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cetearyl alcohol and foam
Can cetearyl alcohol be a foam inhibitor? I have been playing around with making creamy emulsions containing surfactants and cetearyl alcohol, just wondering if it could be having any impact on the foam like glyceryl stearate does?
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9 Replies
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Affirmative. When used in o/w emulsions fatty alcohols will retard the foaming often seen. Cetyl alcohol works best for this.
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Ahhh ok thanks i will try switching it for cetyl instead
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As Matt mentioned…cetyl alcohol is one of many ‘fixes/helps/hacks’ for mitigating soaping.
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In this came i am actually formulating a cleanser, and i dont have a soaping problem - i am just trying to maximize my foam from the surfactants. So will replacing cetearyl with cetyl help produce more foam? I think that is what matt is saying, but correct me if im wrong here please.
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GeorgeBenson said:In this came i am actually formulating a cleanser, and i dont have a soaping problem - i am just trying to maximize my foam from the surfactants. So will replacing cetearyl with cetyl help produce more foam? I think that is what matt is saying, but correct me if im wrong here please.
I think he is saying….Cetyl is best at (retard) reducing foam! Hence it is used in emulsions….to reduce soaping.
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Oh ok, i see. Thanks. It’s strange though because makingcosmetics claims their cetyl alcohol will IMPROVE foaming when used with surfactants.
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But im having another look and they say the same thing about cetearyl as well!
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@GeorgeBenson, I misunderstood, assumed you meant retarding creaming in an o/w emulsion system as @Graillotion mentions. Fatty alcohols do little to improve foam in surfactant cleansing products. They only work to opacify these formulas, a job they do well. SO MANY other materials enhance foam (not, repeat NOT, glycerin or any other polyol). This thread could take many hours to read were I to list them all.
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I would absolutely love to read about foam boosters for hours! (Seriously, i really would)
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