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TPE for
Personal Care & Hygiene
Soft-touch SEBS-based TPE compounds for personal care mechanical parts - grips, handles, dispensing closures, and soft-squeeze components. Skin-contact and compliance-critical use needs qualification to the relevant standard.
15-90A / 40-52D
Shore hardness
range
40+
Farrprene
grades
100%
Recyclable &
reprocessable
Custom
Colour
matched
OUR MISSION
We engineer soft-touch, recyclable TPE compounds for personal care grips and handles, matched to your hardness and processing requirements.
01
Recommended grades
Suggested FARRPRENE compounds for this sector, matched by hardness and processing. Open a grade for its full datasheet.
| GRADE | HARDNESS | TYPE | TENSILE | TYPICAL USE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FARRPRENE IU250A | 25 Shore A | Injection / Unfilled | 4 MPa | Soft cushioning and tactile components |
| FARRPRENE IU450A | 45 Shore A | Injection / Unfilled | 4 MPa | Soft grips and flexible handle overmoulds |
Note: Mechanical fit only. Skin-contact and biocompatibility require separate qualification and testing - contact us to qualify a compound.
Typical average values, not a specification. Request the signed datasheet for current values, and ask us to qualify a compound to your exact requirement.
OVERVIEW
Personal-care products use thermoplastic elastomers for grips, flexible handle overmoulds and soft tactile components on items like brushes, applicators and grooming tools. TPE gives these products a soft, secure grip that stays comfortable when wet, and it can be overmoulded directly onto a rigid handle in a two-shot tool. Skin-contact duration and any dermatological or biocompatibility requirement determine whether a standard grade is appropriate or whether a separately qualified compound is needed.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- TPE grips maintain hold when wet, which is why they are common on bathroom and grooming products.
- Overmoulding onto a rigid handle removes an assembly step and a potential water-ingress path.
- Grip comfort for personal-care handles generally sits between 40 and 65 Shore A.
- Prolonged or intimate skin contact, and any biocompatibility requirement, needs a separately qualified and tested compound.
02
Hardness selection
Typical Shore A bands by part type. Selection guidance, not a specification - confirm against your own duty cycle. Rigid Shore D grades are a separate range.
| PART TYPE | TYPICAL BAND | WHY |
|---|---|---|
| Soft cushioning and tactile components | 15-30 Shore A | Maximum compliance for pads and cushioned contact surfaces. |
| Soft grips and flexible handle overmoulds | 40-55 Shore A | Comfortable under sustained grip and secure in wet conditions. |
| Tool and applicator grips | 55-65 Shore A | Supports precise control without feeling hard. |
| Firmer ergonomic grips | 65-75 Shore A | Durable against repeated handling and cleaning. |
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Questions
engineers ask.
Are FARRPRENE grades approved for skin contact?
- The standard catalogue is not tested or certified for skin contact or biocompatibility. Products with prolonged skin contact need a compound qualified for that use, with the relevant testing such as ISO 10993 where applicable. Contact us to develop and qualify one.
Why does TPE grip well when wet?
- The soft, high-friction surface of a TPE grip deforms slightly around the hand and maintains contact area even with water present, which is why it is widely specified for bathroom and grooming products. Grip performance still depends on surface texture and geometry, not just the compound.
Can TPE grips be moulded directly onto a plastic handle?
- Yes. Two-shot and insert moulding bond the TPE layer to the handle during production, which removes an assembly step and the water-ingress path a mechanically fitted grip can leave. Bond strength should be verified on the actual substrate and geometry.
Can FARRPRENE grades be colour-matched?
- Yes. Unfilled (translucent) grades give the cleanest colour reproduction and are the usual base for a colour match to a customer reference. Filled (natural) grades can also be pigmented, with a slightly more muted result.
PERSONAL CARE TPE
Need a soft-touch
compound solution?
We develop flexible, soft-touch TPE compounds for personal care grips, handles, and closure parts.