Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Adding Xanthan Gum and HA together

  • Adding Xanthan Gum and HA together

    Posted by Cafe33 on April 1, 2022 at 1:42 am

    I am formulating an AHA (10%) and Salicyclic Acid (1%) serum. I am using xanthan gum, sodium hyaluronate and hydroxyethylcellulose as gelling agents. I am also using sodium hydroxide. The hydroxyethylcellulose is added at pH 7-7.5 and is followed by the AHAs and NaOH.

    The last phase (at pH 3.5) consists of adding sodium hyaluronate and allowing it to dissolve followed by xanthan gum in glycerin. I would like to make it more efficient. Can I make a slurry with xanthan gum and sodium hyaluronate mixing together in glycerin? Or is there a better way?

    MarkBroussard replied 2 years, 1 month ago 3 Members · 5 Replies
  • 5 Replies
  • chemicalmatt

    Member
    April 1, 2022 at 2:46 pm

    That “slurry technique” has always annoyed me. Add the HEC to water first, mix well for 30 minutes or more then hydrate/gel with a bit of NaOH. Next add the xanthan gum and let it hydrate. You now have your gel base. Proceed from there, adding sodium HYA, then SalAc at pH 6.0 - 7.0 until all is dissolved. Assuming you have some polyols in there to maintain SalAc dissolution, carefully lower the pH with lactic acid 88% to pH3.5 -4.0. You say 10% AHA? Good luck with that.

  • Cafe33

    Member
    April 2, 2022 at 12:26 am

     You say 10% AHA? Good luck with that.

    Not a comfortable feeling when @chemicalmatt says Good luck with that. It seems to be a success so far but no stability testing has taken place yet. Can you please elaborate? Do you think there will be a pH shift that needs to be addressed? And if so, in which direction ? I am using Geogard Ultra + Sodium Citrate + Phenoxyethanol as my perservation system. 

  • MarkBroussard

    Member
    April 2, 2022 at 11:05 am

    @Cafe33

    It seems to me you are making the thickening of your serum a bit more complicated that perhaps it needs to be in using 3 different gelling agents.  Your most simple approach would be to try using just HMW Hyaluronic Acid solo to see if that works.  In not, then add a bit of Xanthan Gum to supplement.

  • Cafe33

    Member
    April 8, 2022 at 4:04 pm

    Hi @MarkBroussard, HMW Hyaluronic Acid was used at 0.20 and 0.25% and it was not sufficient. I also used Xanthan gum + HA and it was a little stickier than I wanted. Drunk Elephant uses HEC + Xanthan + HA and both versions I created with the same system thicken well and are much more pleasant and less sticky. 

  • MarkBroussard

    Member
    April 8, 2022 at 4:50 pm

    @Cafe33

    You’re not going to get any stickiness with HMW HA … in fact, it will feel kind of slippery, just add more in the range 0.5%

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