Liquid Soap Formulation Feedback

Thank you for providing your liquid soap formulation and questions. It seems you have a good base formula aiming for gentleness, but encountered issues with viscosity and fragrance.

Let's address your questions:

1. Does emulPearl create pearl and shine but not viscosity?
   Yes, that is correct. emulPearl (Ethylene Glycol Distearate) is primarily used as a pearlizing agent to give products a shimmery or pearlescent appearance. It does not significantly contribute to the viscosity or thickening of the formula.

2. Which ingredients can increase viscosity?
   Your formula is likely thin because it lacks a dedicated thickener. While you considered ClearClean, emulPearl is not a thickener. Suitable thickeners for liquid soap and shampoo formulations like yours include:

   • ClearClean™ (Acrylates Crosspolymer): As you considered, this is a good option specifically designed to thicken shampoos and liquid soaps while maintaining clarity and helping to suspend particles (though you don't have particles in this formula). It works well in the pH range of 4-6, which matches your final pH.
   • Sodium Chloride (Salt): The Sulfate Free Shampoo Base description mentions that adding 0.5-1.5% salt can easily adjust the thickness, especially if an amphoteric surfactant is present. While Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate is anionic, salt can still be effective in thickening many sulfate-free surfactant systems. This is often the simplest and most cost-effective method.
   • Other thickeners mentioned in the product descriptions for your bases include SugarThick™, Xanthan Gum, and EasyThick™.

   To achieve the desired viscosity, you should incorporate one of these thickeners into your formula. Start with a low percentage (e.g., 0.5% salt or follow the recommended usage for ClearClean™) and gradually increase until you reach the desired consistency.

3. Is the overall formula acceptable besides viscosity?
   Yes, the overall formula is well-structured for a gentle, sulfate-free liquid soap. You are using mild surfactants (Sulfate Free Shampoo Base and SulFoam™), a humectant (Glycerin) for skin feel, a reliable preservative (Phenoxyethanol SA), and a chelating agent (EDTA) for stability, especially if using tap water. The pH of 6 is suitable for these ingredients and gentle on the skin. Once you address the viscosity issue, this formula should effectively cleanse without causing dryness and provide a pleasant feel.

4. How to improve fragrance performance?
   You are using Flora Fix (likely Flora Solve™ Clear) as a fragrance solubilizer, which is correct. However, you used a 1:1 ratio of Flora Fix to fragrance (1.5% each). The recommended usage ratio for Flora Solve™ Clear is typically 2-5 parts solubilizer to 1 part fragrance to ensure the fragrance is fully dissolved and dispersed. Using a 1:1 ratio might not be sufficient to properly solubilize the fragrance, which could lead to the fragrance not blooming fully and the base smell being more noticeable.

   To improve the scent:

   • Increase the ratio of Flora Fix to fragrance. Try a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio (e.g., keep fragrance at 1.5% and increase Flora Fix to 4.5-6%). You may need to slightly reduce the water percentage to accommodate this.
   • Ensure the fragrance and Flora Fix are thoroughly mixed together before adding them to the main water/surfactant phase.
   • If increasing the solubilizer ratio isn't enough, you could consider slightly increasing the total fragrance percentage, but always ensure it is fully solubilized to avoid cloudiness or separation.

By adding a suitable thickener and adjusting the solubilizer ratio for your fragrance, you should be able to achieve the desired texture and scent performance for your liquid soap.