Gentle Cleansing Formulations with Coco Betaine

Regarding your question about the appropriate percentages of Coco Betaine in gentle facial cleansing formulas for all skin types, especially sensitive skin, let's look at the two cases you proposed, considering the staff's advice.

Case 1: Using Coco Betaine with Lauryl Glucoside

You proposed using Coco Betaine at 10% and Lauryl Glucoside at 6%. The staff recommended starting with lower percentages, specifically suggesting Lauryl Glucoside 5% and Coco-Betaine 5%.

• Coco Betaine is a very mild surfactant derived from coconut oil. It's known for its gentleness, good foaming properties, and ability to help retain moisture. It has lower cleaning efficiency on its own and is often used with other surfactants to boost foam and mildness.
• Lauryl Glucoside is also a highly gentle, naturally derived non-ionic surfactant with good cleaning power. However, it doesn't produce much foam on its own and has a high pH (around 11.5) that requires adjustment to a skin-friendly range (pH 5-6.5 is recommended for sensitive skin) to avoid irritation.

Starting with the staff's suggested 5% of each is a good approach for sensitive skin. Your proposed percentages (10% Coco Betaine, 6% Lauryl Glucoside) are higher. While within the general usage ranges for these ingredients (Coco Betaine 1-30%, Lauryl Glucoside 5-25%), starting lower allows you to assess your skin's tolerance and the desired cleansing feel before increasing the concentration if needed. Remember to adjust the pH of the final formula when using Lauryl Glucoside.

Case 2: Using Coco Betaine with Coco Wash

You proposed using Coco Betaine at 15% (as the primary cleanser) and Coco Wash at 6% (as a secondary cleanser for moisture and slip), aiming to avoid pH adjustment issues.

• As mentioned, Coco Betaine is mild and good for foam and conditioning but has lower cleaning efficiency.
• Coco Wash (PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate) is a very gentle non-ionic surfactant derived from coconut oil, known for providing softness and smoothness to the skin. It's excellent for makeup removal and adding moisturizing feel but has low cleaning efficiency, suitable mainly for very mild cleansers or baby products.

The staff suggested increasing Coco-Betaine to 10% if Lauryl Glucoside is excluded. Your proposed 15% Coco Betaine is higher than this suggestion. While still within the general usage range for Coco Betaine (1-30%), using it as the primary cleanser at a high percentage might still result in lower cleaning power compared to a formula including Lauryl Glucoside. Coco Wash at 6% is within its typical usage rate (1-10%) and aligns with its role in adding moisture and slip.

This combination will likely be very gentle and moisturizing, but the cleaning efficacy will be less than formulations using stronger primary surfactants like Lauryl Glucoside. The staff's point about Coco Wash focusing more on moisturizing than cleaning is key here.

Conclusion

For both cases, the staff's advice to start with lower percentages and adjust based on your skin's response is the most suitable approach for creating a gentle formula for all skin types. Your proposed percentages are higher than the staff's initial recommendations, which might be suitable depending on the desired cleansing strength and individual skin tolerance, but starting lower is generally safer for sensitive skin.