethylcyclopentasiloxane is a clear, odorless, alcohol free and colorless silicone liquid. It is soluble with numerous oil based products.
It has a cyclical structure rather than linear structure of dimethyl silicone. Cyclomethicones are commonly used as base solvents to blend fragrance oils, perfumes and other cosmetic formulations.
They evaporate quickly and they are miscible with a variety of cosmetics oils, waxes, hydrocarbons and silicone oils. This property of cyclomethicones makes them a key ingredient in cosmetics as base solvents.
Cyclomethicones are insoluble in water. Additionally, they are low surface tension fluids, which allow them to easily spread on the surface they are applied to.
The key driver for the market of cyclomethicone is the growing cosmetics market. The emergence and widespread usage of new age cosmetics such as hair conditioners, shampoos, leave- in conditioners, eye make-up products and body lotions have cyclomethicone as the base solvent.
When used in skin care products, cyclomethicone, leaves the skin feeling smooth and lubricated instead of sticky or oily. Another driver for this market is the growing pharmaceuticals market.
The increased awareness towards health and increase in the aging population is a driver for this market. Cyclomethicone is used in ointment and gels formulations.
Medicated toothpastes, ointments and pain alleviating gels have cyclomethicone as a key base solvent; it helps in the easy spreading of the cream. Excessive exposure to cyclomethicone results in irritation of the skin in humans.
In case of highly sensitive skin, there might be skin irritation due to its use. In such cases a milder emulsifier should be used.
Cyclomethicone does not contribute to ozone-depletion and is therefore being used as an alternative for non-VOC (volatile organic compound) compliant petroleum-based solvents, as both carrying agent and cleaning solvent. The growing demand for non-VOC solvents is expected to open new opportunities for the growth of the market in the near future.
Based on region wise segmentation, China is the largest producer of cyclomethicone. It is also the largest consumer of cyclomethicone, followed by United States, Western Europe and Japan.
These countries are the major manufacturers of cosmetics. China and the Indian sub continent produce a variety of generic drugs, which is another major area of application for cyclomethicone.
The segmentation of cyclomethicone based on end use is cosmetics industry, pharmaceuticals industry and other industries such as lubricants, paints and varnishes and printing inks. The molecules of cyclomethicone are too large to enter the skin but function as carriers and evaporate after spreading on the skin, thus acting as vehicle for the formulation without getting absorbed in the skin.
They however allow the active ingredients of the formulation to enter the skin, thus facilitate healing of the skin. Cyclomethicones help in easy application of make-up and are used in hair care products because they increase the hair’s manageability while imparting a clean and healthy appearance.
Additionally, they improve the appearance of scars and reduce discomfort. They are hypoallergenic and well tolerated by the skin.
Cyclomethicone improves scratch resistance, acts as a flow leveling agent and prevents floating of pigments and matting agents, due to these properties, they are making gradual in roads into paints and varnishes market, however, this market is nascent as of now.