Shampoo collapse after adding essential oil

Formulating

Shampoo collapse after adding essential oil

Posted by Rencelj on July 28, 2014 at 7:38 am

Hello all,

i have combination of surfactants that it is ok thicken but when i add 0.5% essential oil of lavender (own destillation) the surfactant mix will just collaps and become almost water thick. I am using this combo (from Perry personal formular).
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate & Lauryl Glucoside
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Coco-Glucoside (and) Glyceryl Oleate

I tried to add in 0.5% EO also Polysorbate20 (ready that can work) but it didnt. Please help me with this
Also, do you think any of surfactants up, can be replace by cocamidopropyl betaine ? Asking, just because i have it a lot at home (50kg).

Greg

Bill_Toge replied 10 years, 4 months ago 4 Members · 8 Replies
8 Replies

Bobzchemist

Member
July 28, 2014 at 9:24 am

How much salt are you using?
Rencelj

Member
July 28, 2014 at 9:32 am

Hey, i dont use any salt. I tried to replace sodium cocoyl glutamate with betain and when i add EO it didnt break. How can this be? What do you say about replacing SCG with Betain , it is 1.6%-2% active in surfactant. Ph on end it has 5 - 5.5
Bobzchemist

Member
July 28, 2014 at 2:36 pm

At some point, I have to just throw my hands up and say “shampoo is weird”

Maybe @Perry can help…
Rencelj

Member
July 29, 2014 at 7:46 am

Looks like Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate reacts with essential oils. But can be replaced by Betain, to keep cleaning ability ets the same ?

Greg
OldPerry

Member
July 30, 2014 at 11:11 pm

I don’t think it reacts with essential oils (there’s not much to react) but the oil will certainly interfere with the way the micelles form. Betaine does not work as well as a primary surfactant but it works well as a secondary surfactant. I’m not sure replacing an anionic (sodium cocoyl glutamate) with an amphoteric (cocamidopropylbetaine) will work. Look for another anionic.

You could also increase the level of surfactant to compensate for the additional oil.
Rencelj

Member
August 1, 2014 at 3:01 am

I think i solved the problem with EO. Before I add citric acid in water before surfactants were even in water and thats why it made me problem. Now i add citric acid on end when water and surfactants are mixed and looks like it is working. But still i lose some viscosity when i add Phenoxyethanol & Ethylhexylglycerin.
Rencelj

Member
August 5, 2014 at 4:50 am

Reaction looks like it makes with preservative and any EO, i mixed surfactants and add EO, was ok. As soon as i add perservative it breaks a bit and makes milky look. Or if i add perservative first is ok, than if i add EO it colleps abit and makes again milky mix. I have no knowledge for this. So probably will go another formulation. I did change Sodium Cocoamphoacetate with Betain in different formulation and shampoo is so clear, nice looking.
Bill_Toge

Member
August 5, 2014 at 9:09 am

in any case I’d suggest using a different preservative; phenoxyethanol/ethylhexylglycerin doesn’t work well in surfactant bases, and it has low water solubility