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Thickener xanthan gum Vs. carbomer
Anyone has experiences for using xanthan gum or carbomer? Please share with me your experiences? Thank you so much. Which one is better and less sticky?
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10 Replies
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Just try the two, and see for yourself. You will never learn without hands-on practice.
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I will. Thanks
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@Dtang do you want to go natural?
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Carbomer is actually the name of a group of products rather than a single product. It comes in different grades. Lubrizol makes its line the Carbopol series which is ubiquitous in the Personal Care and Pharmaceutical Markets.I hate the term “natural” undefined as in my opinion treating this term as if it were defined is a huge barrier in R&D, but that is another topic altogether. I will use the term “naturally derived” in my post.The “naturally derived” gums are also useful if you must meet this standard. In some instances, they can have unpleasant characteristics which must be addressed in the Formulation (stringy texture, stickiness). I have had some great success of late using a combination of Acacia and Xanthan Gum in a product called Solagum AX from Seppic.Keep in mind that this is an area where there is a slight cost in performance/product feel when you go “natural.” I recall working in the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Industry as we were moving away from the “natural” gums and the Carbapol series was expanding with new grades. We were happy to see the movement away from the natural gums. However, this was the mid-80’s and the “natural” craze was still limited. Also, different markets such as Pharmaceuticals couldn’t give two toots if the product is “natural.”I would say that this is a topic I would NOT explore fully in a format such as this. If you want more information on Carbomers, Lubrizol has some Technical Documents in pdf form that are wonderfully helpful. I would look at some Cosmetic Texts for more guidance on the use of the naturally derived gums as well.This is likely an area that will require more than a precursory “discussion board” approach. Overly simplifying these materials and their uses is a mistake and will keep you from using them as effectively as you may be able to with a good background. -
Thanks so much for so interested information.
I added xanthan gum 0.5% to my lotion. The sticky and greasy increased so much. I do not like it. This is my first fun experience.
If I reduced it to 0.3%, what happens?Have wonderful day.
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@Dtdang What happens if you reduce it to 0.3% is not going to be answered in a Forum. It will be answered at the lab bench when you do a knock-off experiment with that as the focus.
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Personally, I think the range of Carbomers provides almost the only thickening system you need. It has both thickening and suspending properties which is helpful plus you don’t have to worry about stickiness or stringiness.
But every thickener has its place. As @Microformulation said, you have to experiment.
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@Dtdang I am going to ask you a question and challenge you to research the answer. In most lotions with an emulsifier (not a serum where the gum provides primary viscosity) and an internal oil/external water phase, are you using the carbomer or Xanthan gum for viscosity, or is there another function that it is providing? If you learn this answer, you will get much more stable emulsions in the long run.
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^^^ precisely. So much to learn, so little time.
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Carbomer is common used. Xanthan gum is used recently because it’s natural. That is what I found out.
After adding .5% xanthan gum to my running, thin cream. I got thicker cream. I feel wonderful when I apply cream on my face because of its cooling. Great! But it has white grease.How do I reduce the white grease.
thanks for your inputs.
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