Article by: Perry Romanowski
One of the requirements of most cosmetic products is that they have an appealing rheology. This means that you as a cosmetic formulator you are going to have to figure out a way to control the viscosity (or thickness) of your products. There are a number of ingredients that are used for this purpose. Each kind has applications to different formulation types. Here is a basic introduction.
Lipid Thickeners
Lipid thickeners are primarily composed of lipophillic materials. They work by imparting their natural thickness to the formula. Typically, these materials are solids at room temperature but are liquified via heat and incorporated into emulsions. They are used most often in creams and lotions. Some common types include Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Carnauba Wax, and Stearic acid.
Naturally derived thickeners
Various thickeners are found in nature or are derivatives of natural thickeners. These ingredients are polymers that work by absorbing water to swell up and increase viscosity. Cellulose derivatives like Hydroxyethylcellulose are frequently used in liquid cleansing products such as shampoo or body wash. Guar gum is another example of a naturally derived thickener. Others include Locust Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum, and Gelatin. These thickeners can be used in any formula that contains a high level of water. Unfortunately, they can be inconsistent, cause clear formulas to become cloudy, and feel sticky on skin.
Mineral thickeners
Mineral thickeners are naturally occurring, mined ingredients that can absorb water or oils and boost viscosity. They give a different kind of viscosity than the natural gums. Materials include Silica, Bentonite, and Magnesium Aluminum Silicate. These thickeners can be used to thicken oils as well as water based formulations.
Synthetic thickeners
Perhaps the most versatile of all thickeners are the synthetic molecules. Carbomer is the most common example. It is a water-swellable acrylic acid polymer that can be used to form crystal clear gels. They have a desirable feel which makes them superior to other thickening agents that leave a sticky feel. Carbomer thickeners also have the ability to suspend materials in solution so you can have low viscosity formulas with large particles suspended. These thickeners also help to stabilize emulsions and are frequently used in lotion and cream products.
Ionic thickening
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of the most common thickeners for surfactant solutions. Simply adding Salt (NaCl) you can get an anionic surfactant solution to become thicker. In fact, salt is frequently used as an adjusting agent during production. In a future article, we’ll discuss the salt curve and what it means for rheology.
What is your favorite cosmetic thickening agent? Leave a comment below.
Im make shampoo use natural ingredients as alovera , alsi tulsi which shampoo thickner , shinner, preservative use for this
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/forum
Hello sir I much appreciate your work. I had made natural shampoo using non ionic surfactants,herbal infusions,extracts,glycerin and some essential oils. now want to thicken my shampoo,i added an than gum but it subsided the lather and the look so can I add HEC,will it work making thick and giving viscousity and can I still call my shampoo natural? It’s phone is 6.5 .Thanks in advance. Pls help!
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum http://chemistscorner.com/forum Yes, you can use HEC instead of a gum to thicken. But non ionic surfactants are notoriously difficult to thicken.
Hi Perry,
Apart from what can give stable jelly like consistency…that does not loose its shape when put under water .
HAIR SERUM TRANSPARENT LIQUID,WE ARE USING LLP, SO TRANSPARENT THICKNER WHICH THICKNER
That depends on what is in the formula. But HEC might work.
Sir
What can I use to thicken hair oil?
I don’t know. It depends on what is in your formula.
Hi Perry,
I am making a hand wash using Decyl glucoside,Lauryl Glucoside,how do i make it thicker?
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. Without knowing the whole formula, it’s tough to answer. But using a cellulosic polymer would probably work.
Need to Gel , Salicylic Acid 30% solution in Ethanol. Problem is Ethanol at low PH LIKE 0.8-1.2
please suggest a thickner
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/forum
Hi Perry, I’m formulating a body oil with mineral oil as it main ingredient. Presently i have an issue with increasing the visosity. I used all the proposed oil thickeners but it gives a resulting cloudy mixture which settles during the stability test. Could you kindly propose a thicker mineral oil or a more efficient cost effective oil thickener with a transparent effect?
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/forum Also, be sure to include the whole formula.
I am making a lipstick remover using Coconut oil, Glycerine, Water and sweet orange oil which thickener can I use?
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/forum
Sir i want to make hand wash concentrated in which 1 liter concentrated make 5 liter thick handwash with only with reacting with water how can i do that
I’d suggest you post your question in the forum. http://chemistscorner.com/forum Also, you need to list the ingredients in your concentrate.
Dear sir, Good afternoon I’m sivamoorthy from Tamilnadu we are manufacturing of liquid hand soap based on HEC (Thickening agent) but we are not reach the correct thickness please give some idea for high thickness.
Increase the level of HEC? It really depends on what else is in your formula. I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/forum
Thank you sir, the given below formula we are using for liquid hand wash Kindly suggest me how to make a Hand wash concentrated liquid, becaz we are buying.
HEC – 0.6%
SLS – 3%
Mild – UC – 6% (Hand wash concentrated liquid)
Aloe vera – 0.6%
Salt – 2%
Fragrance – 0.3% (Lavender)
Color – QS
Purified water – 87.5%
I have been trying liquid hand wash using common salt and cocoamine dea to thicken SLES but not getting desired result. Please suggest me suitable thickner to be used along with above two to viscose hand wash.
You can try Methylcellulose or Hydroxyethylcellulose.
Add NaCl to thicken the SLES surfactant system
SLES + Sodium chloride
if any cosmetics and harbal, color cosmetics formulation halp so i will give you this type of service
08219680947
pawanchandra1991@gmail.com
Hi Perry
Your post helped me fix an emulsion that i added a tiny but too much water to, i used xanthan gum and it came together beautifully – Thank you
I was wondering though if you know of any wholly natural surfactants that can be used with Castile soap as a base for a gentle shampoo and handwash? If not, might I suggest this as a post for your readers? Thanks in advance!
There really aren’t any “wholly natural” surfactants that are suitable for making cosmetics. But it depends on what you mean by “natural”
Hi there,
Soap nut and Shikakai ( Sapindus mukorossi and Acacia concinna) are surfactants provided by nature. You can google articles on both the species for more information.
Unfortunately, Soap nut and other natural surfactants are inferior in performance to synthetic surfactants.
hiya, what’s the best thickening agent to add to Aloe Vera gel reconstituted from powder for a product marketed for the ‘organic’ market? Thank you
Probably xanthan gum
i want a thickener like honey in reology. is there any carbomer grade like this?
Sure. You just have to find the right one.
Do you know which one? 940 and 941 are not like that.
Well, it’s just a matter of proper neutralization. I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/forum
Dear sir,
I am researching on making clear transparent watery cream formulation. I want a thickner that makes the solution stay clear. Other ingredients that i want to use to make this cream are 50% glycerin. 48% water. Fragrance oil and preservative both at 1%. Your help is highly appreciated.
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum http://chemistscorner.com/forum
What is the best thickener for water based inks?
I don’t know. We focus on cosmetic products, not ink. Maybe someone in the forum would know. http://chemistscorner.com/forum
Hello Sir
A great website.
I’m needing some advice.
I’m currently looking at ways to gel hydrocarbon fuels and alcohol fuels with the ability to choose the viscosity that I wish dependent upon its use that I can also spray as a mist.
In addition, I’m looking at making other gels and pastes that have extreme high resistance to temperature. I have one so far that I have had a lot of success with. Do you have any ideas on ingredients that could be suspended in a gel mix or other such? I’m fairly new to to this and so far I have been teaching myself.
I’m also interested in how I could atomise or create a very viscous gel that can be sprayed.
Thank you in advance for any help advice.
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/forum I know about cosmetics but not so much about formulating for fuel.
Thanks Chemist Corner to given us this platform,
Q. CAN ANYONE HELP ME TO INCREASE THE VISCOSITY OF WHITE PHENYL?
Hi, pls i want to make body cream and lotion, my ingredents are Cytric Acid, Stearic Acid, Crodal Wax, Cytil Alcohol, Petroleum Jelly,Paraffin Oil, Glycerin, and Vitamin E. What type of thickner can i use instead of Crodal Wax?
You can try one of the other waxes listed in the article. You might post the question in our forum http://chemistscorner.com/forum
Thanks so much for this informative site.
I’m making cream and would like to know at what point do I neutralize carbomer? Before I add the water phase to the oil phase? Or the completed product?
Thank you…
It depends on the formula but you should neutralize it just prior to mixing the oil and water phases.
How to make a thick toilet bowel cleaner
thickening agent for toilet cleaner
Which chemicals should be used to thicken the hydrochloric acid
You can tell me a chemical name to thicken HCL acid
HCL acid case is thicker than chemical
I don’t know what your question means. Is it an HCL solution? What’s the percent HCl?
hi . just wanted to ask ? what is the best thickening agent for lipsticks? thank you!
Since lipsticks are sticks, the thickening agent is a wax like Carnauba wax or Candellia wax.
hi, may you plz tell me the type of thickening agents I can use in making a mosquito repellent?
Sorry, we don’t cover mosquito repellents. But perhaps you could post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/forum
i m using labsa, cslye,triethonal amine,sls powder,sodium chloride, capb, i need low solid content ( below5%) handwash liquid pls suggest,
jayasankran
Thank you for this informative post!
I want to produce 5 litres of hair conditioner with guar gum powder as thickner, coconut oil as carrier oil, lemon oil as essential oil and water.
What is the right qualities and what other essential oils could be used
I’d suggest you post your question in the forum. You need more information. What performance characteristics are you looking for? http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
I’m making a natural liquid roll-on deodorant. Because the consistency of the solution is like water, it leaks from the roll-on bottle. What thickener can I add that is a natural ingredient, non-sticky, and doesn’t leave any residue? How is glycerin in this situation?
I’m making dish soap using sodium silicate as alkali and salt as thickener but the result is jelly like layer floating on top how can I solve this problem
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
hii,
i need to make an exfoliating shower bath.So what are the suspending agent with low cost that i can use?
thanks
max
Carbomer or Xanthan gum
hi..
i m makin moisturizing lotion which contain urea n i have also added sodium meta bisulphate as antioxidant,,,plxx tell me what should i add to reduce the pungent smell of sodium meta bisulphate
.
You need to add a fragrance that offsets the smell.
Hi there.! I volunteer for a youth/children activation group and we wanted to try making our own molds for casting different things,
We tried heating 1 part glycerol + 1 part gelatin, it works great, just pour over object and let it cool.
Pros using gelatin:
easy to acquire
reuseable/remeltable
cons:
expensive
warm on skin (if duplicating a body part)
will melt if trying to cast lets say hot chocolate/wax
We are on a budget so we hope to find a cheap substitute (both for mold material and for the casting resin itself as well).
Thank you so much and best regards,
Henrik
I don’t know. Why don’t you use something like Clay for the mold?
Hi, I am using xantham gum 0.35% for cream. Also using cetearyl alcohol. my viscosity is 7000 cps and i want to achieve > 10000 cps. I don’t want to use carbomer. Should i increase xantham gum to .5% or 1 % or do you have any suggestion? thanks
Increasing the xanthan gum should work.
I am looking to make my own organic mascara. I was thinking of using castor oil and grape seed oil. The goal here is to produce healthy growing volume eyelashes. Not sure how both these ingredients would react together but wanted to get your opinion on it. Are there any other ingredients I should consider using for color as well? such as charcoal for black color or coca powder for brown? some other ingredients I was consider using was beeswax and aloe vera. I just wanted something that was natural and non toxic and easy to make and has a decent shelf life. Also how would I go about cooking so to speak these products together?
I’d suggest you post your question in the forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
Hi sir, I’m looking for a base, appropriate for adding a water-soluble anti acne agent in it.
what is your suggestion?
That’s not enough information to answer. Are you making a cream, a lotion, a spray, a gel? It depends on what you want to make. I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
Sir, I want a suitable thickening agent for a lotion containing 10 % potash alum. Can you suggest a thicking agent which is dermatologically safe.
Expecting your valuable suggestion.
Thanks & regards.
Sheela.
Use some of the ones suggested above.
Hi!!!
I am making anhydrous gel containing 60% Propylene Glycol ,30% IPA and 6% Lipid .
I tried many gelling agent including many carbopol grades but its get precipitated.
Can you suggest any gelling agent other than Carbopol to thicken IPA and PG base??
Thankyou!!!!!
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum.
I am preparing liquid detergent using LABSA, SLES, CDEA, CAUSTIC SODA, ALCOHOL, STPP and fragrance. But the liquid is not as viscous as I need. What are variou thickener shall I use to make the liquid more viscous that could maintain transparency as well? Please Suggest
hi sir what can be used as a thickner in shampoo if we want it to be more viscous ?? and what will be the reason if a shampoo loses its homogenity ????
That depends on what is in your shampoo.
Hi, with the exception of carbomer, is there a thickener that can increase the viscosity of an anhydrous ethanol solution? Thanks
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum.
Hi Perry,
What do you think about application of synthetic mineral thickeners like lithium magnesium sodium silicate in a variety of cosmetics? They are very efficient thixotropy agents used in, e.g. gelly deodorants. Do you think they may be used- instead of Carbomers- as highly efficient co-thickeners in cosmetics?
They have a different feel than Carbomers. They certainly have application in cosmetics.
i need a polymer thickening for liquid dishwashing
Pls what hair thinker can l use for my hair mask products and mayonnaise too. Thanks
That’s not enough information to answer your question. I suggest you post it in our forum.
i need preservative for silicone emulation to prevent from smell.
please tell which preservative i can uses
I don’t know. It depends on what else is in the formula.
I used Xanthan gum and Aristoflex AVC with EDTA-Na. Then, I found these thickeng agent didn’t work well. I wonder if you let me know why this happened. Thank you very much..
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. I can’t answer because I don’t know what is in your formula and what you mean by ‘didn’t work well’
Hi Perry,
I am looking at formulating a water based hair pomade, similar viscosity to the Layrite,Upper Cut or Muk Slick (all brands of current popular hair pomades). Effectively they are more like gels, with an extremely sticky and thick viscosity. I was heading down the carbomer route, however all references are showing a thickness more like standard hair gel. Any ideas?
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
I have been trying to thicken a solution containing Polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) without success. when I tried it with xanthan Gum it didn’t work. please advice me. thank you
I haven’t used this ingredinet (PHMG) so I can’t advise you. Is this a water solution? If so, HEC might work or Carbomer. I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
I have been adding chrondrus crispus to a healing salve in order to thicken it up. The problem is that after a week or so a film of mold will develop on the surface. Is there another thickening agent I can use that will not allow mold to develop?
You need to add a preservative to prevent mold growth. No thickener will prevent mold growth.
am making a stretch mark cream,
how to thicken it without side effect
What do you mean by ‘side effects”?
I am making creams with the use of Turmeric extract,magnesium sulfate,Neem oil ,Zinc oxide. Is it ok? and what are the best % can be use of each ingredient?
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
Hi there! I’m making a massage oil with fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond oil and essential oils. What can I use as a thickening agent? I’d like to make it less runny and more like a gel. Thanks!
Try one of the mineral thickeners listed above.
The oil gel can be obtained with sucragel AOF (without heating) or with oliveme 900 (with heating)
i am preparing w/o microemulsion using oleic acis as oil phase surfactant transcutol and labrasol. I need to improve viscosity of emulsion to form a gel which need to be transparent. can any one suggest suitable polymer?
Have you tried Carbomer?
Please I want to thicken my lotion and need a thickner that has no side effect on skin.
please how do I formulate garlic extract to produce a mosquito repellent lotion
Garlic extract does not have any impact on mosquitos.
The scent due to the sulfur content in garlic causes mosquitoes to expel. Mosquitoes can not withstand the scent. And so scares them in a way. please help me sir.
This may be a common belief but it is not supported by scientific evidence. Here is some science based information about insect repellants. http://jinsectscience.oxfordjournals.org/content/15/1/140
plz tell me the name of acid thickner to thick Hydrochloric acid
Cellulose would work as would clays. It really depends on the concentration of HCl that you’re using.
Hi Perry. I want to thicken oil into gel with strings.. and it should not effect the clarity of the Oil. Please suggest..
I’d suggest you check our forum for some suggestions. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
please tell me how to emulsify silicone oil?
That really depends on what type of silicone you are trying to emulsify but typically you can just buy emulsified silicone and use it in your formula.
hai… i m making the hair spa, what best for thickening agent, i have used carbomer before but the product to be watery/not oily after robber by hand even performance looking very thickened, is the xanthan gum good to use??, and how to dilute to the water?, thanks..
Yes, you could use xanthan gum. But carbomer should work. You probably didn’t neutralize it properly.
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How to avoid air trap in when making a xanthan gum gel?
I try hydrate the xanthan gum first and mix it still making tiny air trap
I try disolve it in glycerin and add water still have air trap
Any suggrstion ?
Thank you
It sounds like you need different manufacturing equipment. I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
hi , i am making dishwashing liquid by sulfonic acid ,naoh , texapon, coconut, salt, urea , triethanol amin but its viscosity is low. what can i do for increasing its viscosity?
This is a cosmetic science blog so we don’t really talk about dishwashing formulations. However, you could do a salt curve analysis to see if salt can thicken or you might be able to use something like Hydroxyethylcellulose.
Hi
I want to prepare 98% aloe vera gel but my carbomer is not swelling in aloe vera even on addition of triethanolamine. What i can do to prepare gel?
Disperse the Carbomer in water first and don’t use as much Aloe Vera Gel.
dear sir,can I heat carbomer solution?
Yes
Do you have any experience in formulation of chemical peelings with very low pH? which thickener you would use with high concentrations of AHA and pH about 2?
In order to have homogeneous gel?
Not much experience. I’d suggest you post the question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
what are the post thickning agent for cream, lotion, or conditioner i.e; (O/W emultion).
I mean to say that if the viscocity of cream or lotion’s remains low then what chemicals shoud i add in cool phase to increase desired viscosity.
You can add a thickening agent like Sepigel which is a water swellable polymer
Dear Sir
I am using the following ingredients in cats and dog natural herbal insecticidal shampoo:
sodium laureth sulphate
lauramide DEA
pyrethrin extract
pipronyl butoxide
water
PLEASE advice the best thickener for this
dr . batool
You could try Hydroxyethylcellulose or Xanthan gum
you may pls add xanthan gum with the ratio of 0.5 of the total formula i think this should solve your problem
I am preparing liquid detergent using LABSA, SLES, CDEA, CAUSTIC SODA, ALCOHOL, STPP and fragrance. But the liquid is not as viscus as I need. What low cost thickener shall I use to make the liquid more viscus?
Hydroxyethylcellulose
I am trying to prepare a handwash using an anionic (SLES)or no-ionic (Nonoyl phenol) surfactant. I have prepared the formultion using 5% surfactant with other ingredints normally used to make a shampoo or a liquid hand wash. When I use the finished formulation to wash my hands it keeps on foaming no matter how many times I wash my hands with tap water. I have tried reducing the concentration of the surfactant to as low as 1% but still the foaming does not stop. The handwash does not wash off the skin.
Please let me know what I need to add or alter in the formulation in order to get rid of this refoaming or sticky feel.
You could add something like Glycerin or some type of oil like coconut oil which will reduce foam
We are looking for mineral thickener and synthetic thickener. Please let me have a mobile or land contact so that I can call as soon as I have your reply. Thank you.
Kind regards
Richard Yeck
GoodAire.
Ps preferably food grade.
Hello
I want to make guar gum powder for cosmetic purpose. So kindly suggest me what type of chemical or indegrades need to add in guar gum powder for cosmetic.. ??
If it’s a powder, you could probably mix it with talc to make it more manageable during application.
Dear Sir
I want to thicken the wetting agent chemical for textile processing .
Tnx
Use one of the thickeners described in the article above.
I make Shea butter skin moisturizers. In 80 degree, or higher temps, they will melt back to a liquid in their jars. Lipid Thix increases the melting point so they don’t melt plus acts as a thickener. You only need a little bit. I use 2.5% of my entire batch size. Works beautifully!
I’m looking to replicate this liquid grip product I use for lifting weights. The ingredients on the bottle are alcohol, magnesium carbonate, thickener, and fragrance. Which type of alcohol and thickener should I use? It’s essentially liquid gym chalk but without the mess because my gym doesn’t allow chalk. Thanks!
The alcohol to use is most likely Ethanol. The thickener is probably Carbomer.
I’m making a hair mask which consist of Natural aloe, coconut oil and avocado. The combination is very liquidity and I’m looking to thicken it. What should I add?
Avocado oil*
Xanthan gum
how to make thick to silicon emulation to make polish?
Use a high molecular weight silicone
what thickner I can use to thick water and glycerine mixture but should not be sticky. I tried guar gum, CMC but they are sticky. please tell me which non sticky thickner I can use?
Carbomer could be used.
carbomer is very costly any other chemical which is cheap? i dont use it on body parts
You can also try the Polyaldos from Lonza. Its not as costly.
Sorry, I’ve suggested all the ones I know.
Good Afternoon
I am trying to make a gel out of honey
I have tried the polymers more synthetic products but I was wanting to use a natural gel
No problem Xanthem and some others great in a higher water based solution
I can’t seem to achieve the honey gel
I mix the water and gel and preservative in like a phase 1
Heat the honey
And
Add phase 2 add to phase 1
Doesn’t gel up properly and still too sticky
Suggestions please
Thanks Sharon
I’d suggest you put your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk One solution would be to reduce the amount of honey.
I made shampoo but it didn’t thicken as I expected. I tried xanthan gum but after some time it settles down. So please help me n tell me which other thicker can I use n what can I use to increase viscosity. My shampoo has SLES, WHITE OIL, GLYCERINE, SALT, N D FRAGRANCE.thank u
White oil is not a good ingredient to use in shampoos. And you need a secondary surfactant like Cocamidopropyl Betaine
I am trying to make a natural shampoo for dogs with a coconut, palm and macnut base and need help w 2 questions..how best to thicken..and how best to make white vs clear..I have read failor and followed youtube and stumbled on tube by Susan who makes clear liquid too thick w borax, then cooks and when adds water to thin down it turns white..was not her goal but would work for me..any suggestions?
You haven’t really given enough information (like ingredient list) for me to help. You could probably use an ingredient like Hydroxymethylcellulose or Xanthan Gum or maybe even just salt to thicken. Then you could use Glycol Stearate as a whitening ingredient. But without more info I can’t offer much more help. You should post this question in our cosmetic science forum.
Is it sufficient to use one thickener or better to use two – like xanthan gum and hydroxyethyl cellulose in the one formulation?
One thickener is typically sufficient but it depends on various factors such as the feel you’re going for and the ingredients in your formula.
Please can i use salt NaCl as a thickening agent for home made hand sterilizer
It depends on what ingredients are in your formula but if you don’t have an anionic surfactant in the system, probably not.
I am working on clear, sulphate free face wash. The Base is good but want to thicken up the system. Tried Carbopol ETD 2020 of Lubrizol, but the sensorial is not that much good, kindly suggest.
You could try Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose.
Someone asked earlier how to thicken aloe vera juice to a gel, you said to use xanthan gum. My question is, how does this work? Do I just mix in the xanthan gum and the job is done or do I need to heat the aloe/ xanthan mix or what?
Please help
It depends on whether the Xanthan Gum readily goes into solution. That will depend on how much water is in your system. You probably don’t need to heat it but then you might.
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If I’m making a hair gel with tons of hold, which thickening agent would be best? i was thinking the xantham gum or carbomer but I’m not sure which one is better miscible with oils and water.
Carbomer would be better.
Hi perry
Can you help me can you sugest a thickener for mineral oil to make it a gel for candle am abedis from greece thankyou inadvance.
You can probably use a clay or polymer. I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
How can I naturally thicken aloe Vera liquid to a gel consistency?
Use Xanthan gum. It also depends on what you mean by “natural”
Im a producer of hand wash,dish wash and tile cleaner. And its been difficult for me to thicken the product. So wat should i use as the thickener?
It depends on what else is in your formula. I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
Hi nalaka and Perry I hope both of you are fine
I have same problem like nalaka can you suggest me any thing
It depends on what else is in your formula. I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
Hi
I WANT thickner for waterless hand cleaner for remove motor oil based on water + orange essential oil
I’d suggest you put your question in our forum http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
I’m making a natural dish washing liquid with Castille soap and decyl glucoside, what could I use to thicken the formula?
Thank u
I’d suggest you post your question in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
Hi
I have thickener agent for waterless hand cleaner based on water plus orange essential oil for mechanic worker
Thank you
I’m making a body wash that contains coconut milk, castille soap, honey, glycerin and essential oils. What should I use as a thickener?
You could use Xanthan gum
How do I thicken up Alcohol?
Using clays can work.
I’m white phenyl manufacture. i want need thinkcner for that. Please help me
I don’t have an answer for you but maybe someone else will.
brother am making liquid hand soap with sls water nacl and perfume…what should add to get more thichnes?
You could add Cocamidopropyl Betaine
How can I solidify a liquid soap ?
That depends on the composition of the liquid soap.
african black soap
I made liwuid soap designed for my hair.. I added xantan gum to thicken it but it separated. could you please help me to know why this happened? and also when they say xantan gum should be added at 2%, what exactly do they mean.. is it 2/100 x the weight of diluted soap? and also, what is the bet preservative for shampoo made with potassium hydroxide.
It really depends on what is in the formula. Saying liquid soap is not enough information.
Hi, I’m looking for a Natural Thickening Agent for 100% pure oils?
Bentonite clay may work. You have to test it.
you have raton polymers for oil thickening but not very natural. Or you can simply use comprimitol CG (wax)
KRATON sorry
Hi, I am making a 100% herbal product to sell in market. So i would like to know a few natural thickeners which are not sticky and beneficial for skin. Can you plz suggest me few of them. Thanks in advance.
Thickeners are not beneficial for skin. They are simply in a formula to make it easier to spread. You could try Xanthan Gum or Hydroxyethylcellulose
I have made a water based hand sanitized with HEC but its sticky. how can i remove its stickiness. I want it to feel like alcohol based ones
please help
You can try a different thickener. You might also add emollients to offset the stickiness.
You can use Acrypol 940
Hi. I would like to know how to thicken my homemade, handmade recipe for a tinted eyebrow gel formulation, it’s aloe vera gel-based, but needs a boost in viscosity.
I’ve searched high and low, yet struggle to find the information I need, specifically suited for cosmetics.. instead, I find ideas for jellies and jams! I need any help/recommendation I can get for this botanical formulation. I will be selling this, SO it ‘needs’ to be good! I’ve considered adding clay (Amazonian clay?)to the mixture, but I’m concerned with the possibility of it making the product too rich and pigmented, therefore, minimizing it’s buildability.
I would need more information about what is in your formula to give you a good answer. But you might consider posting this in our forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
I have formulated a household cleaner that is water based and leaves no residue. The problem is that it is water based and runs rapidly down on vertical surfaces. How can I increase the viscosity and still keep it completely residue free?
Thank you in advance!
Ron
Carbomer would work pretty well
What is the best thickener to use for serum.
Serum is natural with coconut oil, vitamin e etc
A clay is best for oil systems.
How much oil part is there ? You can use Acypol TR-2
Whats Acypol TR-2?
ACRYPOL TR-1 and ACRYPOL TR-2 polymers are cross linked copolymers of Acrylic acid having combination of hydrophilic Lipophilic regions within the polymer matrix facilitates the formation of stable oil / water emulsions
same as PEMULEN TR1 & TR2 from lubrizol
which thickener is best for alchoholic solution to get clear and stable and non-toxic gel form?
Acrypol 956 and Acrypol 950 can work with 60%-90% alcohol. For hand sanitizer and other applications.
Aristoflex AVC good thickener for alchoholic solution
I have one formulation which contain oil water henna powder to making paste but after some time it realise oil and water can u suggest me the thickness agent.
you would need to provide more detail than that. What else is in the formula? I’d suggest you post this question in our cosmetic science forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
You can use Acrypol TR-2
Hi Perry,
please advice me on the best thickener to use for my liquid soap formulation. I normally use C.M.C but can’t find any at the store. Can I use Guar gum or is there a better one that you can be used?
Well, you could use HEC or HPMC. Guar gum might work but Xanthan gum could work too.
You can use Acrypol ET-12
I made a shampoo/body wash from African Black soap imported from Nigeria grated finely. I brought 1 and 1/2 cups of water just to the boiling point to 4.5 to 5.0 ounces of the soap. I mixed till all soap was dissolved. I then added a slightly heaped tsp of raw Shea while the mix was still hot. Once at a warm temp I then added 1 tsp hemp oil and 1 tsp Argan oil, blending well. Finally, I added my essential oils and once again blended. I gave these as gifts for the holiday. My brother told me his thickened right up to the point it didn’t pour. I simply told him to add a bit more water and let it sit then shake it. He has had no problems with it since. Sometimes in my experience other additives are not needed. The Shea is what made the shampoo become thickened plus the 1 and 1/2 cups water was 1/2 cup less than was called for. But that extra 1/2 cup made it too thin. The next time I will do 1 and 3/4 cup water. I prefer going as natural and as organic as possible. I for one do not care whether my product is clear or not. My goal is a healthy, quality product.
what is the alternative of Dimethicone Copolyol in after shaving gel formula
Could you please suggest a thickener that:
– dissolves easily in a water matrix, which is infused with botanicals and only 1% coconut oil
– is of natural origin (I am not using synthetic ingredients for this conditioner)
– doesn’t leave residues/flakes in a leave- in type of hair product
Thanks!
You should post this question to our cosmetic science forum http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
please I am make lighting cream using kojic, arbutin, licorice. what thickner can I use
That really depends on what is in the rest of the formula.
I am preparing a hand wash by using EGMS, SLS, SLES, Water and many other material. What should I have to add to make this thick except Sod. Chloride and what % should be there.
A cellulose would work.
i m making cream from stearic acid base so pls suggest me which thickner agent is best for my product
Use Carbomer
hi
i would like to know which thickener is best for paraffin oil to get clear and opaque gel form
I would suggest you post this question on our cosmetic science forum. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk Probably some type of clay would work for you.
Parrafin oil is available in diffenrent viscosities. Please buy high viscosity parrafin oil and there is no need to add any thickner
I’m making a toner, and trying to incorporate Cetearyl Glucoside for texture reasons.
It is an emulsifier, and I have no oils or fats in my product. would it incorporate at all if I mixed it in slowly?
Also, if I use carbomer, is it necessary to use a neutralizing agent?
Thanks!
Yes, you need a neutralizing agent if you are using carbomer. Cetearyl Glucoside should go into the solution but use rapid mixing and heat, not slow mixing.
Thank you Perry!
carbopol, and carboxymethylcellulose
How i can make thick edible oil. I want to make gel form edible oil
Try one of the clay thickeners mentioned above
i know you can make an emulsion from the oil.the formula is 4:2:1 oil,water,gum. You can use mortar and pestle,or homogenise them………john arthur pharmacist. Ghana west africa.
Hi Perry
I’m new to using Hydroxyethylcellulose. I’ve searched everywhere, and found you. Can HEC only be used with water based actives, or can any oils (at all) be introduced to the formula without causing separation? I’d love your input. Thanks dearly!
HEC works by absorbing water to make the system thicker. If there is no water in the system it’s not going to thicken.
Thank you so much for this article. But I sincerely need a help. I am making a cold water liquid starch. Though I av tried pva+cmc,but its not giving me a good result. I wil appreciate it if you could help me with a very effective formular. Thanks
I do not know what you mean by a cold water liquid starch. Why don’t you just mix water and starch?
cold water once exicited,i used it before.,but i dont think it is still available on the market.
I am making sugar based body scrubs with almond oil and liquid lecithan. It is separating after a short resting period . What can I use to help bind the oils with the sugar to stop the separation.
I would suggest you post your question to the cosmetic science forum (http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk)
Hello. You can use humectant like honey, vegetble glycerin or aloe vera gel to bind it together
What thickener should I use to formulate a. Toilet bowl cleaner that contains HCL? I have tried so many thicneners but they loose their viscosoty quick. I also tried adding salt but it reduces the pH of the solution. How do I go about it?
we have recently developed a thickner for HCl. We sell this product for thickening HCl ( 15% ). Gelled HCl is stable at higher temperatures also. Our product name is AR – 104
Hello, im making body oil, I would love to know what thickener is best for body oils. Thanks
I’d suggest you post your question in our cosmetic science forum to get views from different cosmetic chemists. http://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk
i m making cream from stearic acid base so pls suggest me which thickner agent is best for my product