-
Problems with formulating sulphate free shampoo based on BASF ready made blends
Hi Friends,
We are trying to formulate a sulphate-free pearlized shampoo against hair loss, based on BASF blends Plantapon SF and Lamesoft PO 65. We started with Plantapon SF - 40 % and Lamesoft PO 65 - 2 %. The final product had 3 week points - low viscosity, low foam and persons with normal to dry scalp, who test it, felt a slight itching of the scalp.
Our next steps were as follows:
- to increase the foam - we add Cocamidopropyl Betaine (30%) - 6% and Plantacare 1200 UP /Lauryl Glucoside/ - 6% - foaming become better, but still is not very similar to the foam of sulphate shampoos.
- the viscosity was highest with 0.4% parfum and 0.5% Lamesoft PO 65, but the sense of itching increased. Some of the volunteers, who test it received scalling of the scalp. And the perfume was too week. When we incresed the perfume up to 1% and the Lamesoft PO 65 up to 4%, the perfume itself was OK, the viscosity dropped /never mind that we primary mix the perfume with Plantapon SF/and the itching still exists, very slight, but exists.
During all these tests, the hair itself was perfect for all volunteers - shiny, flexible and thicker!
So, we need some advices in regards mostly for the solubilizing of the parfume - what will be the suitable solubilizer for this blend? And in addition how to remove the feeling of itching on the scalp? May be there are too many surfactants or too little ?Thank you in advance for your comments and if you need additional info, we are ready to provide it to you.
Here is the final formula itself:
Plantapon SF -(Sodium Cocoamphocetate/Glycerin/Lauryl Glucoside/Sodium Cocoyl Glutanate/Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate) - 40% (12% Active Matter)
Water -35.70%
Plantacare 1200 UP (Lauryl Glucoside) - 6%
Cocamidopropyl Betaine (30%) - 6%
Lamesoft PO 65 (Coco Glucoside/Glyceryl Oleate) - 4%
Euperlan PK 1200 (Coco Glucoside/Glycol Distearate/Glycerin) - 3%
Quillaja Saponaria Extract - 2 %
Citric Acid - 1 % ( pH =4.95)
Verstatil BOB (Benzyl Alcohol/Caprylyl Glycol/benzoic Acid) - 1 %
Parfum - 1 %
Cupuacu butter - 0.1%
Baicapill - 0.1%
Vitamin B6 - 0.1%
Waiting for you help! -
14 Replies
-
I think you’d be best served by going back to your fragrance supplier with a sample of your unfragranced formula and requesting that they formulate a fragrance that does not thin it out, rather than bend over backwards trying to formulate around a fragrance that’s unsuitable for shampoo.
-
I discontinued Lamesoft PO65 in my shampoos because of reports of allergic reaction.
You are discovering how difficult it is to formulate an effective sulphate-free shampoo. I have a lab full of partially used surfactants as a result of the same intention. You need to find a surfactant that gives adequate foam for a reasonable % concentration. That’s the first step and you haven’t passed that point yet by the sound of it.
Get hold of as many possible candidates as you can and do foam tests on them all.
Once you have passed that, you will need to find an effective thickener because you won’t get thickening otherwise. In my case I use Glucamate VLT which is expensive but has great sensorials and keeps viscosity within an acceptable range even in a wide range of ambient temperature. -
And regarding the fragrance, either do as Bob suggests or prepare samples without fragrance and test fragrances to see which is OK.
-
Thank you very much for your comments @Bobzchemist and @Belassi!
-
It is very difficult to get a sulfate shampoo to have similar foaming characteristics to a sulfate based formula.
We use Versathix (Croda) to thicken our sulfate free shampoos with good results.
Have you tested your shampoo without the extracts and fragrance to see if any of these are causing the itching?
-
Also, this: Just take a hard look at the active matter in your ingredients. Those words mean what they say, you know. You’ve got:
Plantapon SF 4.8%Plantacare 1200 UP (Lauryl Glucoside) - 6% at 50% active = 3%Cocamidopropyl Betaine (30%) - 1.8%So you’ve got around 9.6% active matter, and you think it will foam much? Apart from the foaming qualities of the surfactants, less than 10% active matter is not going to foam much.
This is the reason I chose for my own shampoo a carboxylic acid with better than 90% active matter. I only use 10% of that, and already I’ve got the same amount of active matter as your whole formula which is 52% surfactants! Then I add two more surfactants as recommended by the manufacturer of the primary surfactant, and I have a great foaming shampoo that feels superior to many sulphate bases. I have to say, it took me two years of lab work to get there. If you don’t want to invest that kind of time, I recommend you try Iselux’s blend. It is almost as good as my formula, costs a little more. -
@ozgirl - yes, we tested whithout the extracts and fragrance - they do not cause the itching.
-
@Belassi - thanks for your comment and for the useful advices. Just one question - according to BASF data, Plantapon SF in 40% means 12% active matter. How did you calculate 4.8% active matter in Plantapon SF? Actually in this formula the foam is not too bad - fine foam with small bubbles.Of course, if is more it would be better!
-
I assumed you meant 40% at 12% activity. But 40% of surfactant is a lot. Too expensive. My own total of surfactant is 27% and that includes 9% of CAPB which is a cheap surfactant.
-
Belassi is right. 27-32% is an adequate amound of surfactant base to have a luxurious in lather shampoo. Also you could try the combination of Disodium laureth Sulfosuccinate 10% / amidet - N 2% instead of lamesoft and Euperlan you are using for extreme foam boosting. In a formulation like yours CAPB should be around 8% in active surfactant. Yours is only 1,8%.
-
Try also for thickening the DOE-120 Glucamate from lubrizol. It thickens almost any pH range in a percentage of 2-4% and is only heat dependant. The higher the temperature the thinner the emulsion. At Standard conditions (during the shelf life of a product) there is no loss of viscocity.
-
Thank you for your ideas, @manstra!
Log in to reply.