I have been experimenting with Innospec's sulphate-free blend, ISELUX SFS. It thickens with salt. My question is very simple. Which of its ingredients are the surfactants that thicken with salt?Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
(it also contains CAPB but that's not the one)
Comments
The Iselux SFS does contain CAPB. The viscosity can be thickened by 2 ways. You can add salt or you can add additional betaine.
See website for details www.desertinbloomcosmeticslab.com
Iselux solutions thicken easily with electrolytes such as sodium chloride when used in combination with co-surfactants such as cocoamidopropyl betaine and sodium lauroamphoacetate.
So it seems that only a combination of these surfactants results in the salt thickening behaviour.
Cocamidopropyl betaine 30% solutions also contain salt at around 5% so this will contribute to the salt thickening behaviour.
http://www.happi.com/issues/2015-09-01/view_features/safe-green-mild/
"I believe that if I replace the cocoampho with the taurate I will get even better foam and at the same time be able to salt thicken."
I've got a sulphate-free formula thickened with Glucamate VLT but use disodium cocodiamphoacetate. I've found it has a better synergy with G-VLT than the mono version.
I appreciate how other surfactants and additives could make your system different to mine, but my observation is that this one is a key relationship in the formula. There is a noticable difference in viscosity between monosodium and disodium.
I'm using Betadet THC-2 from Kao for my disodium, Dehyton MC from BASF for mono - just to be clear.