Car Wax Formulation: Achieving Smooth, Fast-Evaporating Texture
Question
I need advice on formulating a car wax. My current base is made of:
- Carnauba Wax 50%
- Fractionated Coconut Oil 20%
- Olive Oil 30%
The resulting texture is not a soft cream and evaporates slowly; it's sticky and not smooth. I want a texture that is smooth like skin cream and evaporates quickly.
- Can I add Oil Cream Maker™ at 1%?
- Using my base at 79% + water at 20%, please advise on achieving a smooth and fast-evaporating texture.
Answer
Car Wax Formulation for Smooth, Fast-Evaporating Texture
Based on your goal to create a car wax with a smoother, faster-evaporating texture like skin cream, your current formula (Carnauba, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Olive Oil) is primarily composed of waxes and heavier oils. This combination naturally results in a thicker, more viscous product that evaporates slowly.
Adding Oil Cream Maker™ and water can help you create an emulsion, which is a mixture of oil and water phases. This process can indeed result in a smoother, more cream-like texture compared to a simple blend of oils and waxes. However, with your proposed base being 79% of the original oil/wax mixture, the oil phase is very high. Oil Cream Maker™ is designed to emulsify high oil loads (up to 70%), but achieving a light, fast-absorbing cream might still be challenging with such a high percentage of heavy ingredients. You would also need to follow the specific mixing instructions for Oil Cream Maker™, which typically involves using a blender and adding Triethanolamine.
To achieve a texture that provides good slip and evaporates quickly, incorporating volatile silicones is a common approach in cosmetic and car care formulations.
- Cyclopentasiloxane (Cyclomethicone) is a lightweight silicone that evaporates relatively quickly. It provides a smooth, silky feel and helps reduce the greasy feel of oils. This ingredient would be very effective in making your car wax feel less heavy and evaporate faster, similar to the feel of some skin creams.
- Dimethicone also provides slip and a smooth feel, but heavier grades (like Dimethicone 350) are non-volatile and will not contribute to faster evaporation. Lighter grades of Dimethicone or other volatile silicones like Trisiloxane could also be considered for faster evaporation.
Therefore, while adding Oil Cream Maker™ and water can help create a cream texture, incorporating a volatile silicone like Cyclopentasiloxane would be key to achieving the desired fast evaporation and smooth slip you are looking for, similar to a skin cream. You might need to adjust the proportions of your oil/wax base, water, Oil Cream Maker™, and add a suitable silicone to get the ideal texture.
Related Products Mentioned
Fractionated Coconut Oil
Dimethicone (Medium/350, Low-Odor)