Carbomer Gel Instability in Acidic Formulation and Alternatives
Question
Why does a gel made with `Carbomer` and `Triethanolamine` become liquid when acidic ingredients are added? What alternative gelling agents, such as `AnyGel` (`Dehydroxanthan Gum`), are suitable for acidic formulations?
Answer
Based on the information, gels created with Carbomer and Triethanolamine are generally not stable in highly acidic conditions. Adding acidic ingredients or having the final product at a low pH will likely cause the gel structure to break down and become liquid.
As suggested previously, alternative gelling agents like AnyGel (Dehydroxanthan Gum) or other thickeners suitable for acidic environments would be more appropriate for formulations containing acidic ingredients or requiring an acidic pH.
For specific advice on your formulation, it is best to provide the full list of ingredients to the R&D team for analysis.
