Carbomer Incompatibility in Gel Hair Conditioner Formula

Hello,

Based on the formula and steps you followed, as well as the information previously provided by our staff, the issue you encountered is due to ingredient incompatibility.

Why did the gel turn into liquid?

• Carbomer (ID 651) is an anionic polymer used as a gelling agent.
• Cetrimonium (which staff assumed to be Cetrimonium Chloride or CTAC, ID 161) is a cationic surfactant.
• Dimethicone (ID 508) is a silicone/oil.

Carbomer is incompatible with cationic ingredients like Cetrimonium Chloride and cannot form a stable gel when a large amount of oil is present. When you initially mixed Carbomer with water and Triethanolamine (ID 139), it correctly formed a gel. However, upon adding the mixture containing Cetrimonium and Dimethicone, the cationic ingredient and the oil disrupted the Carbomer gel structure, causing it to break down and turn into a liquid.

Where was the mistake and how to fix it?

The mistake was using Carbomer together with Cetrimonium Chloride and Dimethicone in the same formula in this manner.

Therefore, the original formula you attempted is not suitable for making a stable gel hair conditioner.

Do you need to discard the ingredients?

No, you do not need to discard the ingredients. The ingredients you have can be used in other suitable formulations. For example, Cetrimonium Chloride and Dimethicone can be used in emulsified cream conditioner formulas that use different thickeners which are more compatible than Carbomer.

Our staff previously recommended a revised formula that is compatible with Carbomer. This formula avoids using Cetrimonium Chloride and uses more compatible silicones (Silicone Quick-Cond ID 1019 or Silicone Hi-Cond ID 997). If you wish to make a gel conditioner using Carbomer, we recommend following the latest formula suggested by the staff.