Evonik Launches 100% Bio-Based Surfactants for Sustainable Personal Care
Evonik Launches 100% Bio-Based Surfactants for Sustainable Personal Care
Evonik is expanding the use of biotechnology in the personal care industry with 100% bio-based and biodegradable glycolipid biosurfactants designed for applications such as shampoos, facial cleansers and micellar waters.
The company's rhamnolipid-based surfactants are produced from renewable raw materials through fermentation rather than conventional petrochemical processes. Evonik says its biosurfactant portfolio combines effective cleansing and foaming with skin compatibility and biodegradability.
Evonik Brings Biotechnology Into Personal Care
Surfactants are essential ingredients in many personal care products because they help remove oils, dirt and other impurities from the skin and hair.
Traditional surfactants can be derived partly or entirely from fossil-based or conventional raw materials. Evonik is taking a different approach by producing glycolipid biosurfactants through fermentation using renewable feedstocks.
The company describes these materials as nature-identical, vegan, renewable and biodegradable.
This combination makes biosurfactants increasingly relevant to brands looking for alternatives that support sustainability targets while maintaining the performance expected from modern cleansing products.
100% Bio-Based Rhamnolipid Biosurfactants
Evonik's rhamnolipids are a key part of its biotechnology portfolio.
The company says its rhamnolipid biosurfactants are 100% bio-based and 100% biodegradable. They are produced through a biological fermentation process rather than being manufactured entirely through conventional chemical synthesis.
Evonik established the world's first commercial rhamnolipid production facility in Slovenská Ľupča, Slovakia, as part of a triple-digit-million-euro investment in its biotechnology platform.
The commercial-scale production capability allows the company to move biosurfactants beyond laboratory applications and into consumer product formulations.
RHEANCE® One and SOPHANCE® LA-A Target Beauty Formulations
Evonik's personal-care biosurfactant portfolio includes RHEANCE® One and SOPHANCE® LA-A.
The products are designed for applications where mild cleansing, foaming performance and biodegradability are important. Evonik highlights their potential for products such as facial cleansers, shampoos and micellar waters.
The company has also demonstrated these materials in finished products, including personal care products launched in China.
Why Biosurfactants Matter for Sustainable Beauty
Consumers and personal care brands are increasingly paying attention to the environmental profile of cosmetic ingredients.
This includes questions around:
Renewable raw materials
Fossil-resource dependence
Biodegradability
Aquatic toxicity
Palm and tropical oil sourcing
Carbon footprint
Skin compatibility
Manufacturing processes
Biosurfactants address several of these considerations simultaneously.
Evonik says its glycolipid biosurfactants are produced from alternative renewable feedstocks and through fermentation, while avoiding tropical oils.
Fermentation Replaces Conventional Chemical Routes
One of the most important features of Evonik's approach is the use of biotechnology.
Fermentation allows microorganisms to produce the desired glycolipid molecules from renewable feedstocks. This provides an alternative manufacturing route to conventional surfactant production.
Evonik has built capabilities across the biotechnology value chain, including strain development, process optimization and large-scale manufacturing. The company says these capabilities support the development of biotech-derived cosmetic ingredients.
For personal care manufacturers, this can provide a pathway toward incorporating biotechnology-derived ingredients into commercial formulations.
Mild on Skin While Delivering Cleansing Performance
Sustainability alone is not enough for a personal care ingredient.
Surfactants must also provide effective cleansing while maintaining acceptable skin compatibility.
Evonik says its glycolipid biosurfactants combine cleansing performance with mildness and can provide moisturization benefits while helping preserve the skin barrier.
The materials can also solubilize oils and help remove odors from the skin, making them suitable for different cleansing formulations.
High Performance Under Different Conditions
Evonik's biosurfactant portfolio is designed to remain effective under challenging formulation conditions.
The company reports that its glycolipid biosurfactants can perform under high-pH and high-temperature conditions and can achieve their critical micelle concentration with relatively low quantities of surfactant.
This performance can give formulators greater flexibility when developing cleansing products with different textures, sensory profiles and ingredient combinations.
Expanding the Sustainable Personal Care Portfolio
The biosurfactant development is part of a broader transformation within Evonik's Beauty & Personal Care business.
At PCHi 2026, the company presented biotechnology-driven solutions across skin care, hair care, skin cleansing and other applications. Evonik highlighted its glycolipid biosurfactants alongside skin-identical ceramides, advanced delivery systems and other sustainable ingredients.
At in-cosmetics Global 2026, Evonik also highlighted glycolipid technologies including RHEANCE® Soft GO, a sustainable cleansing agent based on glycolipid biosurfactants.
This indicates that biotechnology is becoming a broader component of Evonik's strategy for developing personal care ingredients.
Beyond Personal Care
Although the latest focus is strongly connected to beauty and personal care, Evonik's biosurfactant technology also has applications in household cleaning.
The company's REWOFERM® range is marketed for detergents and household cleaning products. Evonik says these biosurfactants are 100% biodegradable and have a 100% Renewable Carbon Index.
This creates opportunities to apply the same biotechnology platform across multiple consumer-product markets.
China Becomes an Important Market
Evonik is also expanding its presence in China's beauty and personal care market.
At PCHi 2026 in Hangzhou, the company highlighted locally developed and manufactured products and announced the planned opening of its Asia Beauty Science & Innovation Center in Shanghai. The facility is intended to accelerate development of cosmetic solutions and provide more customized support for customers in China and across Asia.
The company's biosurfactant portfolio is therefore being developed alongside a broader regional strategy for sustainable beauty ingredients.
The Shift Toward Bio-Based Surfactants
The personal care industry is increasingly exploring bio-based ingredients as brands look for alternatives to fossil-based raw materials.
However, "bio-based" and "biosurfactant" do not always mean exactly the same thing. Evonik distinguishes between partially bio-based surfactants, fully bio-based surfactants made through chemical processes and biosurfactants produced biologically by microorganisms.
This distinction is becoming increasingly important as cosmetic brands make sustainability claims and consumers seek greater transparency about ingredient origins.
What This Means for the Personal Care Industry
Evonik's commercial-scale rhamnolipid technology demonstrates how biotechnology can move from laboratory research into large-volume ingredient production.
For cosmetic formulators, bio-based biosurfactants offer another tool for developing cleansing products with renewable sourcing and biodegradability characteristics.
For ingredient manufacturers, the technology also illustrates the potential of fermentation to create specialty chemicals with specific performance properties.
As demand for sustainable beauty products grows, fermentation-based ingredients could become an increasingly important part of the personal care supply chain.
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