Driving Performance Through Molecular Insight
Whether you’re developing new formulations or troubleshooting performance issues, our surfactant analysis and formulation support help you optimise efficiency, stability, and compliance across multiple industries.
What We Can Analyse or Optimise
Surfactant type & structure (anionic, nonionic, cationic, amphoteric)
HLB (Hydrophilic–Lipophilic Balance)
Surface tension, CMC, foaming capacity
Compatibility with actives or polymers
Stability in high/low pH, temperature, or ionic systems
Quantification of blends and impurity profiling
Biodegradability & environmental compliance
Services We Provide
Surfactant profiling & quantification
formulation analysis
of surfactant-based products
Custom surfactant blend design
Formulation stability testing
Impurity detection & supplier verification
Cost-effective substitute identification
Technical Guidance for IP-Aware Formulation Research
Real-World Applications
Reduce irritation in personal care formulas
Improve foam or rinseability in cleaning products
Prevent separation or crystallisation in agrochemical emulsions
Replace restricted surfactants with greener options
Benchmark product performance against market leaders
Our Expertise
High-Performance, Low-Risk: Tailored Surfactant Solutions for Modern Industry
In the evolving landscape of cleaning, personal care, and industrial formulations, surfactants are under increasing scrutiny for environmental and safety compliance—especially in Australia’s regulatory climate. Labsure has helped companies across regional industrial zones reformulate or troubleshoot surfactant systems to reduce irritation, improve biodegradability, and enhance performance—all while meeting local compliance standards.
Mild Yet Mighty — Reformulating a Hand Soap for Skin-Friendliness
A private-label cosmetics manufacturer faced growing complaints about skin irritation from their flagship hand soap, sold through pharmacies and retail chains. Though the product was marketed as “mild,” the surfactant system (SLES + Cocamide DEA) was outdated and under regulatory pressure due to potential allergenicity and contamination concerns.
- Irritation Risk Assessment & Comparative Benchmarking Used HET-CAM & in-vitro dermal testing to quantify skin compatibility versus competitors.
- Reformulation with Mild, Sulfate-Free Surfactant System Replaced SLES/DEA with a mix of Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate + Decyl Glucoside + mild foaming boosters.
- Biodegradability & Clean Label Enhancements Selected naturally derived ingredients meeting COSMOS/ECOCERT standard.
- Stability & Packaging Compatibility Testing Validated shelf stability with essential oils and clear bottle formats.
Stable in Storage, Strong in Solution — A Surfactant Success Story
A specialty chemical blender faced increasing complaints about product instability in a multipurpose cleaner concentrate. After 4–6 weeks of storage, layers formed due to surfactant incompatibility, especially in cooler climates. This led to high return rates and customer dissatisfaction.
- Conducted surfactant system compatibility mapping under thermal cycling tests.
- Replaced one of the ethoxylated surfactants with a more temperature-tolerant block copolymer.
- Added a small amount of hydrotrope to support microemulsion stability.
- Delivered shelf-stability extension from 6 weeks to 12+ months.
Custom surfactant blend enables low-foam performance in CIP cleaning.
A food processing plant’s cleaning chemical supplier needed a formulation suitable for Clean-in-Place (CIP) systems. Their current blend caused excessive foam, interfering with pump systems and prolonging rinse cycles. However, defoamers had limited effect, and reducing surfactants degraded cleaning power.
- Reformulated with low-foam nonionic surfactants (e.g., EO/PO block copolymers).
- Balanced with synergistic builders to maintain soil removal without raising foam.
- Optimized surfactant ratios through foam pressure profiling at 60°C.
- Validated cleaning efficiency using SS304 soil load coupon tests.