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Are there any chemistry majors on this board?
I recently purchased a bottle of Aveno Body Wash. It said "New Formula" on the bottle. I thought to myself before buying it, how bad could it be? Well, it's bad. They ruined it. What used to be a very delightful product with a delightful scent, now has a scent that's totally putrid disgusting. And to make matters worse, the smell stays in your skin for at least 24 hours. Oh and guess what? If you try to wash it off your skin with a deferent soap, that won't work. You're stuck with it until it wears off.
Keep in mind that Aveno body wash original and the new improved version are both labeled on the bottle as "Fragrance Free." But we all know that even fragrance free products may still have a scent. The original formula had a very pleasant light oatmeal cookie scent. The new formula has a scent that is indescribable. I have nothing to compare it to. It is just plain awful and repugnant! I will list the ingredients below in case someone is curious.
All of the ingredients are hand typed from the back of each bottle; the original version and the new version. I double checked the arrangement of the words and the spelling of the words for complete accuracy. The way you see it is how it appears on the bottle.
Anything in italics are my own words.
Aveno Original Formula:
INGREDIENTS:
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenysuccinate, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Sodium Dodecenylsuccinate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Guar Hydroxopropltrimonium Chloride, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Glycol Distearate, Diproplene Glycol, Polyquaterium-10, Laureth-4, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkl Acylate Crosspolymer, PEG-20 Almond Glycerides, Sodium Hydroxide, Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander) Fruit Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Oil, Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Oil, Commiphora Myrrha Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract (no period)
Questions? 866-428-3366; Outside US, dial collect 215-273-8755 www.aveno.com
Aveno New Improved Formula:
INGREDIENTS:
Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betain, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Dipropylene Glycol, Ethylene Brassylate, 2,6-Dimethyl-7-Octen-2-ol, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Commiphora Myrrha Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid (no period)
Questions? 866-428-3366; Outside US, dial collect 215-273-8755 www.aveno.com
The first thing that sticks out to me is the reduced number of ingredients. Original: 24 ingredients, while new has 18 ingredients. This change suggests, to me, that the formulators (those individuals in charge of making the new product) were instructed to simplify the formula to reduce costs.
I'm seeing a higher concentration of Poly Ethylene Glycol (PEG) and a change in type (PEG-20 in original vs PEG-80 in new). The number after the PEG refers to the relative molecular weight. The PEG-80 might be a more potent thickener, but could have more contaminants and make it more difficult to wash off.
I'd need to look up the partition coefficients for PEG-20 vs PEG-80 in an octanol/water solution. I suspect that PEG-20 favors water, while PEG-80 favors the octanol. Octanol is more similar to human skin, while water is water. So if PEG-80 favors the octanol, then it would prefer to be dissolved in your skin than the water.
The other big change that I see is there is a reduced number of fragrances. In the original there are 3 scents: Fruit, Cadinum, and Myrrh. The new formulation has only two: flower oil and myrrh oil. The changes in fragrances could have something to do with the smell. Both use oat oil, but the second formulation has it in higher weight ratio than the original.
I also see Caprylyl Glycol. While the internet describes the chemical as a "hydrating agent" (fancy term: humectant), I believe it also falls under the category of a "monoglyceride" or a fat with one fatty-ester bond on the glycerol backbone. If its derivation is from glydcerol + caproic acid (a fatty acid derived from goats), then that might be another source of the smell.
My guess? They formulated based on the physical characteristics (e.g. viscosity, thermal profile) and rushed a cheaper product out the door.
I love this board, I learn so much from you all. Thank you so much for educating me on subjects that I had no idea about.