Aloe Vera Gel Formulation: Addressing Stickiness and Preservative for Clarity

Question

I am formulating an Aloe Vera gel. I used Aloe Vera Extract at 10% and added Cyclopentasiloxane to improve the texture, but it still feels sticky after drying. What could be the cause of the stickiness, and how can I reduce it?

Additionally, I tried adding a preservative, Mild Preserve Eco, but it made the clear gel cloudy. If I use Para-Preserve (Phenonip P4) instead, will the gel remain clear? Am I correct in this understanding?

MySkinRecipes Expert · Accepted Answer

Aloe Vera Gel Formulation Advice

Based on your experience with the Aloe Vera gel formulation and the feedback provided, here are recommendations to address the stickiness and preservative issues:

1. Reducing Stickiness

The primary reason for the sticky feeling in your Aloe Vera gel is likely the high concentration of Aloe Vera Extract at 10%. Aloe Vera Extract, especially at higher percentages, can contribute to a tacky feel on the skin.

Recommendation:

Reduce the concentration of Aloe Vera Extract to a lower percentage, such as 1-3%. This is the main adjustment needed to significantly reduce stickiness.
To maintain or improve the beneficial properties of the gel while reducing Aloe Vera concentration, consider incorporating other skin-benefiting ingredients. As suggested, a combination of Aloe Vera Extract (at a lower percentage), Safe-B3 (Niacinamide), and Panthenol (Vitamin B5) can provide comprehensive skin nourishment with a better feel.
Adding Cyclopentasiloxane helped with the initial slip, but as you observed, it didn't resolve the residual stickiness after drying. Reducing the sticky component (Aloe Vera Extract) is key.
Regarding penetration enhancers, while they help ingredients absorb, they may not directly counteract the inherent stickiness caused by a high concentration of a film-forming ingredient like Aloe Vera Extract. Focusing on reducing the sticky component is more effective.
Your current thickener, Pro Polymer Silk (Polyquaternium-37), is known for providing a soft and smooth feel, which is beneficial. The stickiness is less likely due to this thickener at 1% and more likely from the high Aloe Vera.

2. Choosing a Clear Preservative

You are correct that Mild Preserved Eco caused your gel to become cloudy because it is not directly water-soluble and needs to be dispersed or dissolved in specific solvents.

Recommendation:

To maintain the clarity of your gel, choose a water-soluble preservative.
As suggested, Para-Preserve (equivalent to Phenonip P4) is a suitable option that will keep your gel clear and provide effective broad-spectrum preservation.
Alternatively, Phenoxyethanol SA (equivalent to Optiphen Plus) is another excellent broad-spectrum, paraben-free preservative that is also suitable for clear water-based gels.

By reducing the Aloe Vera Extract concentration and selecting a water-soluble preservative like Para-Preserve or Phenoxyethanol SA, you should be able to achieve a clear gel with a much less sticky feel.