Recommendations for Anti-Foaming Agents in Clear Gels

Thank you for your question and providing details about the ingredients you are using.

It is understood that you are using Ceteareth-25 to create your gel, which results in significant foam. While Silicone Shine (Phenyl Trimethicone) effectively reduces foam, it causes the gel to become cloudy.

Here are some recommendations for anti-foaming agents that are suitable for use in clear gel formulas and should not cause cloudiness:

• Stop-Foam™ (Anti-Foaming Powder): This is a powder form of Dimethyl Polysiloxane. It can be dispersed in water and at a usage rate of 0.1%, it provides a fairly clear liquid. It can be added before or after blending to reduce or eliminate foam.
• X-Foam (Anti-Foaming Emulsion, Defoamer Agent): This is an opaque liquid emulsion that disperses in water. At a usage rate of 0.1%, it also gives a relatively clear liquid.

Both Stop-Foam and X-Foam are designed to reduce foam in cosmetic formulations and are suitable for water-based systems like your gel. Start with a low usage rate (e.g., 0.1%) and adjust as needed, up to 1.0% as per product descriptions.

Alternatively, you mentioned that Ceteareth-25 is the cause of high foam. You noted that Ceteareth-20 produces less foam and will be available next month. Switching to Ceteareth-20 could help reduce the initial foam generation.

The staff also suggested adding PEG1500 at 1-2% to the formula, which can help with solubility and potentially reduce foam. PEG1500 is expected to be back in stock next week.

It is recommended to test these options in your specific gel formulation to determine which anti-foaming agent or combination of approaches (including potentially switching to Ceteareth-20 or adding PEG1500) provides the best balance of foam reduction and clarity for your product.