Aloe Vera Shower Gel Formulation Guide

Thank you for your interest in making your own Aloe Vera shower gel. As previously mentioned, for rinse-off products like shower gel, the benefit from active ingredients like Aloe Vera extract might be limited as they are washed off quickly. The most crucial aspect is using gentle surfactants suitable for your skin.

However, if you wish to create a shower gel featuring Aloe Vera for its soothing properties, here is a general guide on the components and mixing process, using product examples available:

Basic Components of Shower Gel

1. Water: The main base of the formula.
2. Surfactants: Cleansing agents that create foam. Choose mild options. Examples include Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate or IseFoam (Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate).
3. Aloe Vera Ingredient: To add the properties of Aloe Vera. You can use Aloe Vera Extract (extraction ratio 10:1 FullAssay™) or use a pre-made base like Aloe Vera Gel (Lite) or Aloe Vera Gel (Heavy) and add other ingredients to it.
4. Thickener: To achieve the desired gel consistency. Examples suitable for liquid soap/shampoo include EasyThick ™ (viscous in shampoo/liquid soap) or ThickClean ™ (Acrylates Copolymer).
5. Preservative: Essential to prevent microbial growth and ensure product safety and shelf life. Mild Preserved ™ COS (pH 2-8, Broad Spectrum, No-Odor) is a broad-spectrum option.
6. Optional: Fragrance, color, or other desired extracts.

General Mixing Instructions

Here are the typical steps for mixing a shower gel. Please note that specific instructions may vary slightly depending on the exact ingredients used, so always refer to the usage details of each raw material.

1. Water Phase: Start with the required amount of purified water.
2. Add Surfactants: Slowly add your chosen surfactants to the water, stirring gently to minimize excessive foaming.
3. Add Thickener: Incorporate the thickener. For EasyThick ™, it needs to be heated to at least 80°C to dissolve properly, either in the water phase before adding surfactants or after mixing water and surfactants (requiring heating the whole mixture). For ThickClean ™, it is a liquid that can be added after mixing water and surfactants at room temperature.
4. Add Aloe Vera and Other Actives: Once the base is thickened (or before thickening, depending on the thickener's instructions), add the Aloe Vera Extract or other desired extracts/actives. If using Aloe Vera Gel (Lite) or Aloe Vera Gel (Heavy) as a base, you would add other ingredients (like surfactants, thickeners if needed for adjustment, preservative, fragrance, color) to the base gel.
5. Adjust pH: Check and adjust the pH of the mixture to be skin-friendly (typically around pH 5.5). ThickClean™ works best in the pH range of 4-6.
6. Add Preservative, Fragrance, Color: Add the preservative (Mild Preserved ™ COS), fragrance, and color (if using) in the final steps, ensuring the temperature is below 45°C for the preservative.
7. Final Mix & Rest: Stir gently until everything is uniformly mixed. Allow the gel to rest for a while to let any trapped air bubbles dissipate before packaging.

Important: Always follow the specific usage rate and mixing instructions provided for each raw material you purchase. Maintaining cleanliness during the process is also crucial for product safety.

We hope this guide helps you get started! Feel free to ask if you have more specific questions about particular ingredients.