Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Silica Gel as an Exfoliator

  • Silica Gel as an Exfoliator

    Posted by CosChemFan on March 19, 2015 at 4:48 am
    I purchased a 1lb bag of Silica Gel to try out some exfoliator formulations that are anhydrous and aqueous systems. So far I’ve used it to make some great oil salt, sugar and, polylactic scrubs, but have yet to to be successful with it in an aqueous formulation. I’ve used it suspended in ultrez-20 in many figurations from the most basic (Ultrez-20, water, TEA , silica gel, preservative) to the more elaborate and still can’t seem to get an exfoliator with it. The silica just coagulates and gets soft. After this last failure is just ended up loading the formula with polylactic acid beads, but I do finds those to be just a touch too abrasive. The idea I had in my head for the Silica Gel was that the scrub would feel really fine and gentle polish the skin. It doesn’t quite give that. 
    Quick sidenote: I hate working with the stuff because it practically killed me last year after I accidentally inhaled a cloud of it when I dropped the bag. But I have a pound of it and trying to find uses for it.
    Is there something I’m missing or can this really not be used as an exfoliant? Did I misread the documents about how grand it is in toothpaste and microdermabrasion systems?
    CosChemFan replied 9 years ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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