Formulating Baby Wash (losing viscosity after 24hrs)

Formulating

Formulating Baby Wash (losing viscosity after 24hrs)

Posted by anne86sarah on July 16, 2018 at 1:04 pm

Morning All,

I am currently trying to formulate a baby wash to use. I usually set it to a viscosity 3500cps to 2500cps for a few hours but when I return the next day it is water thin.

My formula added in that order are

               QS %

Water      to 100

EDTA                          0.05

Panthenol                    0.5

Glycerine                      2

SLES 70%                     12.5

CAPB 30%                    2.5

Aloe Extract                 0.2

Vitamin E                     0.1

Nacar (Pearling Agent) 4

Lactic Acid 88%            0.05

NaCl                             1

I even tried a second batch where I added Cocamide MEA 2% to help thickened and it again went to a high viscosity before going back to being water thin overnight.

Can someone guide me on what I am doing wrong?

Chemist77 replied 6 years, 8 months ago 6 Members · 8 Replies
8 Replies

belassi

Member
July 16, 2018 at 1:27 pm

First measure the pH when thick and then later, thin.
anne86sarah

Member
July 16, 2018 at 2:06 pm

pH was 5.55 after being made and over the weekend it is 5.45
OldPerry

Professional Chemist / Formulator
July 16, 2018 at 2:28 pm

When the viscosity goes thin, do a salt curve analysis.

If you don’t find a good salt level, you could adjust your formula. Your ratios seem a little off with 1:12 Betaine:SLES. You might try a 1:4 ratio so the final % would be about…

SLES 70% = 12.5
CAPB 30% = 7.0
anne86sarah

Member
July 16, 2018 at 2:41 pm

Hi Perry is this with MEA included in the formula or not?
Gunther

Member
July 16, 2018 at 3:50 pm

Drop the glycerine

Allow 72 hours to get a final viscosity.
OldPerry

Professional Chemist / Formulator
July 16, 2018 at 5:21 pm

@anne86sarah - without but you can also include it. The MEA will work as an opacifying agent. But it looks like you’ve already got a pearlizing agent so maybe you don’t need it.
ngarayeva001

Member
August 9, 2018 at 11:17 pm

There is one thing that works every time crothix liquid (PEG-150). 1 to 1.5% will assure good viscosity. Also if you want to go ‘natural’ for a baby product, I would say replace SLES to coco-glucoside and thicken it with xantham gum (not more than 1%). The texture however would not be as nice as with crothix.
Chemist77

Member
August 10, 2018 at 11:19 am

@Perry the COCAMIDE MEA works great in clear systems too, never heard it to be used as opacifying agent though.
I see that 0.1% Vitamin E as well, with such low surfactants this oil will crash the viscosity over time. As Perry said, readjust the surfactant ratio and in my opinion that Vitamin E isn’t a hero in this formulation.