Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating General Science Argan oil causing turbidity in a natural shampoo.

  • Argan oil causing turbidity in a natural shampoo.

    Posted by tecnico3vinia on November 18, 2019 at 3:49 pm

    I’m formulating a natural shampoo with argan oil. Below there’s the information about the formulation:

    Water……
    Glycerin…..1%
    Cocamidopropyl Betaine…..25%
    Plantarem® 2000 (Decyl Glucoside)……10%
    Spectrastat™……..1%
    Fragrance…….0.5%
    Argan oil…….0.1%
    Glucolam® MG…….1.5%

    I solubilize the argan oil, the preservative (Spectrastat) and the fragrance in the surfactants (Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Decyl Glucoside), homogeneizing the oily components in the surfactants, trying to emulsionate the oils in the surfactants, but yet there’s turbidity. I made a version without the argan oil (the only oily componentes were the fragrance and the preservative) and there was no turbidity. So I believe that, among the oily components, only the argan oil is causing turbidity.  

    Does anyone knows what can i do so the argan oil does not muddy the system?

    Thank you!

    ngarayeva001 replied 4 years, 4 months ago 5 Members · 7 Replies
  • 7 Replies
  • smok

    Member
    November 18, 2019 at 5:59 pm

    what do you imagine aragan oil doing in your shapoo?

  • ngarayeva001

    Member
    November 18, 2019 at 6:51 pm

    You don’t have a primary emulsifier. Decyl Glycoside is used at a low % (which you did) to improve foam, CAPM is amphoteric surfactant used to promote mildness, you need a primary non-ionic or anionic emulsifier. If you want it to be “natural” coco-glucoside will work. Argan oil doesn’t do anything but it should be ok to add at 0.1% for claims.

  • tecnico3vinia

    Member
    November 19, 2019 at 3:09 pm

    smok said:

    what do you imagine aragan oil doing in your shapoo?

    Actually, nothing. It’s just for marketing.

  • tecnico3vinia

    Member
    November 19, 2019 at 3:10 pm

    You don’t have a primary emulsifier. Decyl Glycoside is used at a low % (which you did) to improve foam, CAPM is amphoteric surfactant used to promote mildness, you need a primary non-ionic or anionic emulsifier. If you want it to be “natural” coco-glucoside will work. Argan oil doesn’t do anything but it should be ok to add at 0.1% for claims.

    Thank you, I’ll try it!

  • EVchem

    Member
    November 19, 2019 at 4:15 pm

    You can always go down to 0.01%… I always feel a little bad putting in ingredients like this but functionally the less there is the better for the shampoo right?

  • oldperry

    Member
    November 19, 2019 at 4:22 pm

    @EVchem - that might not even be low enough. I once worked on a Jojoba shampoo where even 0.01% jojoba oil caused clouding. This system probably needs some kind of solubilizer for the Aragan oil, Polysorbate 20 or Oleth 40 maybe.

  • ngarayeva001

    Member
    November 19, 2019 at 6:12 pm

    That might be just my experience but Polysorbate 20 in particular causes loss of viscosity. PEG_40 HCO might be a slightly better option.

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