Aqueous compositions containing acyl glycinates compositions are useful in personal care applications, such as shampoos, body wash, hand soap, lotions, creams, conditioners, shaving products, facial washes, neutralizing shampoos, and other skin treatment applications, in home care applications, such as liquid detergents, laundry detergents, hard surface cleansers, dish wash liquids, toilet bowl cleaners, and in other applications, such as oil field and agrochemical applications. Acyl glycinates, in particular cocoyl glycinates, impart excellent foaming properties and ultra-mild cleaning properties in personal and home care products. Additionally, acyl glycinates impart a non-oily feeling on skin and are usually associated with luxury personal and home care products.
In some personal care compositions, such as, for example, children's shampoos, it important that the composition not be harsh on skin. In other applications, such as facial washes and compositions for sensitive skin, it is important that the composition does not irritate the skin. Acyl glycinates impart these desirable properties in these applications and compositions, and are associated with high end personal and home care compositions and application
Generally, however, acyl glycinates are negatively affected by low temperature; for example, sodium cocoyl glycinate has a Cloud Point of 17° C., and a freezing point of 13° C. Concentrated compositions containing high amounts of acyl glycinates are especially susceptible to low temperatures, generally, below 20° C. As a result of such exposure, these concentrated compositions can phase-separate, wherein some components precipitate out, making the compositions difficult to pump and handle in general.
Concentrated compositions containing high amounts of acyl glycinates are typically supplied to end-product formulators to incorporate into retail personal and home care compositions. Special handling precautions are utilized in transporting, processing and handling of acyl glycinate compositions to such formulators, due to their negative susceptibility to low temperatures. For example, often times end-product formulators have supplies of acyl glycinates shipped in temperature-controlled shipping containers to their plants. In some instances, end-product formulators further process and mix its supply of acyl glycinate, prior to incorporating the acyl glycinate into an end-use personal care product, if such supply was exposed to low temperatures, as the acyl glycinate concentrates are often times phase separated. Handling and, more specifically, pumping of acyl glycinate concentrates that are phase separated is difficult.