Gentle Gel Cleanser Formulation Review

You are looking to create two gentle gel cleanser formulas for face and body wash that are gentle on the skin.

Let's review your proposed formulas and address your specific questions.

General Formula Structure

Your base formula structure includes Water, Glycerin, Vitamins, Gum, Surfactants, Fragrance, and Preservative. This is a standard approach for a gel cleanser. However, the percentages you listed (Water 40%, Glycerin 30%, Vitamins 10%, Gum 2%, Fragrance 2%, Preservative 1%) add up to 85%, leaving 15% for the surfactants.

Please note that the percentages for Glycerin (30%) and Vitamins (10%) are quite high for a wash-off product like a cleanser. High levels of Glycerin can sometimes feel sticky or difficult to rinse, while the appropriate percentage for Vitamins depends heavily on the specific type of vitamin used and its solubility and stability in the formula. A more typical range for Glycerin in a cleanser might be 2-10%, and for actives like vitamins, it could range from 0.5% to 5% depending on the active.

The total surfactant concentration (15% in your proposed structure) is within a reasonable range for a cleanser, but the exact percentage needed depends on the specific surfactants chosen and the desired cleansing power and foam.

Ingredient Choices and Questions

Let's look at your specific ingredient questions:

Lauryl Glucoside vs. Gluta-Clean™

• Lauryl Glucoside: This is a non-ionic surfactant known for its mildness and good foaming properties. It is derived from natural sources.
• Gluta-Clean™: This is an anionic surfactant derived from amino acids. It is considered very mild and can produce a dense, creamy foam.

Which is better? Both are excellent choices for gentle formulations. Gluta-Clean™ is often favored for its exceptional mildness and ability to create a creamy lather, making it potentially more suitable for sensitive skin or whip foam formulas. Lauryl Glucoside is also very mild and provides good general foam. For maximum mildness and creamy feel, Gluta-Clean™ might be slightly preferred, but Lauryl Glucoside is also a great option. You could also consider using a combination of both.

Creamy Foamer™ vs. Coco Foam™ (for Formula 1 - Regular Foam)

• Creamy Foamer™: This is an anionic surfactant known for generating rich, creamy, and stable foam.
• Coco Foam™: This is an amphoteric surfactant commonly used as a secondary surfactant to boost foam, improve foam stability, and reduce irritation from anionic surfactants.

Which is better for regular foam? For a "regular foam" formula, Coco Foam™ is a very suitable choice to use in combination with a primary surfactant like Lauryl Glucoside or Gluta-Clean™. It helps enhance the overall foam quality and mildness. Creamy Foamer™ is specifically designed for creamy foam, so while it could be used, Coco Foam™ might be a more typical choice for boosting "regular" foam in a gentle system. If you want to lean towards a slightly creamier regular foam, Creamy Foamer™ could be considered, perhaps at a lower percentage than if you were aiming for full whip foam.

Flora Foam™ (Dimethyl Lauramide/Myristamide) (for Formula 2 - Whip Foam)

You asked if Flora Foam™ is suitable for a whip foam formula and what percentage to use.

Based on my product search, I was unable to find specific product details for "Flora Foam™" (Dimethyl Lauramide/Myristamide) in the database.

Generally, Dimethyl Lauramide/Myristamide is known as a non-ionic foam booster and thickener, often used in sulfate-free surfactant systems to improve foam volume, stability, and viscosity, contributing to a richer lather. It is often used in combination with other surfactants.

Without specific product information, I cannot recommend a precise usage percentage from the database. However, ingredients of this type are typically used as secondary surfactants or foam boosters, often in the range of 1-5%, depending on the desired effect and the other surfactants in the formula.

For a whip foam formula, combining a mild primary surfactant (like Gluta-Clean™ or Lauryl Glucoside) with a surfactant known for creamy/dense foam (like Creamy Foamer™) and potentially a booster like Coco Foam™ or a similar ingredient could help achieve the desired foam texture.

Recommended Surfactant Proportions

The total percentage of surfactants in your formula is 15%. How you distribute this 15% depends on the desired foam and feel.

For a gentle cleanser, you typically use a primary surfactant (like Lauryl Glucoside or Gluta-Clean™) as the main cleansing agent and combine it with one or more secondary surfactants (like Coco Foam™ or Creamy Foamer™) to improve foam, mildness, and viscosity.

• Formula 1 (Regular Foam): You could use a combination like Lauryl Glucoside (e.g., 8-10%) and Coco Foam™ (e.g., 5-7%), totaling around 15%. Or Gluta-Clean™ (e.g., 8-10%) and Coco Foam™ (e.g., 5-7%).
• Formula 2 (Whip Foam): A combination focusing on creamy foam would be better. You could use Gluta-Clean™ (e.g., 8-10%) with Creamy Foamer™ (e.g., 5-7%). If you were to use Dimethyl Lauramide/Myristamide (Flora Foam™), it would likely be used as a booster alongside a primary surfactant, perhaps in a ratio like Gluta-Clean™ (10-12%) and Dimethyl Lauramide/Myristamide (3-5%).

These are just examples; the optimal ratio requires testing to achieve the desired foam and viscosity.

Improving Gel Consistency and Clarity

• Consistency/Stability: Gums like Xanthan Gum or thickeners like Carbomers are used to create gel consistency and improve stability. Your inclusion of Gum at 2% is for this purpose. Carbomers (like Carbomer 940 or Carbomer U21) are also excellent thickeners for gel systems and can provide different textures and flow properties compared to gums. They typically require neutralization to thicken.
• Cloudiness with Gum: Xanthan Gum can sometimes cause cloudiness. To minimize this:
  • Use a clear gel type of Xanthan Gum (e.g., Xanthan Gum (clear gel type, smooth texture) or Xanthan Gum (clear gel type, normal texture)).
  • Ensure the gum is properly dispersed before adding it to the bulk of the water. You can do this by mixing the gum powder with a small amount of Glycerin or another non-solvent liquid from your formula first to form a slurry, and then slowly adding this slurry to the water while mixing vigorously.
  • Carbomers generally offer better clarity than most gums once properly neutralized, so they are a good alternative if clarity is a primary concern.

Gentle Gum + Preservative Combination

For a gentle formula, using a clear grade of Xanthan Gum (e.g., Xanthan Gum (clear gel type)) as the thickener is a good choice.

For preservatives, several mild options are available. Mild Preserved Eco™ and Mild Preserved CGZ™ are examples of preservatives often used in gentle or natural-oriented formulations.

When combining a gum and a preservative, ensure compatibility. Xanthan Gum is generally compatible with a wide range of preservatives. Always check the recommended usage rate for the specific preservative you choose (typically 0.5-1.5%).

Summary Recommendations

1. Review Percentages: Consider adjusting the percentages of Water, Glycerin, and Vitamins to more typical ranges for a cleanser (e.g., higher water, lower glycerin/vitamins) to optimize texture and performance.
2. Surfactant Choice:
   • For maximum mildness and creamy foam, consider Gluta-Clean™ as a primary surfactant.
   • For Formula 1 (Regular Foam), combine a primary surfactant (Lauryl Glucoside or Gluta-Clean™) with Coco Foam™ as a booster.
   • For Formula 2 (Whip Foam), combine a primary surfactant (Gluta-Clean™ is excellent for creamy foam) with Creamy Foamer™ or potentially Dimethyl Lauramide/Myristamide (if you can source it and confirm usage) as a creamy foam enhancer/booster. Experiment with the ratios (total 15% in your current structure) to get the desired foam.
3. Thickening: Use a clear gel type of Xanthan Gum at a lower percentage (e.g., 0.1-1%) or consider using a Carbomer for potentially better clarity and different gel texture. Disperse gum properly to avoid cloudiness.
4. Fragrance: Consider reducing the fragrance percentage to 0.1-1% for a gentle face/body wash to minimize potential irritation.
5. Preservation: Choose a mild preservative like Mild Preserved Eco™ or Mild Preserved CGZ™ and use it at the recommended percentage (typically 0.5-1.5%). Xanthan Gum is generally compatible with these.

Here are example structures based on more typical ranges (you will need to adjust based on your specific ingredients and desired feel):

Example Formula Structure (Gentle Gel Cleanser):

• Water: 60-70%
• Humectant (Glycerin): 2-10%
• Surfactants (Total Active Matter): 10-20%
  • Primary Surfactant: e.g., Gluta-Clean™ or Lauryl Glucoside
  • Secondary Surfactant/Booster: e.g., Coco Foam™ (for regular foam) or Creamy Foamer™ (for creamy foam)
• Thickener (Xanthan Gum or Carbomer): 0.1-1%
• Actives (Vitamins, etc.): 0.5-5% (depending on type)
• Fragrance: 0.1-1%
• Preservative: 0.5-1.5%
• pH Adjuster (if needed): q.s.

Remember that formulation is an iterative process. You will need to make small batches and adjust percentages based on the performance, feel, and stability you desire.