Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Can I sub Cyclomethicone for Dimethicone to reduce soaping in lotion?

  • Can I sub Cyclomethicone for Dimethicone to reduce soaping in lotion?

    Posted by Graillotion on April 26, 2020 at 2:25 am

    I am trying to wrap up a (mostly natural) lotion formula… mainly selecting the emulsifier.  So far the one in the lead is a product from Floratech, called Emulsun.  Super easy to work with (PEG free), and really holds things together well. (It also has the benefit of being one of only 3 emulsifers that will hold my mosquito lotion together…. a completely seperate project.)
    The only negative has been an increase in soaping.  I know that dimethicone has been the go to product to reduce soaping….so my question basically is:

    Since I only have cyclomethicone on the bench…is that a reasonable alternative?…. Or should I add a week to this project and order the dimethicone.

    I would prefer not to use a silicone…as a soaping reducer….so let me also ask…are there any more natural alternatives?  I have read many old posts…and have seen the following pop up…. cetyl alcohol and Isoamyl laurate.  Any thoughts on these?  (I did already have 2% inclusion of cetyl palmitate in the formula.)

    One more thought….in those old posts…I also came across a comment….about xanthan gum not being very compatible with sodium hyaluronate…..(creating a negative sensory experience).  I had never heard this before, and I include both in the formula.  Anyone else agree….or disagree with that comment?

    bibsy replied 3 years, 10 months ago 3 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • bibsy

    Member
    June 23, 2020 at 9:08 am

    Hi. I would also like to ask, if cyclomethicone can be used instead of Dimethicone to reduce soaping.. also what concentrations would be advised?

  • belassi

    Member
    June 24, 2020 at 12:00 am

    You mean D5? It depends where you are located. Its use is restricted in many countries. My thoughts are, that D5 would slowly evaporate from a leave-on due to body temp so, in a repellent, I doubt that you want the repellent partially evaporating. Or who knows, maybe D5 vapour is a mosquito repellent? You might become bigger than OFF, one day, I will be sitting in my Old People’s Making a coffee in a 500mL Pyrex beaker, and I’ll see you in the news, the man who made OFF obsolete.

  • belassi

    Member
    June 24, 2020 at 12:01 am

    I forgot to mention: I use D5 in a skin cream. I reverse engineered an Ev&Crab product.

  • belassi

    Member
    June 24, 2020 at 12:05 am

    I just looked up my formula for you. cyclopentasiloxane, 0.25% and dimethicone petrolatum, 0.25%. The d.p. is a Polytrap powder, one of my favourite ingredients. The D5 acts as a solvent for the Polytrap and later evaporates leaving the petrolatum/dimethicone film on the skin, it’s unbeatable for TEWL and gives great sensorials. But for a repellent, I’d leave out the d.p. and maybe use 0.3 - 1% of D5, you will have to experiment to find the optimum.

  • bibsy

    Member
    June 25, 2020 at 2:57 pm

    Belassi said:

    You mean D5? It depends where you are located. Its use is restricted in many countries. My thoughts are, that D5 would slowly evaporate from a leave-on due to body temp so, in a repellent, I doubt that you want the repellent partially evaporating. Or who knows, maybe D5 vapour is a mosquito repellent? You might become bigger than OFF, one day, I will be sitting in my Old People’s Making a coffee in a 500mL Pyrex beaker, and I’ll see you in the news, the man who made OFF obsolete.

    Hi Belassi! Thank you so much for your kind reply.. yes, I believe it is D5- my apologies, I am a relative newbie.

    I’m making a light moisturiser and I have been having issues with the dreaded soaping… I have been recommended to use 2-3% Cyclomethicone (D5) in my mixture to stop this.. (in the absence of Dimethicone)
    I have also read that using a low HLB emulsifier would help (??) At the moment I am using a proprietary Glyceryl Stearate/Peg 100 mix (it comes 50/50 mixed already).. I am considering adding 2% pure glyceryl stearate to help remedy this..

    Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!

  • bibsy

    Member
    June 25, 2020 at 2:59 pm

    Belassi said:

    You mean D5? It depends where you are located. Its use is restricted in many countries. My thoughts are, that D5 would slowly evaporate from a leave-on due to body temp so, in a repellent, I doubt that you want the repellent partially evaporating. Or who knows, maybe D5 vapour is a mosquito repellent? You might become bigger than OFF, one day, I will be sitting in my Old People’s Making a coffee in a 500mL Pyrex beaker, and I’ll see you in the news, the man who made OFF obsolete.

    HAHAAHH!! I’m not sure I will ever reach the exalted heights of making anything obsolete- but if I do, I will be sure to visit you and buy you a Nespresso machine with matching bespoke pyrex beaker!!!

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