Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Help with Natural Thickener?

  • Help with Natural Thickener?

    Posted by Clark on June 15, 2015 at 5:24 pm
    Hey Chemists,


    I have a problem with my formulation. I am making a Men’s Pomade with natural (food grade) ingredients. Ideally, I would like the product to scoop out like refrigerated butter, and handle like thin honey in my hands. My product currently scoops out fine, but turns into oil in my hands. 

    Dissolving is fine, I just want my product to feel closer to thin honey instead of oil. I have already messed around with % wax and it either makes my product too dry / hard to scoop out / or cake onto my hand.  

    How do achieve my desired effect?

    Any advice to make my formula thicker / better?

    Thanks all,

    -Clark

    david replied 8 years, 9 months ago 3 Members · 3 Replies
  • 3 Replies
  • Clark

    Member
    June 15, 2015 at 5:24 pm
    My current formula in case it helps:
    2oz. (59g total) batch: 
    Olive Oil       _28___%
    BeesWax         _17___%
    Shea Butter       _17___%
    Almond Oil     _13__%
    Soy Wax           _13__%

    Lanolin Oil      __5__%

    Jojoba Oil        _5__%
    Essential Oils    N/A  (30 drops)
  • AuroraBorealis

    Member
    June 15, 2015 at 7:19 pm

    My best suggestion based on the ingredients is using lanolin wax instead of lanolin oil. It will give you the texture you need. 

  • david

    Member
    June 16, 2015 at 11:59 pm

    I may be wrong but I don’t think the rheology of “thin honey” is possible to achieve with a combination of only waxes and oils since honey is sugar and water. Maybe a rheology expert here can explain more?

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