To obtain a trehalose derivative excellent in surface-active ability and safety to skin and useful as a surfactant, etc., capable of using for cosmetics, medicines, foods, etc., by reacting trehalose with an acetal compound in the presence of an acid catalyst.
This new trehalose derivative is expressed by formula I (R1 is a 7-21C saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon; R2 is H, a 1-22C saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon) (e.g. 4,6-laurylidene-trehalose) and is excellent in surface-active ability and safety to skin and widely utilizable for cosmetics, medicines, foods, etc., e.g. as a skin cleansing agent, a hair cleansing agent, a skin-maintaining agent, a hair-maintaining agent, a make up agent, a bathing agent or soap. The compound is obtained by condensing trehalose with an aliphatic hydrocarbon chain expressed by formula II (R3 is methyl or ethyl) and a saturated or unsaturated 8-22C acetal compound (e.g. dodecanaldiethylacetal) in the presence of an acid catalyst.
SUMIDA YASUSHI
KUSUMARU MASAFUMI
NISHIO HIROYUKI