Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Hair Effect of water hardness on SLS surfactant when it is combined with SLES and CAPB

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  • Effect of water hardness on SLS surfactant when it is combined with SLES and CAPB

    Posted by Abdullah on November 15, 2022 at 1:40 am

    Sodium lauryl sulfate is sensitive to water hardness. But if in a Shampoo we combine it with surfactants that are stable in hard water and only 1/3 part of total surfactant is SLS, like this formula

    3% SLS active
    3% SLES active
    3% CAPB active
    Water 
    pH 5 

    Will water hardness effect the foam and cleaning power of SLS in this formula?

    DRBOB@VERDIENT.BIZ replied 1 year ago 5 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • ketchito

    Member
    November 15, 2022 at 10:47 am

    @Abdullah I wouldn’t say SLES is stable in hard water. It has less sensitivity to the effect of divalent ions than SLS, but can still be affected. CAPB is for sure insensitive to hard water, and it reduces SLS sensitivity by hindering the high anionic charge (it forms mixed micelles with anionics).

    • oldman20

      Member
      November 7, 2023 at 12:38 am

      strange some info said SLES no sensitive in hard water, some said yes. But i think the answer is yes

  • Abdullah

    Member
    November 15, 2022 at 11:27 am

    @ketchito thanks 
    I thought SLES and AOS are stable in hard water.

    What do you think about AOS stability in hard water? 

  • Abdullah

    Member
    November 15, 2022 at 11:32 am

    ketchito said:

    @Abdullah I wouldn’t say SLES is stable in hard water. It has less sensitivity to the effect of divalent ions than SLS, but can still be affected. CAPB is for sure insensitive to hard water, and it reduces SLS sensitivity by hindering the high anionic charge (it forms mixed micelles with anionics).

    Is it the positive charge in CAPB that reduces the sensitivity of SLS to CAPB or it is the mixed micelles that are formed between SLS & CAPB that reduces SLS sensitivity to hard water?

  • PhilGeis

    Member
    November 7, 2023 at 8:41 am

    Curious re definition of sensitive. SLS innovation and success last century was for the resolution of problems with true-soap based products and hard water.

  • DRBOB@VERDIENT.BIZ

    Member
    November 7, 2023 at 10:27 am

    No but it has nothing to do with mixed micelle formation.Foam density/quality has to do with film formation at the oil/water interface.

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