Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Shampoo not enough foam!

  • Shampoo not enough foam!

    Posted by argelbiz123 on July 19, 2019 at 4:15 am

    I was trying to make a shampoo that would degrease my hair from the use of pomades. I need help on my formula because it does not create enough foam even if i use more than recommended value of foaming agent! thank you! here’s my formula. I would like to thicken also the product thank you.

    Aqua- 36%
    Cocoamido Betain- 40.5%
    Lanolin- 2%
    Cetrimonium Chloride- 5%
    Peg-40- 1%
    Glycerin- 1%
    Stearic Acid- 4%
    Virgin Coconut oil- 1%
    BTMS-50- 2.5%
    Fragrance oil-1%
    Phenoxyethanol-1%
    Sodium chloride-2%
    Shea butter-1%
    Cetyl stearyl-1%
    Dimethicone-1%

    I would also like to know what are the ingredients that i used that is anti foaming agent? I also believe some of the ingredients i used is not required for a shampoo, but i added it because i would like my shampoo to have a conditioning effect even if its little

    Gunther replied 5 years, 4 months ago 4 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • ngarayeva001

    Member
    July 19, 2019 at 11:02 am

    You added literally everything to stop it from foaming:

    Lanolin?!? what is it even doing there?
    Stearic Acid
    Virgin Coconut oil
    BTMS-50- it’s not used in shampoos
    Shea butter
    Cetyl stearyl
    Dimethicone-!!!!!!!!!!!

    Remove all of it and add real surfactants. Was it an attempt of creating of a cationic shampoo? Make a conventional mild shampoo and add polyquaterniums and amodimethicone for conditioning.

  • argelbiz123

    Member
    July 19, 2019 at 11:58 am

    You added literally everything to stop it from foaming:

    Lanolin?!? what is it even doing there?
    Stearic Acid
    Virgin Coconut oil
    BTMS-50- it’s not used in shampoos
    Shea butter
    Cetyl stearyl
    Dimethicone-!!!!!!!!!!!

    Remove all of it and add real surfactants. Was it an attempt of creating of a cationic shampoo? Make a conventional mild shampoo and add polyquaterniums and amodimethicone for conditioning.

    Thank you, how can i make it thicker without cetyl stearyl or stearic acid?, i also saw alot of shampoo with dimethicone in their 3rd ingredients.. is my percentage right? also?

  • crillz

    Member
    July 19, 2019 at 1:00 pm

    For a shampoo I make we use xanthan gum mixed with glycerin. The surfactants are Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate and sodium cocoyl. This is for a basic shampoo though. It looks to me like you’re attempting to make a shampoo/conditioner with your cationic ingredients.
    And salt (NaCl) can help thicken it to your liking.

  • ngarayeva001

    Member
    July 19, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    The most basic and common approach used by the majority of brands is SLES + CAPB thickened with salt. You can add other ingredients to make it milder and more conditioning. For example PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate - it has refattening properties, and Polyquaterniums 7 or 10 (or both) for conditioning. You can add Cetrimonium chloride, but really tiny amount. It’s a cationic detangler. You want your shampoo to have active surfactant matter of 15%. You will not need any additional thickeners (but salt) for SLES+ CAPB. 
    Another approach is using sulfate free mild surfactants, but they are much harder to work with and a real pain to thicken. Start with the basics and when you are comfortable with your knowledge you can go to sulfate-free if you want. But properly formulated sulfate based shampoo is going to be mild enough.

    Regarding silicones, they reduce foam significantly. You can use water soluble silicones, such as amodimethicone emulsion (usually it is sold as a blend: amodimethicone, trideceth -12 and cetrimonium chloride). If you really want to add shea butter, you can go for watersoluble PEG-50 Shea Butter. But no real butters and oils.

    I can see “PEG-40” in your formula. I assume it’s PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil. You can add it if you want to introduce fragrance (mix your essential or fragrance oil with PEG-40 HCO and then add to your shampoo). There is no other reason to add it.

    The approach I describe will give you crystal clear and thick product. It you want it to be opaque, add pearliser.

  • ngarayeva001

    Member
    July 19, 2019 at 1:18 pm

    Here is a starting point:

    INCI %
    Aqua 42.8%
    Tetrasodium
    EDTA
    0.2%
    Cocamidopropyl
    Betaine
    10.0%
    SLES 45.0%
    PEG-7 Glyceryl
    cocoate
    1.0%
    Germaben II 1.0%
    NaCl qs
    Citric Acid qs

    Active surfactant matter for my SLES is 27% and for CAPB is 35%. Confirm with your supplier.

  • Gunther

    Member
    July 19, 2019 at 2:23 pm

    I was trying to make a shampoo that would degrease my hair from the use of pomades. I need help on my formula because it does not create enough foam even if i use more than recommended value of foaming agent! thank you! here’s my formula. I would like to thicken also the product thank you.

    Aqua- 36%
    Cocoamido Betain- 40.5%
    Lanolin- 2%
    Cetrimonium Chloride- 5%
    Peg-40- 1%
    Glycerin- 1%
    Stearic Acid- 4%
    Virgin Coconut oil- 1%
    BTMS-50- 2.5%
    Fragrance oil-1%
    Phenoxyethanol-1%
    Sodium chloride-2%
    Shea butter-1%
    Cetyl stearyl-1%
    Dimethicone-1%

    I would also like to know what are the ingredients that i used that is anti foaming agent? I also believe some of the ingredients i used is not required for a shampoo, but i added it because i would like my shampoo to have a conditioning effect even if its little

    That’s a hair conditioner formula, not a shampoo.
    Conditioners don’t foam nearly as much as shampoos do.

    I’m still trying to make a properly foaming cleansing conditioner.

    You can get rid of things that serve no purpose, increase cost and complexity and inhibit foam:
    - Lanolin
    - Glycerin
    - Stearic acid
    - Virgin coconut oil
    - Shea butter
    They don’t work in rinse off products so you’d better leave them for a leave-on conditioner.
    So drop them, or at least reduce them to claim-ingredient levels, 0.1% or even less.

    - PEG-40? Is that PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil?
    You don’t need that. BTMS already works as an emulsifier

    I am surprised that you were able to keep 40% betaine in emulsion.

    As an additional cleanser/foamer you can try 2-5% of an ethoxylated alcohol. It doesn’t disrupt the emulsion as much as betaines do.

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