Adjusting Hair Conditioner Formula for Cream Texture

Based on the previous advice from the vendor, the lack of cream texture in your conditioner formula is likely due to insufficient amounts of the ingredients responsible for thickening and emulsification.

The two main ingredients in your formula that contribute to the cream texture and conditioning are:

• Cetearyl Alcohol (ID 480): This is a fatty alcohol that acts as a thickener and emulsion stabilizer in conditioner formulas. Increasing its percentage will primarily increase the viscosity (thickness) of the product.
• Behentrimonium Chloride (BTAC) (ID 1113): This is a cationic surfactant that provides conditioning properties (detangling, anti-static) and also contributes significantly to the thickness and creaminess of the conditioner by forming a gel network with fatty alcohols like Cetearyl Alcohol. Increasing BTAC will increase both thickness and the level of conditioning/hair coating.

To achieve a thicker, creamier texture, you should increase the percentage of either Cetearyl Alcohol or Behentrimonium Chloride (BTAC).

• If you primarily want more thickness without significantly increasing the hair coating effect, increase Cetearyl Alcohol.
• If you want both increased thickness and more conditioning/coating, increase Behentrimonium Chloride (BTAC).

The exact amount to add will depend on the desired final consistency. You may need to experiment. A good starting point might be to increase the chosen ingredient by 1-2% at a time, re-heating and mixing the formula each time, until you reach the desired texture.

For example, you could try increasing Cetearyl Alcohol from 3% to 4% or 5%, or increasing BTAC from 3% to 4% or 5%. You could also increase both slightly.

As the vendor mentioned, if you wish to add oils to the formula for extra nourishment, you would need to incorporate an additional emulsifier suitable for oil-in-water emulsions, such as Butter Cream Maker (ID 1041) or Milk Lotion Maker (ID 1040), typically at 2-3%, before adding the oil.