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Finished Product Terminology
Hello Everyone!
I’m currently working with gels and have been doing a lot of reading on the matter. Today I came across this description for a finished product, “Clear gel associated with a stringy texture and maximum pick-up…” and got extremely confused. My first thought was “maximum pick-up” meant it provided volume, but I’ve never seen or heard of “stringy texture” being associated with gel. When I think of a stringy texture I think of an over-thickened surfactant or a gooey material. That doesn’t seem pleasant for a gel and I don’t understand how a stringy texture would help with volume (pick-up).Would anyone care to explain how the phases “stringy texture” and “maximum pick-up” relate to gel? What are they describing? What function do they serve?I always appreciate the help I receive from this forum. It’s really inspired me to go into cosmetic chemistry head on.Regards,CosChemFan -
5 Replies
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without seeing the product in question, I’d guess the “stringy texture” comment is related to the rheological properties of the resin used for setting the hair, which can have a significant effect on the properties of the product as a whole
for instance, PVP can make a gel feel sticky to the touch if it has a high K-number (90 or 120)other examples of sticky-feeling resins are Aquaflex XL-30 and Advantage LC-E; the former is compatible with carbomers, so it could in principle be used in a gelhave you got pack copy and an INCI list for this product? -
If I remember correctly (it’s been a while), those terms refer specifically to what happens when you put the pad of your finger into the gel and then slowly draw it away. It’s all a part of texture analysis.
“Pickup” has to do with how much gel adheres to your finger as you pull it away from the gel.“Stringiness” has to do with how the connection between the gel and your finger appears as you slowly move your finger - does the gel stretch out and form a “string” or does it quickly and cleanly separate?You might find this helpful: -
@Bobzchemist Just wow.
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Thank you for responding @Bobzchemist and @Bill_Toge. I understand now and that makes so much sense. Your link has been very helpful. Thank you again for you help!
Regards,CosChemFan -
This is associated with a specific product class called “spiderweb” hair gel. I ran across this term when doing some preliminary market research. Nice to catch the technical terms for it
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