Creating a Foaming Shampoo with Kaffir Lime and Butterfly Pea

It's a great idea to make a natural shampoo with kaffir lime and butterfly pea! You are correct that using only natural extracts like these will result in very little to no foam, making it difficult to wash hair effectively. To create a pleasant and functional shampoo, you need to add a foaming agent (surfactant).

Suitable Foaming Agents

You are on the right track with Creamy Foamer™ (Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate). This is a gentle, sulfate-free anionic surfactant that is suitable for shampoos and creates a soft, smooth foam. It is a good choice for a formula aiming for minimal harsh chemicals.

Other gentle foaming agents you could consider include:

• IseFoam™ (Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate): Another gentle, high-foaming anionic surfactant.
• Powderly Foam™ (Potassium Laureth Phosphate): A gentle, sulfate-free anionic surfactant that provides a soft feel.
• Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Taurate: A highly gentle amino acid-based surfactant with good lathering properties.

These options are generally considered milder than traditional sulfates like SLS or SLES.

Basic Shampoo Formula Structure

A simple formula incorporating your natural extracts and a foaming agent would look something like this:

1. Water Phase: Water, Kaffir Lime Extract, Butterfly Pea Extract
2. Foaming Agent Phase: Add your chosen foaming agent (e.g., Creamy Foamer™) to the water phase and mix gently until dissolved.
3. Optional Additives: You might want to add a natural thickener (like Xanthan Gum), a preservative (essential for water-based products), and perhaps a conditioning agent if desired.
4. pH Adjustment: Adjust the pH to be suitable for shampoo (typically pH 5.5-6.5).

Example Simple Formula (Conceptual):

• Water: ~60-70%
• Kaffir Lime Extract: 5-10%
• Butterfly Pea Extract: 5-10%
• Creamy Foamer™ (Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate): 10-15% (adjust based on desired foam level)
• Natural Thickener (e.g., Xanthan Gum): 0.1-0.5% (to achieve desired viscosity)
• Preservative: 0.5-1% (follow supplier instructions)
• pH Adjuster (e.g., Citric Acid or Sodium Hydroxide solution): adjust as needed

Mix the water and extracts. Gently add the Creamy Foamer™ and stir until dissolved (warming slightly, below 50°C, can help). Add the thickener and mix until uniform viscosity is achieved. Add the preservative. Finally, check and adjust the pH.

Using a gentle foaming agent like Creamy Foamer™ will help you achieve a functional shampoo while keeping the chemical load relatively low compared to conventional shampoos. Remember to always test your formulation on a small scale first.