Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Micellar Shampoo

  • Micellar Shampoo

    Posted by Annyeap on April 23, 2019 at 4:12 am

    HI, I am trying to formulate a micellar shampoo. I don’t really know where to start. The ingredients I have seen on market products seem like normal shampoos. Also how can I find out what is the critical micellar concentration? How important is it in formulating a micellar shampoo? Can someone help me?

    Aziz replied 4 years, 11 months ago 7 Members · 17 Replies
  • 17 Replies
  • ngarayeva001

    Member
    April 23, 2019 at 11:21 am

    Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure Hyaluronic Moisture Kick Micellar Shampoo Ingredients:

    Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Chloride, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Steardimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Keratin, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Propylene Glycol.

    1) make the most generic shampoo with the most generic combination of SLES and an amphoteric surfactant.
    2) Thicken it with natural, organic, vegan, gluten free salt.
    3) Do not add any pearlisers and colourants (save money) so that it’s transparent.
    4) Call it micellar.

    I can’t even ::smiley:

  • oldperry

    Member
    April 23, 2019 at 12:05 pm

    @Annyeap - All shampoos are micellar. That is to say they have surfactants that produce micelles. If you want to make something you can call a micellar shampoo, just make a shampoo and call it that.   

    Micellar is a made-up marketing term.  It has no definitive meaning. If you want advice, you’ll need to be more specific about what you think the term micellar means. That means you’ll have to describe how you want the formula to be different than a regular shampoo.

  • markbroussard

    Member
    April 23, 2019 at 2:18 pm

    @Annyeap:

    Here’s one differentiator regarding Micellar cleansers and shampoos:  “Micellar” (the marketing term) cleansers contain only 1% or less total surfactant … they are designed to be leave-on products, so you add just a touch of surfactant, otherwise it will get itchy on the skin.

    So, to make a micellar water or shampoo all you need do is add 1% surfactant to water, add an appropriate preservative and whatever other ingredients you so choose.  You can also add 10-15% of a glycol to give it a “slick” feel.  Voila’ … you have converted water into “micellar” water.

  • ngarayeva001

    Member
    April 23, 2019 at 2:53 pm

    Micellar water with less than 2% of surfactant wouldn’t dissolve any makeup. So, I assume most of the micellar waters contain more than 1%

  • markbroussard

    Member
    April 23, 2019 at 3:09 pm

    You assume wrong

  • oldperry

    Member
    April 23, 2019 at 6:08 pm

    A shampoo with 1% surfactant?  I’m not sure how effective that would be. 

  • markbroussard

    Member
    April 23, 2019 at 11:16 pm

    Yes, they really aren’t shampoos or cleansers per se … it’s primarily a marketing concept … the idea is you swab the face or hair with a dilute solution of surfactant or solubilizer without rinsing off to cleanse in between real shampoos.  A cleanse booster, if you will … kind of the human equivalent of a cat bath.

  • oldperry

    Member
    April 23, 2019 at 11:19 pm

    @MarkBroussard - Then you lick your arm and rub it over your head to complete the cleansing task  :p

  • markbroussard

    Member
    April 24, 2019 at 2:07 am

    @Perry … LOL! … That’s probably more effective than the Micellar water!

  • ozgirl

    Member
    April 24, 2019 at 4:52 am
     @Perry LOL  :D 
    I just looked up the directions for use for the product mentioned above it looks like a standard shampoo to me.
    “Apply to wet hair, lather and rinse. Repeat if necessary and follow with
    a Schwarzkopf Professional Hyaluronic Moisture Kick treatment.”
    No cat bath required :)
    I think that you forgot step 5 @ngarayeva001 (5) Increase the price.
  • ngarayeva001

    Member
    April 24, 2019 at 6:21 am

    Micellar waters existed in 90’s. But were called eye makeup removers (there were two main products: cleansing milk for face and eye makeup remover). The same formula without colorants in a larger clear bottle was named ‘micellar water’ in 2000’s.
    I looked through LOIs of several ‘micellar ‘ shampoos and while some have strange composition of ingredients the majority are just SLES/CAPB shampoos without colorants and pearlisers. For the marketers micellar = clear/transparent. Consumers think, no color makes it more clean and gentle.

  • khoikhoa

    Member
    April 24, 2019 at 7:15 am

    i am using hydrotrope that can remove dirty strong and gentle more

  • Annyeap

    Member
    April 24, 2019 at 7:15 am

    @Perry you mentioned that all shampoos are micellar because they have surfactants that produce micelles. How can I know that the surfactant will produce micelles? How is the critical micellar concentration involved in formulating a shampoo? 

    I have no problem in just formulating a clear shampoo and calling it micellar, but i do have customers that will ask what is the difference between a normal clear shampoo and a micellar shampoo. 

    @@ozgirl  yes it does look like a normal shampoo

  • markbroussard

    Member
    April 24, 2019 at 10:20 am

    @Annyeap:

    Here’s how Redken promotes their new shampoo “powered by micellar technology”:  http://www.redken.com/blog/haircare/what-is-micellar-shampoo-and-what-are-the-benefits

    The simple fact of the matter is that all shampoos are micellar, there is nothing that distinguishes a micellar shampoo from a regular shampoo except for the marketing language.

    Now, if you can get your hands on some Shampoo Micellate … that’s a whole different ballgame.

  • oldperry

    Member
    April 24, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    @Annyeap - Ultimately, you would have to test it but you can also look up the CMC of the surfactant (or ask the supplier if they have that number).  Here is a published book of all kinds of surfactants and their CMCs.

    Critical Micelle Concentration of surfactants

    Or here is a shorter, more focused list.
    https://www.stevenabbott.co.uk/practical-surfactants/cmc-values.php

  • Annyeap

    Member
    April 29, 2019 at 1:12 am

    @Perry Thank you

  • Aziz

    Member
    April 30, 2019 at 8:07 pm

    Micellar water with less than 2% of surfactant wouldn’t dissolve any makeup. So, I assume most of the micellar waters contain more than 1% .

    Miceller water contain solubilizer , volatile oil  , water softner , humactant and perfume . Not only surfactant . Percent of solubilizer is higher than oil . 

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