Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Best sulfate-free surfactants for solubilizing oils?

  • Best sulfate-free surfactants for solubilizing oils?

    Posted by GeorgeBenson on May 18, 2022 at 10:51 pm

    In my awful restricted world of sulfate free surfactants I rarely get lucky and am able to solubilize the fragrance oils I am using. I feel like SLS and things like it are much better at this, but maybe that is a false assumption of mine?

    any way, just wondering if there are any particular sulfate-free surfactants or surfactant blends you’ve come across that you’ve had good luck using to solubilize fragrance, essential, or other oils? Iselux SFS was the best blend I’ve used as far as solubilizing goes but in every other area it wasn’t that impressive…

    thanks!

    amyelevens replied 1 year, 10 months ago 7 Members · 9 Replies
  • 9 Replies
  • RDchemist15

    Member
    May 19, 2022 at 12:11 pm

    Sulfate surfactants are probably better but you really need a solubilizer like Polysorbate 20 or Peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil. Any reason you can’t use them?
    Or just send it back to your fragrance house and tell them you need a water-soluble version of it and they can work their magic.

  • markbroussard

    Member
    May 19, 2022 at 12:30 pm

    Poly Suga Mulse D9

  • paprik

    Member
    May 19, 2022 at 6:02 pm

    Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside which if I remember correctly is also natural. 

    I think also Taurates and possibly Isethionates should be strong enough to solubilize small amount of lipid. 

  • GeorgeBenson

    Member
    May 19, 2022 at 8:53 pm

    @RDchemist15 Often times the solubilizers will kill my viscosity, which in sulfate-free formulas is precious, especially when you have been restricted against using PEG thickeners like I have. So that is why I try to let the surfactants do the work of solubilizing whenever I can. I am not at the level where I have a fragrance house willing to make water-soluble fragrances for me. How nice that would be!

    @MarkBroussard @Paprik thank you for the suggestions, I have some of those on hand and will give them a shot with these new fragrance oils I’m working with. 

  • majibo

    Member
    May 23, 2022 at 7:34 am

    Hello, may be you can try symbio®solv clear plus MB by Evonik. 

  • abdullah

    Member
    May 23, 2022 at 7:51 am

    What is the product?
    What surfactants have you tried and what percentage?
    Which oil you want to solubilize and what percentage? 

    SLES is better solubilizer than SLS

    Amphoterics and non-ionic surfactants are better than SLES at Solubilization.

    A good cleansing product that has enough surfactants can solubilize fragrance oils easily or maybe you are using too much oil or too little surfactant.

    If it can’t solubilize that small amount of fragrance, how can it solubilize and remove load of sebum and oils from your hair? 

  • GeorgeBenson

    Member
    May 23, 2022 at 8:46 am

    @Abdullah interesting points, for some reason i always assumed SLS and SLES could solubilize just about anything, good to know ampthoterics and non ionics are just as good if not better. Maybe i just choose strange and difficult to solubilize fragrances. I will keep experimenting…

    This is for shampoos, body washes and cleansers. Usually just fragrance oils or essential oils at 0.2-0.6%. 
  • abdullah

    Member
    May 23, 2022 at 9:33 am

    @Abdullah interesting points, for some reason i always assumed SLS and SLES could solubilize just about anything, good to know ampthoterics and non ionics are just as good if not better. Maybe i just choose strange and difficult to solubilize fragrances. I will keep experimenting…

    This is for shampoos, body washes and cleansers. Usually just fragrance oils or essential oils at 0.2-0.6%. 

    SLES and SLS can remove all types of the soils from skin and hair but amphoteric and non-ionic can’t. That is why a cleanser with only anionic surfactant can clean your hair and skin properly like the ordinary shampoo that has only 4% SLES but if you use any amphoteric or non-ionic, it will not clean properly.

    For oil Solubilization, amphoteric and non-ionic surfactants solubilize more oil than anionics and they can be more drying for skin. 

  • amyelevens

    Member
    May 30, 2022 at 6:15 pm

    I have had luck with Decyl Glucoside.

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