Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Consistency without being thick!

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  • Consistency without being thick!

    Posted by Lily7 on July 8, 2016 at 6:54 pm

    Hello, people!

    I’m formulating a gel-cream hair mask, and having some problems to get the right consistency I want.

    My ideia is doing a cream that is consistent, but I don’t want it to be thick, I want it to be thin, like this one:

    You can see it got thin borders on the touched region, it’s fluid to touch but it’s consistent.
    One more:

    It keeps in this position, don’t have that “melting” aspect, its consistent.
    I hope you can understand what I’m tryng to explain. hehe

    I got a consistency really similiar to this one using Ceteareth-20, a Quaternary Ammonium as main surfactant, and Cetearyl Alcohol, with a little of Hydroxyethyl Cellulose to get this “jelly” shine.  But it doesn’t get thin! When I try to do it thinner putting less Cetearyl or less surfactant, it loses its consistency, “melt” after touched, don’t hold the position.

    For now I have two hypotheses:
    - using another kind of surfactant, one that don’t build a thick emulsion (but I don’t know which one)
    - keep it on agitation for a longer time for the micelles get smaller (do you think it could make a thinner emulsion?)

    What do you think?

    Thank you so much!

    Lily7 replied 8 years, 5 months ago 2 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • Bill_Toge

    Member
    July 8, 2016 at 10:23 pm

    what have you got in your formula?

  • Lily7

    Member
    July 8, 2016 at 10:27 pm

    Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Cetrimonium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Preservative.

  • Bill_Toge

    Member
    July 8, 2016 at 10:42 pm

    I’d suggest adding a hydrophobic liquid (e.g. mineral oil or IPM) to your oil phase - it’ll make the product spread more easily

  • Lily7

    Member
    July 9, 2016 at 2:33 am

    thank you for the suggestion, bill! I’ll try!

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