Suspending beads in soap based cleansing systems

Formulating

Suspending beads in soap based cleansing systems

Posted by khushbu_6 on March 15, 2016 at 6:36 am

I’M not able to solve the issue of beads settling at 45 deg in soap based cleansers despite adding carbopol like aqua sf1 (upto 5 %) .

Is there any option/ratio that can be tried except increase in viscosity of system.

I’m using stearic ,myristic and lauric acid , base is kOH .

Chemist77 replied 8 years, 4 months ago 7 Members · 10 Replies
10 Replies

ashish

Member
March 15, 2016 at 10:20 am

It is due to highly alkaline pH. Aqua SF 1 would work great at near to neutral pH & would impart suspending power but generally, soap based preparations are highly alkaline. You can try natural gum based thickener or acrylate copolymer or crosspolymer which would be stable at high pH. I think carbopol SC 200 may work.
belassi

Member
March 15, 2016 at 3:56 pm

What are these beads? I do hope they are not PLASTIC which has been BANNED due to the horrible toxic mess it is making of the oceans.
khushbu_6

Member
March 16, 2016 at 5:10 am

they are not from natural source ,not plastic
belassi

Member
March 16, 2016 at 5:45 am

Hmm, depends on the density of the material relative to the density of the suspending material.

I’m not sure what you mean by “at 45 deg” - an angle? A temperature?

If you mean temperature, this would be during a cool down phase?

I think @ashish has nailed the problem. It’s been a while since I used SF1 but I recall about adding acid back so as to work at pH <6, and you’re around pH10 or so.
MakingSkincare

Member
July 4, 2016 at 2:32 pm

For high yield try Aculyn Excel or Aculyn 38.
DavidW

Member
July 15, 2016 at 12:11 am

Years ago I used Carbopol 2020 for suspension.
ashish

Member
July 15, 2016 at 9:03 am

Ultrez 20 and 30 would be a good options for suspending. But in such a opaque & creamy structure, beads would not be visible if purpose is only aesthetic. If it is encapsulated with actives then its OK.
Microformulation

Member
July 15, 2016 at 7:09 pm

In my experience Ultrez 20 and 30 do not have enough yield resistance to support suspended particles. Compicating the issue os the fact that if it is a true saponified soap, thickening itself is a task. Suspending particles will be even more difficult. The high pH is problematic, hence the reason these particles are seen in surfactant systems, not soaps.
khushbu_6

Member
July 20, 2016 at 9:46 am

But nowadays there are many soap based facewashes in market with beads supended in it . ashish# Aqua SF1 is already in formulation ,I think its doesn’t give a good suspension in highly alkaline soap based system with pH 9.00 - 10.00.
Chemist77

Member
July 21, 2016 at 6:29 am

The suspension properties of SF 1 & 2 are best exhibited at a pH of around 5 to 6, so it’s of little no use at all.