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Effect of polymers on cleansing power of surfactants i shampoo
Does polymers like xanthan gum or guar gum in a Shampoo reduce the cleaning power of that shampoo?
If surfactants are SLES/CAPB in that shampoo.
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4 Replies
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@Abdullah Only if you use too much of gums so that you get a gel instead of a viscous liquid (lather is harder to form from surfactants in a gel matrix compared to a solution). On the other hand, cationic modified biopolymers (such as HPTC guar or PQ-10) can actually boost foam and detergency.
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ketchito said:@Abdullah Only if you use too much of gums so that you get a gel instead of a viscous liquid (lather is harder to form from surfactants in a gel matrix compared to a solution). On the other hand, cationic modified biopolymers (such as HPTC guar or PQ-10) can actually boost foam and detergency.
Side effect of too much gum it that it suppresses the foam because of viscosity. What about cleaning power?
What i think is surfactants from Shampoo removes soils from hair. If shampoo itself has polymer then that shampoo need to remove that polymer from hair too.
So in shampoo without polymer it only has to remove hair soils. But in shampoo with polymer it has to remove the same hair soil + that polymer as extra soil. So less cleaning efficiency.I am not sure if this thinking is correct or not. That’s why i asked you experts here.
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The short answer to your question is: yes, that shampoo will not clean as efficiently. Conditioning shampoos with cationic polymers (anionic xanthan is not advised) are by their nature dilution-deposition systems so some soil will join the coacervate upon rinsing off. This is why brands that are heavily into hair conditioning liquid products for the salon trade offer “clarifying shampoos” that feature no thickening polymers or any other agents other than surfactant detergents, but a healthy amount of disodium EDTA to aid in soil pick-up. I will offer that acrylic thickeners do act as anti-deposition aids (I formulate these into laundry detergents for this reason), but even those will reduce real cleansing somewhat.
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@chemicalmatt thanks
Did you mean i should not use xanthan in a Shampoo that has SLES/CAPB/cationic guar?
Aslo how does EDTA aid in soil pick up?
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