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Handwash going ‘gelly’ at nozzle?
Background
So, I’ve had some fun tinkering with a basic (read: very basic) hand-wash formulation. Feels good on the hands, foams well, not too harsh, is repeatable and incorporates essential oils well (I’ve tried at over double the quantity listed and it’s still a-okay). Only thing is, as I’ve noticed when dispensing from a cheap hand-pump bottle is that it dries and ‘gels’ around the nozzle. Thereafter, the nozzle has the potential to squirting it unpredictably (not happened yet but I can see it happening…).Formulation (w/w%):
- SLES (28% active): 40%
- CAPB (30% active): 10%
- CDEA: 2%
- Glycerine*: 2%
- ‘Preservative’**: 1%
- Citric acid: 0.3%
- Polyquaternium-7***: 0.2%
- Fragrance (typically sweet orange essential oil): 0.15%
- Dye (sunset yellow, orange tint): 0.05%
- NaCl (as 10% soln): qs, typically 1.8% as 10% soln.
- Water (distilled): qs to 100%
*I know, inhibits foam and kills viscosity, but the viscosity of the resulting mixture is actually quite nice and foams well enough for me/those who have tried it, will explain rationale later.
** I have methylparaben and preservative 12 to hand. I’m aware that neither are exactly ideal but have incorporated both without issue just to prove to myself that it can house something typically preservative.
***I don’t believe it’s 100% active. 0.3% is a bit too slippery but 0.1% isn’t particularly notable. 0.2% feels nice.Glycerine rationale: Glycerine is humectant. Humectant aids water retention. More water retained = less ‘dry’ product around edges of bottle/dispensing nozzle. Less dry product = less gellish stuffs occurring.
Question
Could adding more of something humectant reduce the likelihood of the ‘gel’ type stuff I’ve been noticing around the end of the nozzle? It looks suspiciously similar to ‘drier’ SLES, so am assuming that this is the culprit. Would adjusting the % actives towards more CAPB and CDEA in lieu of SLES reduce this effect?
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