| Study Period | 2019 - 2030 |
| Base Year For Estimation | 2024 |
| Forecast Data Period | 2025 - 2030 |
| CAGR | 5.00 % |
| Fastest Growing Market | Asia-Pacific |
| Largest Market | Asia-Pacific |
| Market Concentration | Medium |
Major Players
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order |
Specialty Surfactants Market Analysis
The Specialty Surfactants Market is expected to register a CAGR of greater than 5% during the forecast period.
COVID-19 had a rather mixed impact on the market for specialty surfactants. The market experienced a boom as a result of the rise in demand for household cleaning and personal care products. On the other hand, the market also saw a decrease in demand for industrial and institutional cleaners, agricultural products, lubricants, and fuel additives as a result of lockdowns and travel restrictions. However, with the ease in regulations, the market has started to gather pace since 2021, and the market is likely to follow a similar trajectory during the forecast period as well.
- The major factors driving the market are the growing personal care industry in Asia-Pacific and the growth of the oleochemicals market.
- However, increasing focus on environmental regulations is hindering the growth of the market studied.
- In the near future, the growing need for specialty surfactants in the food processing industry is likely to give the market under study a number of chances to grow.
- Asia-Pacific had the biggest share of the market, and it's likely that it will continue to do so for the next few years.
Specialty Surfactants Market Trends
Household Soap and Detergent Application to Dominate the Market
- Applications in laundry detergents and soaps for use in the home accounted for the majority of the specialty surfactant market.The specialty surfactants incorporated in detergents and soaps mix with water and attach themselves to the dirt on clothes and other cleaning surfaces. This helps reduce the surface tension and remove the dirt from the concerned surface.
- The surfactant level in automatic dishwasher detergents is lower than in hand dishwashing detergents to minimize foaming in the dishwasher. The major surfactants used are LAS and alcohol ethoxy sulfates (AES).
- The International Association for Soaps, Detergents, and Maintenance Products says that the total market value of household care products in Europe will be more than USD 40 billion in 2021. More than 80% of the market will be made up of household care products.
Demand for detergent has increased in the United States in recent years. The rising prevalence of infectious diseases, coupled with growing concerns related to health and hygiene, will further increase the sales of detergent. Leading detergent brands in the United States include Tide, Gain, Arm & Hammer, All, Purex, Xtra, Persil, Dreft, and Seventh Generation. Tide dominated the U.S. detergent industry in 2022 and generated sales of nearly $2.40 billion.
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Asia-Pacific to Dominate the Market
- Asia-Pacific dominated the specialty surfactants market in 2022 and is expected to continue its dominance over the forecast period. Growing personal care and industrial cleaning industries in India, China, and Japan will propel the market in the future.
- Continuous population growth is a factor fueling the demand for cosmetics in the country. China is one of the leading markets for cosmetics exports from developed economies, such as the United States. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, in 2021, the retail sales of cosmetics in China surpassed USD 58 billion and accounted for more than 17% of the global cosmetics market.
- Increasing urbanization followed by rising expenditure has increased the demand for better-quality products over the past few years. Innovative product offerings by leading household cleaning companies are expected to increase market concentration over the coming years. For instance, in July 2022, Godrej Consumer Products unveiled Godrej Magic Bodywash, India's first ready-to-mix body wash, at just USD 0.57. Furthermore, in September 2021, the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group entered the personal-care segment by launching skin and hair care products.
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Specialty Surfactants Industry Overview
The global specialty surfactants market is moderately fragmented, as the majority of the market share is divided among many players. Some of the key players in the market include BASF SE, Dow, 3M, Stepan Company, and Koa Corporation.
Specialty Surfactants Market Leaders
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BASF SE
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Dow
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3M
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Stepan Company
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KAO CORPORATION
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
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Specialty Surfactants Market News
- December 2022: Nouryon expanded its specialized surfactant alkoxylation presence in Southeast Asia through an asset purchase on Jurong Island in Singapore. The purchased plant will help Nouryon meet expanding regional customer demand in important end-markets such as agriculture and food, home and personal care, natural resources, and paints and coatings.
- October 2022: BASF and Hannong Chemicals announced plans to establish a production joint venture for the commercial production of non-ionic specialty surfactants in the Asia-Pacific region.
Specialty Surfactants Industry Segmentation
Specialty surfactants are the kind of chemical compounds that decrease the interfacial or surface tension between two liquids, a liquid and a gas, or a liquid and a solid, thus serving a lot of purposes in different products like personal care products, household soap and detergent, lubricants and fuel additives, and many more.
The specialty surfactants market is segmented by origin (synthetic surfactants and bio-based surfactants), type (anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, non-ionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, silicone surfactants, and other types), and application (household soap and detergent, personal care, lubricants and fuel additives, industry and institutional cleaning, food processing, oilfield chemicals, agricultural chemicals, textile processing, and other applications). The report also covers the size and forecasts for the specialty surfactants market in 15 countries across major regions. For each segment, the market sizing and forecasts have been done on the basis of value (USD million).
| Origin | Synthetic Surfactants | ||
| Bio-based Surfactants | |||
| Type | Anionic Surfactants | ||
| Cationic Surfactants | |||
| Non-ionic Surfactants | |||
| Amphoteric Surfactants | |||
| Silicone Surfactants | |||
| Other Types | |||
| Application | Household Soap and Detergent | ||
| Personal Care | |||
| Lubricants and Fuel Additives | |||
| Industry and Institutional Cleaning | |||
| Food Processing | |||
| Oilfield Chemicals | |||
| Agricultural Chemicals | |||
| Textile Processing | |||
| Other Applications | |||
| Geography | Asia-Pacific | China | |
| India | |||
| Japan | |||
| South Korea | |||
| ASEAN Countries | |||
| Rest of Asia-Pacific | |||
| North America | United States | ||
| Canada | |||
| Mexico | |||
| Europe | Germany | ||
| United Kingdom | |||
| Italy | |||
| France | |||
| Rest of Europe | |||
| South America | Brazil | ||
| Argentina | |||
| Rest of South America | |||
| Middle-East and Africa | Saudi Arabia | ||
| South Africa | |||
| Rest of Middle-East and Africa | |||
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Specialty Surfactants Market Research FAQs
What is the current Specialty Surfactants Market size?
The Specialty Surfactants Market is projected to register a CAGR of greater than 5% during the forecast period (2025-2030)
Who are the key players in Specialty Surfactants Market?
BASF SE, Dow, 3M, Stepan Company and KAO CORPORATION are the major companies operating in the Specialty Surfactants Market.
Which is the fastest growing region in Specialty Surfactants Market?
Asia-Pacific is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR over the forecast period (2025-2030).
Which region has the biggest share in Specialty Surfactants Market?
In 2025, the Asia-Pacific accounts for the largest market share in Specialty Surfactants Market.
What years does this Specialty Surfactants Market cover?
The report covers the Specialty Surfactants Market historical market size for years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The report also forecasts the Specialty Surfactants Market size for years: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
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Specialty Surfactants Industry Report
Statistics for the 2025 Specialty Surfactants market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. Specialty Surfactants analysis includes a market forecast outlook for 2025 to 2030 and historical overview. Get a sample of this industry analysis as a free report PDF download.
