Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Hair Help making Conditioner with Slippery Elm, BTMS, and Cetyl Alcohol

  • Help making Conditioner with Slippery Elm, BTMS, and Cetyl Alcohol

    Posted by avaanstar on November 11, 2018 at 10:10 pm

    Hi everyone!

    I really need help creating a detangling/leave in hair product for curly/kinky hair. I want it to have great slip to help detangling curly hair. The three ingredients I want to use are slippery elm, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, and Cetyl/cetearyl Alcohol. I would like to find a recipe to make out of those three ingredients primarily. When I make slippery elm on its own, it leaves curly hair coated and I have to rinse it off.  I need a product that will be able to moisturize, absorb, and blend into my hair. Please let me know if you can help me out!

    Thank you so much!

    Gunther replied 5 years, 6 months ago 4 Members · 3 Replies
  • 3 Replies
  • sven

    Member
    November 12, 2018 at 6:33 am

    @avaanstar, would you mind posting your current formula in % . Its easier to see what to do if that is shown

  • Chemist77

    Member
    November 12, 2018 at 9:23 am

    Polyox WSR 301 @0.05% and you would have the slip you are looking for. 

  • Gunther

    Member
    November 12, 2018 at 4:25 pm

    For liquid leave on (spray on) conditioners BTMS remains liquid at 2% or less, preferably 1.5%. 
    Don’t add any additional fatty alcohols as they’ll make it thicker and BTMS already contains some cetyl alcohol.
    You can also make it liquid with Cetrimonium Chloride CETAC but please check out its regulations limit for leave on products.

    For cream, leave on conditioners something around 3% BTMS with some extra fatty alcohols to thicken it as desired. IMO cetearyl is preferable to cetyl which BTMS already contains.

    For rinse off cream conditioners something like 4-5% works fine. Add fatty alcohols to thicken it as needed.

    I feel adding CETAC gives better slip than BTMS on its own.

    BTMS can also emulsify silicones and oils, like coconut oil which help a bit with increasing slip.

    I never used slippery elm myself.

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