Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Tea Tree Oil in ALS formula

  • Tea Tree Oil in ALS formula

    Posted by billichemist on February 19, 2015 at 12:34 am

    Hi there! I’ve read a couple of threads here about TTO in ALS cleansers, but i have yet to find an answer to my question; 

    i am formulating a body wash which needs to contain ideally 1% TTO to make anti bacterial claims. unfortunately, once i put the TTO in, the viscosity drops out massively! What is the scientific reasoning behind this? Is there a way to get the TTO not to affect the viscosity? 
    it is an ALS, DEA and Decyl Glucoside based formula! 
    TTO is the bane of my life!!
    billichemist replied 9 years, 9 months ago 3 Members · 3 Replies
  • 3 Replies
  • belassi

    Member
    February 19, 2015 at 6:09 am

    Ah well. I use that combination more or less, except mine is Plantarem APB which also includes ALeS and doesn’t use DEA but instead high-purity DEAL. I do work with TTO and I have been experimenting with it in shampoo between 0.05% and 1%.

    First let me say that the following applies to the blend you’re using in that it’s an anionic shampoo.
    I guess you’re salt thickening since you don’t mention CAPB. With that blend, let me say that I think you’ll find that using CAPB as a thickener will give you a much superior shampoo, you won’t need more than 5% probably, and CAPB is very very cheap and easy to get.
    You don’t mention if you are trying for a clear or are going with pearl. Anyway, in my experience getting a clear with anything more than 0.07% of TTO is not really possible. Even at 0.1% you get translucent.
    1. Be careful with TTO concentration in shampoo type products incl body wash. I had reports of dermatitis type reaction (scaly patches) on my tests at 1% TTO. It is pretty strong stuff. Have you studied the data on the Min E Dose to kill a population in 24h? It is tiny, a lot less than 1%.
    2. TTO is expensive and body washes are an extremely price-competitive market. Plug 1% in to your retail price formula and see the result.
    Well if I haven’t put you off yet, I use it in our frequent use 2-in-1 shampoo but only at a level of 0.07% and even at that level it should have an effect on scalp health, in that it’s a potent antifungal as well as antibacterial. I would suggest using 0.1% and going for a pearled formula.
    Regarding the viscosity problem, yes, it is a really difficult one to work with, but you will find that at 0.1% it is quite manageable, just adjust the test batch with CAPB until you get the right viscosity. I suggest waiting 24h then readjusting as necessary as it seems to drift a little.
    The alternative is to go sulphate free but then your price is out the window straight away.
  • Bobzchemist

    Member
    February 19, 2015 at 3:21 pm

    I hope you’re not trying to make anti-bacterial claims in the US. An anti-bacterial claim in the US makes your product into an OTC drug. What’s worse, the new FDA regulations mean that all but the most deep-pocketed companies will be out of the anti-bacterial business in August.

  • billichemist

    Member
    February 23, 2015 at 3:55 am

    @belassi thanks for that! Yeah when i mean Decyl Glucoside, i actually meant CAPB! haha..

    @bobzchemist nah I am located in australia! 

Log in to reply.

Chemists Corner