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Peppermint tonic
I decided not to try a coconut milk shampoo because the nature of the components seemed a bit incompatible, but I am keen to try a conditioner. Based on our experience to date with the coffee/licorice shampoo, this tonic is designed with stimulation of hair growth in mind. I’ve not tried this formulation yet but in general terms here it is, I invite comments:
Water Q/S 100%
CETAC 3%
Cationic polymer (condensed resin) 1.5%
Cetearyl alc+PEG 7 GC, approx 5% starting figure for first emulsifier system
Xanthan gum 0.1-0.3% (stabiliser / co-emulsifier for second emulsifier system)
Silicones, 8%, water dispersible / cyclopentasiloxane / dimethicone fluid 1000cst
2%, jojoba oil: Emollient
2% glycerin, 0.5% d-Panthenol, Humectants
KEM NAT, Main Preservative
Peppermint EO, 1.5 - 2.5%, active
Coconut milk, 10%, marketing puff
Glycyrrhizic acid, ?%, active, and second emulsifier system component
Stevia %?, active
Monolaurin, ?%, emollient, antibacterial, antifungal active
Quinine, %? active, scalp stimulant -
16 Replies
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In my view, far too high solids content.
Peppermint oil at the level is likely to be very irritant.
What does the stevia do, apart from give a sweet taste? This would be counteracted by the extreme bitterness of the quinine, though!
The only important part of a hair conditioner is the cationic(s). Everything else gets washed down the sink. With that in mind, all you need is to have a consumer acceptable base containg a cationic surfactant.
A conditioner I’m aware of that had a very successful market share for a long time comprised only stearalkonium chloride, hydroxyethyl cellulose (viscosifier) and cetearyl alcohol (opacifier) plus water, colour, fragrance. Solids content was about 2%. Even in that the cetearyl alcohol was unneccesary but was included for consumer satisfaction (gave the impression of “strength” which a clear product lacked). The HEC did have a purpose in delaying the inevitable journey into the drain.
Sorry, but I am unable to see the justification for stuffing anything and everything into a product most of which will end up going straight down the plughole.
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I think that Coconut Water, rather than milk, might work well for you. It seems to be getting more popular as a drink.
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4% solids is too high, John?
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xanthan gum is anionic, so it won’t be compatible with the cationics - HEC would be a better choice
personally I’d use less silicone, round about 1-2%
also you’re better off using a salt of quinine (e.g. the sulphate) rather than the free base, as it’s more soluble and less likely to crystallise
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I didn’t know that about the xanthan gum. Could I use cationic guar gum instead? That should still work as the secondary emulsifier (glycrrhizic acid + gum)
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cationic guar should be fine; don’t know if it’d have any effect on rheology or product stability though (I doubt it personally)
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sucralose should work better than Stevia,Xanthan would be okay but cationic guar may be better
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I’m using Stevia as an active, here, not a sweetener. Same reason as the peppermint eo. However as I have previously noted, effect on growth of hair, experimentally in my trial at least, can be completely different comparing trials on mice with people.
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my faux pas: for some reason I had sweetener on the brain as just finished antacid project
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Very funny! But it will taste disgustingly sweet with licorice and stevia…
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Imagine how sweet with sucralose?
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4% solids is too high, John?
I think my terminology may have casued some confusion. Over here the term “solids content” means all ingredients other than water.
Very funny! But it will taste disgustingly sweet with licorice and stevia…
Imagine how sweet with sucralose?
That sweetness would be tempered by the extreme bitterness of the quinine!
More seriously, these additives are really intended for action (or “treatment”) on the scalp and hair roots. The intention of a hair conditioner is to give a softening or conditioning effect on the hair itself via the deposition of a cationic surfactant. These pseudo-pharmaceuticals will have little real effect on hair.
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Yes, it is a regrowth tonic not primarily a conditioner.
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I would tend towards working on either a hair conditioner OR a scalp product and not try to combine the two. They are, after all, intended for different parts of the body (albeit in close proximity) for different purposes.
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I meant to say that I think what would work best is that you have a
system that includes (1) hair tonic, (2) shampoo, and (3) conditioner.
You could sell them together and separately. The main thing is that
it’s best to have the scalp/hair growth treatment to be a separate
product.I completely agree.
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Very interesting, thanks for that.
The reason I am using pure glycyrrhizic acid is that the 12% acid extract (root powder) is not compatible with cationics. I like the idea of a three-component system.
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