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Is xanthan gum is good/suitable ingredient to thicken a SLES/COPB shampoo ?
I have tried to increase the viscosity of my SLES/betaine shampoo using salt (max 2%) and adding more Coco-Amidopropyl betaine but the viscosity hasn’t increased to a high extent. I was wondering if xanthan gum is a suitable ingredient to thicken such a shampoo or should I use hydroxypropyl guar? If I was to use xanthan gum in the formulation would this have any negative effect on the lathering properties of the shampoo?
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2 Replies
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I haven’t seen a stable shampoo using xanthan gum. There are better options like HPMC. Now, a SLES/CAPB/NaCl system should thicken very well. What’s your anionic content (as total active)?
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Salt thickening is better described as ionic thickening. All components that produce ions in solution will affect the result. This includes preservatives. EG 0.7% sodium benzoate. CAPB already contains a lot of salt which is why the shampoo thickens with it.
1. Note down all ionic compounds and sum the total.
2. Note the salt content in your version of CAPB and calculate the total.Adding these gives the total salt content (approximately). Make a batch with nothing except the surfactants and the preservative and run a salt curve test to determine the optimum for thickening.
You should be able to obtain a thick shampoo. However you must understand that everything you add to that base will reduce viscosity. Colour, fragrance, humectants…
Gums are a poor choice to thicken shampoo. The reason is the handfeel — it’s unpleasant, slimy. You may find PEG-150 Gel of use, up to about 1%, because too much gives a “plastic” effect.
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