Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating General Change my view About The ordinary 4% sulfate shampoo

  • About The ordinary 4% sulfate shampoo

    Posted by Abdullah on March 6, 2022 at 11:39 am

    The ordinary has a new shampoo that according to reviews everyone likes it.

    The ingredients are: Aqua (Water), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (4%), Polysorbate 20, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Phytic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

    After seeing this, i made a sample shampoo with only 4% SLES to see how it works.

    Ingredients were:
    Water
    SLES 4%
    Xanthan gum 0.3%
    EDTA 0.1%
    Formalin 0.1% 
    Citric acid
    pH 5

    I did wash my hair with it after ~48hrs and at first wash there was almost no foam. I am a man with short hair.

    At second wash there was small amount of foam but not like normal shampoos that i make. 
    So in my experience shampoo with only 4% SLES as surfactant at pH 5 is not a good shampoo.

    Questions:
    1. Has anyone used this shampoo? How was it? 

    2. Is The ordinary making a bad shampoo like i made with only 4% SLES thickened with xanthan gum or it is a better shampoo?
    If better then what makes it better? Specially in foaming and cleansing.

    3. Why all reviews are positive and five star?
    Are they fake or something is making this shampoo very good? 

    https://deciem.com/en-us/theordinary/mas-rdn-4pct-sulphate-cleanser-for-body-and-hair.html?dwvar_mas-rdn-4pct-sulphate-cleanser-for-body-and-hair_size=240ml&quantity=1

    Abdullah replied 2 years, 9 months ago 3 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • RawMaterialGirl

    Member
    March 6, 2022 at 2:28 pm

    I think the reviews are fake. I make shampoos for a living and this had to be the worst shampoo I’ve ever put in my hair. 

    By the way, make sure you were using 4% active SLES (usually it comes in 30% active) vs just 4% of a 30% solution. You might get more foam.
  • Abdullah

    Member
    March 6, 2022 at 5:19 pm

    I think the reviews are fake. I make shampoos for a living and this had to be the worst shampoo I’ve ever put in my hair. 

    By the way, make sure you were using 4% active SLES (usually it comes in 30% active) vs just 4% of a 30% solution. You might get more foam.

    Yes i am talking about 4% active surfactant 

  • David

    Member
    March 6, 2022 at 11:01 pm

    Although it really looks like a bad shampoo, I have to give them credit for marketing it with SLES as unique selling point. I can’t remember to ever have  seen a shampoo marketed with the actual ingredient that cleans the hair and creates the foam.

  • Abdullah

    Member
    March 7, 2022 at 1:34 am

    David said:

    Although it really looks like a bad shampoo, I have to give them credit for marketing it with SLES as unique selling point. I can’t remember to ever have  seen a shampoo marketed with the actual ingredient that cleans the hair and creates the foam.

    Yes that part is very unique

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