KINGSPORT, Tenn., April 14, 2026 — Eastman announced today the launch of Kalidex, an innovative, certified readily biodegradable* foam booster and thickener for sulfate-free personal care formulations. This new ingredient from Eastman, a global specialty materials company, enables formulators to reduce total surfactant levels while maintaining performance.
Kalidex improves formulation balance for personal care cleansing products such as shampoo, body wash and facial cleansers, allowing brands to simplify and optimize ingredient systems. Its multifunctional performance improves foaming and viscosity, enabling sulfate-free formulations to deliver the rich, luxurious sensorial experience consumers expect. Eastman testing shows that Kalidex also provides an average increase of 30%–45% in foam height, helping deliver a fuller lather during use.
“Kalidex was designed as a biodegradable solution to solve persistent formulation challenges in sulfate-free cleansing systems,” said Marty Boykin, director of Eastman’s care solutions technology. “By boosting lather quality and structure, it gives formulators a new lever to optimize performance and material efficiency while providing sustainability benefits.”
Kalidex is certified readily biodegradable, enabling environmentally responsible formulation design in compliance with OECD 301B group 1 guidelines.
Eastman will showcase Kalidex at in-cosmetics Global in Paris, April 14–16.
Kalidex is part of Eastman’s commitment to deliver personal care specialty ingredients designed to help formulators find an edge when it comes to performance and sustainability. Backed by more than a century of Eastman expertise, Kalidex helps personal care formulators optimize sulfate-free systems for richer sensorial experiences, improved material efficiency and enhanced sustainability — without compromise.
Explore Eastman’s website to learn more about Kalidex and the company’s expanding portfolio of personal care solutions.
About Eastman
Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company’s innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive company, Eastman employs approximately 14,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2024 revenue of approximately $9.4 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information, visit www.eastman.com.
*Biodegradable per regulation (EU) 2023/2055 “Synthetic Polymer Microparticles” Group 1 compliance
Media Contact:
Sunjay Lee
Ruder Finn (for Eastman)
Sunjay.lee@ruderfinn.com
