Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Advise on choosing an alternative emulsifier.

  • Advise on choosing an alternative emulsifier.

    Posted by Anonymous on June 13, 2020 at 11:18 am
    Hi guys
    I’m just learning to formulate, my first project is an organic cream cleanser, the problem is that there is an ingredient in the formula list that is not available in any of the sample shops in the Uk namely glyceryl stearate citrate, could I swap this for cithrol 10GTIS . Iknow they are both anionic but I don’t know enough to know if it is compatible with the rest of the formula which is Aloe vera juice, propanediol, xanthan gum, cetearyl alcohol, cetearyl glucoside, caprylic/capric triglycerides, evening primrose oil, gluconolactone, sodium benzoate, bergamot, geranium, rosemary essential oils, pomegranate enzymes, and tocopherols. Any help in choosing an emulsifier would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in anticipation
    Anonymous replied 3 years, 9 months ago 3 Members · 7 Replies
  • 7 Replies
  • helenhelen

    Member
    June 13, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    I last bought GSC from Alexmo-cosmetics.de. The flat rate shipping to the UK is €14 but it’s fast as they use DHL. You’ll probably want to look around the site to make the shipping cost worth it though. I have placed larger orders from them in the past, but last night paid the full shipping cost even on a basket value of €3 because I didn’t feel like I needed anything else at the time. Tip: as the ingredient names are in German, it’s better to search via INCI name (e.g. “avena” instead of “oat oil”).

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    June 13, 2020 at 3:41 pm
    Thank you for your response. I have also seen GSC sold in Poland at £1.09 for 30g, but as you have demonstrated you can end up paying more in postage. I
    also, think it would be helpful for my formulating knowledge to learn what ingredients can be used instead of others. Thanks for the tip on searching via INCI names
  • pharma

    Member
    June 13, 2020 at 5:16 pm

    blackbird said:

    …an organic cream cleanser…
    …glyceryl stearate citrate, could I swap this for cithrol 10GTIS . Iknow they are both anionic…
    …Aloe vera juice, propanediol, xanthan gum, cetearyl alcohol, cetearyl glucoside, caprylic/capric triglycerides, evening primrose oil, gluconolactone, sodium benzoate, bergamot, geranium, rosemary essential oils, pomegranate enzymes, and tocopherols…

    - Your product ain’t organic. It’s based on ingredients from renewable resources and probably Natrue or Cosmos approved (as natural, not organic).
    - Cithrol 10GTIS is a non-ionic PEG derivative -> neither organic nor natural, glyceryl stearate citrate is a blend of non-ionic and anionic. It’s far less effective in a cleaning product than Cithrol 10GTIS (or is it something like a pore-minimising city-smog ‘cleaning’ leave-on detox cream?).
    - IMHO your product is insufficiently preserved. You would have to check pH to guarantee a low enough pH but even then, it’s susceptible to moulds.
    - Agree with @@helenhelen. Alexmo is a top DIY repacker.
  • Anonymous

    Guest
    June 13, 2020 at 8:48 pm

    Thank you, Pharma for your advice, I know now not to use Cithrol 10GTIS in an organic product. There is some misinformation on the net when I looked up Cithrol 10GTIS it said it was anionic, as I was trying to follow Perry’s advice in only swapping like for like. I am surprised at the rest of your comment because I did not create the formula. It is from an online formulating teaching school, they say it is organic. the ph is 5-5.5. I think the main cleansing ingredient in the formula is the pomegranate enzymes. I had read about the efficacy of Cithrol 10GTIS how well it cleanses and wipes away easily with water which was why I was interested in that particular emulsifier. I know the whole natural thing is a marketing fad. Which is why I want to learn about both safe chemical ingredients and natural ones. A good formula probably is a combination of the two.

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    June 14, 2020 at 1:59 pm
    Hi Pharma, again.
    I was thinking if maybe I had given you actual measurements and stated that the aloe and the essential oils were organic, you may have critiqued differently. So to be fair to that persons formula here is the link
    If however you still question its efficacy and coverage I would like to know. Thank you once again for your input.
  • markbroussard

    Member
    June 14, 2020 at 2:51 pm

    @blackbird:

    You really don’t need a co-emulsifier with Cetearyl Glucoside (and) Cetearyl Alcohol, but if you want to use a second emulsifier, just go with Glyceryl Stearate.

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    June 14, 2020 at 4:53 pm
    Thank you, Mark,
    I was wondering if I could just use Glyceryl Stearate instead of GSC it is more readily available in the Uk. I will also try it without to see the difference. .Great help

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