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Antioxidant gel takes too long to dry
I am working on the formulation of a water based antioxidant gel with some plant extracts as “actives.” I use carbomer and xanthan gum as gelling ingredients. The gum really helps to provide lubricity during application when compared with just carbomer alone. The problem with the product is that when applied to the skin, water takes too long to evaporate. Once it dries (after rubbing for a while), it gets sticky at first and then after a minute or so it vanishes, which is something I don’t want. I would like to have some residual nice feel at the end.
1) Is there anything I can do to reduce the rubbing duration?
2) This may be a dumb question, but are there any water based emollients that can be added without altering the transparency of the gel and would help with the skin feel at the end?
Thank you. -
20 Replies
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I have developed three gel products so far; an anti-wrinkle gel, an exfoliant gel, and an anti-acne gel. None of them have any thickener other than the carbomer, all have proved popular with customers. You’ll need to provide more information as to the formula, you haven’t given us enough to work with. For instance you haven’t specified what carbomer you used; this makes a big difference to the sensorials.
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I have used a product called Betafin BP 20 from Lonza (INCI Betaine) in some of my gel products - it leaves a lovely soft and smooth skin feel.
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Carbomer “490”? Are you sure you don’t mean 940? If you meant 940, I suggest changing to Ultrez-20 which seems better in gels. Keep the 940 for creams.
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@Ruben nowhere have you mentioned if the gel is transparent or opaque or translucent??????? It will help in narrowing down the choices.
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@Belassi It is 940. Sorry for the mistake.
@Milliachemist The gel is definitely transparent. It does have an amber color due to the extracts, though. If I can get the right skin feel and reduce “wateriness,” I could live with a translucent type of gel.
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@Belassi How about your little pseudo cationic here, do you think it may work out in favor for a better feel????
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Propylene Glycol, while cheap, usually feels horrible on skin. Why are you using it?
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@bobzchemist I am using propylene glycol because it seems less sticky than glycerine. I didn’t realize the skin feel is not very good. I will try glycerin instead.
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Well let me take a look at my gels, which are rapidly increasing in sales …
Water 81%C6090C 10% (which means this gel is actually 100% aloe vera)D-Panthenol at 1% - skin loves this ingredient.Glucam E-20 at 1% - this is a humectant and alternative to glycerin.Hydrolysed wheat protein at 1%.The rest is botanicals.The sensorials for my gels are fine, consumers like them, and also have commented that the gel leaves when dry, a good surface for makeup.I use Ultrez-20 at 0.8% - you might try the same. To begin, try making a gel with 0.8% Ultrez-20 (I don’t like 940 in gel, it has the wrong skin feel) and use 1% glycerin and 1% hydrolysed wheat protein and 1% D-Panthenol.You also need to look very very carefully at your preservative system because that will alter the sensorials - possibly a LOT. I use 0.7% Spectrastat in the gels and it gives an excellent skin feel. Parabens isn’t an option because there is no propylene glycol or polar substances to dissolve it. -
@milliachemist: I don’t think Polyquart H-81 is a contender here, it’s a resin condensate and film former, it would for sure leave a film on the skin.
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Have a look at the Lubrizol website. They have lots of formulations for skin care gels that might give you some good ideas.
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@Belassi well I suppose then he should use a very little quantity of cyclomethicone or C5 (costlier) as he doesn’t mind a little haziness. I think this should improve the feel.
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@milliachemist: Yes, that could work. Or perhaps a PEG silicone that’s water dispersible, that would give a clear gel. I don’t think it’s really necessary though, if the basic components are chosen carefully.
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Yes I was thinking about PEG-12 Dimethicone but on slip parameter I thought these evaporating ones might work.
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Thank you all for the ideas.
About silicones. I tried dimethicone copolyol but it became sticky and draggy. I haven’t tried cyclomethicone yet, but I will.
What do you guys think about adding Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters or caprylyl glycol?@ozgirl Thank your for the reminder of Lubrizol’s formulary. I just checked and found a bunch of gel formulations.
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caprylyl glycol is one of the components of Spectrastat and gives the benefit of good skin feel as well as being the preservative. What preservative are you using?
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Optiphen Plus
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Should be OK. So you already have caprylyl glycol in it.
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Yes, but it seems that what it is in the Optiphen plus is not enough to provide emolliency. I will order some caprylyl glycol and boost the concentration in my formula to 1 or 2% and see what happens.
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