Facial Cleansing Gel: Ingredients and Mixing Procedure Questions

Question

I have a facial cleansing gel formula and have some questions about the ingredients and mixing procedure: Is 20% Sulfate Free Shampoo Base sufficient for cleaning, or should I increase it to 25-30%? Can I replace SugarThick with EasyThick, and is 5% a suitable amount for gelling? What is the recommended mixing procedure for a facial cleansing gel to prevent excessive foaming? I was planning to mix the cleansing agents first, then add the gelling agent and use heat to dissolve it (as in my proposed step 3). Will this method cause too much foam? What is the correct sequence for adding ingredients like cleansing agents and gelling agents?

MySkinRecipes Expert · Accepted Answer

Hello,

Regarding your additional questions about the facial cleansing gel formula and mixing steps, the staff has provided guidance as follows:

Sulfate Free Shampoo Base at 20%: The staff mentioned that the proportion of cleansing agents depends on the desired level of cleaning, which requires testing and adjustment according to your needs. 20% is a sufficient amount to start seeing cleaning effects. You do not necessarily need to use 25-30% if the cleaning performance is sufficient for your requirements.
Replacing SugarThick with EasyThick: This can be done. The proposed amount of 5% is also acceptable. The appropriate amount depends on the desired viscosity of the gel texture. (The staff also added that SugarThick is currently in stock if you prefer to use the original ingredient).
Mixing Procedure: The staff recommended a general principle for mixing skin cleansing formulas to prevent excessive foaming. The principle is to mix other ingredients that are not cleansing agents into the water first, mix them well, and then gently add the cleansing agents and stir gently until dissolved. For gelling agents like SugarThick or EasyThick, the staff advised that they should be added and dissolved in the formula after the cleansing agents have been added. Stir gently to dissolve. Using heat (as you proposed in step 3) will help them dissolve more easily and reduce the chance of foaming from stirring.

Therefore, the mixing steps you proposed (which start by mixing cleansing agents in the first step) may cause more foaming than the method recommended by the staff. You should adjust according to the principle provided by the staff, which is to mix non-cleansing ingredients with water first, and then add the cleansing agents and gelling agents in order, stirring gently.

Hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to ask if you have any further questions.