[belassi]

That is a lot of cocamide DEA. What’s the final pH? Personally, I would reduce the CDEA to 1.5% and remove the salt, adjust with citric acid to pH = 4.5, then increase the CAPB (which contains salt) until the required viscosity is reached. I don’t think there’s enough surfactant in there, either.

Begin by completely dissolving the EGDS in the (hot) SLES. Then blend in the rest but keep the temperature >70C.

[belassi]

I’ve tried Spectrastat in shampoo. It had an adverse effect on foam. I find 0.5% sodium benzoate effective (pH = 4.5)

[belassi]

I will be keeping the forum up to date on progress. I’m hoping that the air mail samples will arrive soon.

[belassi]

Mike, Plantarem APB is a complete blend. Let’s see … 

water, Plantarem APB blend 20%, CAPB 5%, Aloe Vera x10 extract 0.1%, Lamesoft 1%, Sodium benzoate 0.5%, Polyquart H-81 1%

It’s a conditioning shampoo. More softness? Increase the Lamesoft. More cationic? Increase the Polyquart.

[belassi]

And one more thing: When a consumer can buy a 400mL bottle of shampoo in the dollar store, do you really want to compete?

[belassi]

Imagine the market for a cream that could easily remove tattoos.

[belassi]

I am very surprised you didn’t mention urea.

[belassi]

I was going through all this for months and finally I found that a premixed blend gave such superior performance to my own that I simply used that as a base and got excellent results.

There is a vast number of shampoos on the shelves using the SLS/SLES/CAPB salt thickened trinity and there is an infinite number of variations of percentages. In the end I concluded that I’d spend the rest of my life messing around and found that Plantarem APB was so superior to my best effort that I adopted that. Texapon KD S03 is an equivalent.

[belassi]

I can’t say. Try it and see!

[belassi]

Thanks George. I have other creams with more than 2% stearic that don’t cause this problem, so I am inclined to think it must be either the Chia oil, or the Emulgin VL75 (this is the first time I have used that emulsifier) or maybe the cetearyl is too high. I think perhaps I’ll do a knockout on the Emulgin first.

[belassi]

I would show them how to make an emulsion.

[belassi]

No progress yet, still in the “obtain primary materials” level!

[belassi]

It’s not the fragrance oil. Not at that percentage. I suspect the salt curve isn’t stable, drifting one way or the other. I would get rid of the DEA for sure. Since you are making a pearlised shampoo, sub MEA for the DEA and adjust pH. . . WAIT a minute! Where in your list is the pH adjuster - DEA in the formula and no pH adjustment???

[belassi]

Yes. The f.o. is just immediately evaporating into the air. You have to let it cool below the critical temperature for your fragrance. 5% of fragrance is expensive. I use 4% max. in cold process soap. You may find that using one or two essential oils in a low % can help give a nice aroma. For instance 3% mint f.o. + 0.5% peppermint e.o. gives a very refreshing aroma.

[belassi]

This is a hot process soap? If so, probably the fragrance is flashing off due to the temp being above its vapour phase. Also, if you don’t wrap soap, the fragrance fades during cure. Really need to know more.

[belassi]

It’s off topic, but all I will say is that I know a guy who is an optics and radar specialist. The government can put up a camera that will reliably recognise you at two miles… the growth of ‘hoodies’ in the UK was a public fashion reaction to CCTV infestation. 

[belassi]

At 0.25% (low compared with my usage, I put 1% fragrance oil in) I doubt it’s the fragrance … you DO mean fragrance oil and not essential oil, right?

[belassi]

No, you didn’t miss anything. It merely says that SLS is highly irritant and that adding pretty much any other surfactant reduces the irritation. Better not to use irritating surfactants in the first place. As I have previously noted, there are some excellent blends of the ammonium salts available that have superb foam and are non-irritant.

[belassi]

First try making it without the fragrance and see if it remains stable. I noted this effect myself with some fragrances. What % fragrance oil are you using?

[belassi]

My own experience with those two is that SLES produced a poor quality of foam that improved by adding SLS, but I would never use SLS because of its irritant nature.

[belassi]

My generation was brought up to understand that tattoos are for sailors and the low class. I still dislike them but for yet another reason: they provide the government a way to quickly identify you with remote monitoring equipment.

[belassi]

Shea is known to have this property. Try a knockout test on the shea. You’ll need to sub something similar, another butter perhaps.

[belassi]

I believe so.

[belassi]

You’re welcome. And one more thing: carbomer as a thickener tends to ‘short-flow’ sensorials. Gives a sort of ‘cushion breaking’ sensation on spreading. Bite the bullet and go for a thickener or combo of thickeners. Give out lots of samples using different thickeners and ask for feedback. In my case it comes down to a cost/sensorials balance.

[belassi]

It is as if someone or something really doesn’t want me to do this.

The latest, is that the sample I had asked for, from a US company that goes back to 1900 . . . they sent it to me directly via DHL.

Same trap. Since I am not a licenced importer, I can’t clear it; other than by employing a clearance company that would charge me at least $500 for the privilege.

The Chinese consignment has now arrived back in China and they are splitting it into four and sending it airmail. But guess what? The Chinese government has cracked down on exports of powder products and so the packages will have to be labelled - well, let’s not get into that.

Hmmm . . . I have a friend in a top position at BAT, and glycrrhizin is used by the tobacco industry to make cigarettes taste sweet.