Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Mimicking a surfactant blend of thick cleanser

  • Mimicking a surfactant blend of thick cleanser

    Posted by alchemist01 on February 11, 2020 at 6:49 pm

    Hi all,
    I’m trying to mimic a cleanser with the following surfactants (in order): Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarconsinate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Luaryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate.
    The rest of the ingredients are water (first ingredient), and at/below 1% plant extracts/claims, and phenoxyethanol. No salt or thickeners.

    I don’t have all these surfactants on hand, but my best attempts at beginning to replicate this product (with differing %s of Betaine, Cocoamphoacetate, Glucosides) leave a very watery product, and this is surprisingly thick — I would describe it like aloe vera gel that you put on a sunburn.

    My question really is: is one of the surfactants above a strong thickener? None appear to be in my searches. Is it possible they didn’t include salt added, and instead put it under “Fragrance” or one of the extracts?

    alchemist01 replied 4 years, 1 month ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
  • 2 Replies
  • ozgirl

    Member
    February 12, 2020 at 9:48 pm
    Cocamidopropyl Betaine contains salt and can be used as a source of salt for thickening.
    This product looks like it contains Plantapon SF (INCI: Sodium Cocoamphoacetate (and) Glycerin (and) Lauryl Glucoside (and) Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate (and) Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate ) which does not thicken with salt.

  • alchemist01

    Member
    February 13, 2020 at 12:13 pm

    Could be, but there’s no glycerin in the ingredient list. I can’t say I’m 100% sure that this ingredient list is truthful, it’s manufactured in China. 

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