Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating General Requests / Opportunities Is it necessary to use multiple surfactants?

  • Is it necessary to use multiple surfactants?

    Posted by love on April 15, 2014 at 4:48 pm

    I’m working on a face wash recipe and I have read that it is necessary to use multiple surfactants in order to increase mildness of a formula. I’m thinking of trying out Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate and I wasn’t sure if it it mild enough on its own or if mixing it with another surfactant would be better ( milder). One site I was checking out recommended using Cocoamidopropyl Betaine in every face wash to increase the mildness of the other surfactants. Is this necessary/helpful. Any recommendations.

    ALGAR replied 9 years, 11 months ago 6 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • oldperry

    Member
    April 15, 2014 at 11:43 pm

    Sounds reasonable to me. Betaine is a good choice

  • ALGAR

    Member
    April 16, 2014 at 12:26 pm

    Is it true that Betaine working at PHs below 5 releases nitrosamines?

  • chemist77

    Member
    April 16, 2014 at 1:18 pm

    @ALGAR wow now that sounds interesting, though I hope it’s not the case.

  • bill_toge

    Member
    April 16, 2014 at 1:39 pm

    in a word, no

    the only potential source of nitrosamines in betaine is cocamidopropyl dimethylamine (an impurity, present in trace amounts), and it only forms nitrosamines in presence of a nitrite source (e.g. bronopol)

    betaines themselves can’t form nitrosamines at all, as they don’t have the right chemical functionality

  • Avick

    Member
    April 16, 2014 at 3:55 pm

    If I remember correctly, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine would also be a good amphoteric to work with the disodium laureth sulfosuccinate and it is Whole-Foods-acceptable, whereas they have weird and inconsistent opinions about coco betaine… if that matters to you. :)

  • ALGAR

    Member
    April 17, 2014 at 11:45 am

    I’m still not clear on the issue about Betaines. Did some research and came across the above article. Don’t agree with everything it says either  pro or con….but
    What do you think? What could be  a valid alternative to Betaines if needed?

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