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Seeking Low Viscosity Dimethicone Alternative - Advice please
HI, I am currently using low viscosity (small molecule) DM6 Dimethicone. I am trying to seek an alternative due to shipping restrictions and time awaiting orders. Also worried about it being a hazard listed item in relation to export/air freight as well.
I am using this for the emollient properties and silky feel it provides for my lotions and butters, plus the anti-foam properties. I am using it at 2%
I also use vegetable derived glycerine (medium to thick viscosity - higher molecule) at 4%, but noticed the difference in silkiness when adding DM6 dimethicone alongside with the glycerine.Can I use Cetiol LC©, Coco Caprylate/Caprate not C5, instead as a more natural substitute at 2%? This is only other emollient I can source in my country. The other one I can source is: Cyclotetrasiloxane and Cyclopentasiloxane but prefer to stay well clear of this one as it sounds volatile and requires more care and education? …and I’m not qualified to know enough about the INCI of this ingredient to use.
Basically as you would know they are silicons, Dimethicone being: Dimethylpolysiloxane
…so I was hoping that Cetiol LC©, Coco Caprylate/Caprate will be a good alternative, perhaps not as good, but also may have it’s advantages of being a more natural alternative?
Can someone please shed some light or advice on above. Thanks in advance for your suggestions/advice.
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5 Replies
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As near as I can tell, you are asking several questions:
1) Can I use Cetiol LC©, Coco Caprylate/Caprate as a substitute for 6 centistoke dimethicone fluid at 2% in my formulations?Answer 1: It’s kind of a weird way to phrase this question, and makes me want to ask “What would be keeping you from making this substitution? Government regulations? A mean grandmother waiting to smack you with a spoon if you do something wrong?” To a large extent, cosmetic chemistry and cosmetic chemists need to embrace the spirit of experimentation, so I have to ask “Why wouldn’t you want to try it and see what happens?”Answer 2: It seems that the question you are really asking is: “What would be the likely result if I used Cetiol LC as a substitute for 6 centistoke dimethicone fluid at 2% in my formulations? This is a more reasonable question to ask. For your butters (assuming they’re anhydrous) you will probably not have a stability problem, but you will loose the silicone skin feel and the long-lasting skin protection that silicone provides. For your lotions, you will loose 100% of the anti-foam and may introduce instability, assuming that the lotions are formulated specifically to support the inclusion of dimethicone.The question of whether Cetiol LC has an advantage because it’s more “natural” is something you will have to decide for yourself. There is absolutely zero scientific evidence to support this.Finally, I have to ask where you are located? At this stage of the global economy, I can’t imagine a place anywhere on the planet that only has access to 3 emollient chemicals - with the possible exception of North Korea. -
1) I don’t know if you can’t for some reason but I find mineral oil to give a very nice feel.
2) Increase your glycerin to around 7%
3) Try something like caprylic/capric triglycerides
4) A healthy slug of safflower oil or macadamia nit or hazel nut. They are all “dry” feeling but will give you some sily feel. I would start with about 3 to 6 percent.
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Thanks for that David
I ended up purchasing from the U.S and got some dimethicone 6cps again. If it works, keep using it. The shipping is just very expensive and costs more than the product itself, to my disadvantage. I do have a high concentration of glycerine and macadamia in addition to Shea and Cocoa butter in my formula. I don’t use safflower due to its shorter shelf life. The butter is silky and smooth without that sticky thick waxy plastic feeling you get with some. The dimethicone really does make it more superior. I managed to find a few distributors of dimethicone in Australia, but they all stocked 350cps or over. I wanted the thinner cps.
Bob I am located in NZ and we only have two large suppliers of cosmetic formulation products available to us. I generally have to shop overseas for more specialty products. They won’t bring the to NZ, unless there is a large demand for a particular product. Our population is far too small for the distributors to import tonnes of product for resale. Basically if I purchase dimethicone 6cps from the U.S it costs me about $100 to import a small amount I.e. 2 litres. I even contacted some other companies in the U.S i.e. Wholesale supplies.com and they also only stock the 350cps. But I have to keep paying this until I come up with a better alternative in suppliers. -
I will look into the importation problem from this end. Maybe we can find a better solution (pun intended). I suspect that there’d be a minimum order quantity, though, and it would be at least $100 US.
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New Directions Australia sells 100cs dimethicone. It is not the 6cps you are currently using but it might be good enough.
The only way to tell if replacement ingredients will work is to test them.
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