[LongXi]

Look at the chemical structure of each and you’ll quickly see that the latter contains the former (plus a few extra C & H); try other conditioning agents like panthenol, silk protein, varisoft eq65, etc

[LongXi]

Guar gum & xanthan gum are both thickeners. They aren’t emulsifiers but they help stabilize the solution as well. This recipe is likely using a heavy % of the aloe + glycerin (because it’s cheaper than using more oils & butters) so  combining that with trace amounts of oils, butters, and extracts probably means that the emulsifier isn’t necessary. Ingredient lists don’t need to list anything with a concentration of 1% by order.

[LongXi]

Are you making lotion? You’re trying to create an emulsion?

[LongXi]

As a fellow novice, if I was tackling this problem, I would look at the formulas of other companies in the same/similar market to see how many surfactants they use. Collect data from 5 to 10 of the most popular brands in your market regarding this information, then synthesize it and find the average # and the most popular choices of surfactants. This will give you a good idea of where to start and then you just do a few experiments to see which combination you like.

If you are trying to figure out which are “natural” or “naturally-derived” (it’s unclear to me if this is part of your concern) you can research that very easily by checking various supplier listings or checking for Ecocert/COSMOS certification.

[LongXi]

ketchito said:

@LongXi You really need to add the Sodium citrate. At the pH you mentioned, it’ll be in equilibrium with its former acid (Citric acid), which will help buffer the system, controlling pH drifts. Sodium citrate has to be added before your preservatives. Citric acid and Sodium hydroxides are added to reach your final pH, you don’t need to use both, only the one that can make your reach your final pH, and it’s better to dilute them first, for proper incorporation.

Thanks for your response Ketchito. That does clarify things a bit.

So I would add the sodium citrate into the water phase before adding the preservatives, then add the oil phase, homogenize, and then slowly add the citric acid or sodium hydroxide solution while testing with a pH pen. Did I get that right?

This process seems impractical for creating sydnet bars if the pH adjustment is done on the final product. I may need to find an alternative preservative for my bars.

Peace & Blessings