Formulating Liquid and Foaming Soap with Coco Glucoside and Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Question

I am looking for guidance on formulating liquid soap and foaming pump soap using Coco Glucoside and Cocamidopropyl Betaine.

Specifically, I would like to know:

What are the recommended usage rates for Coco Glucoside and Cocamidopropyl Betaine?
Since these are typically secondary surfactants, what primary surfactant should be used with them?
How can the liquid soap formula be thickened to a desired viscosity?
What preservative is suitable for this type of formula?
Are other ingredients like solvents, emulsifiers, or antioxidants necessary?

MySkinRecipes Expert · Accepted Answer

Liquid Soap and Foaming Soap Formulas

Here are two basic formulas for liquid soap and foaming pump soap using Coco Glucoside and Cocamidopropyl Betaine, along with other necessary ingredients.

As Coco Glucoside and Cocamidopropyl Betaine are secondary surfactants, a primary surfactant like Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate is included to provide sufficient cleansing and foam.

Formula 1: Liquid Soap

Ingredient	Percentage (%)
Water	~60-70
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate	15-20
Coco Glucoside	5-10
Cocamidopropyl Betaine	5-10
EasyThick or SugarThick	1-3
Mild Preserved Eco	1
Flora Solve Clear	0.5-2.5
Essential Oil	0.5-1
Disodium EDTA	0.2
Citric Acid or Sodium Hydroxide	q.s. to pH 5.5-6.5

Instructions:

Combine water and Disodium EDTA, stir until dissolved.
Add Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Coco Glucoside, and Cocamidopropyl Betaine. Stir gently to minimize foam.
If using EasyThick, heat the mixture to 80°C and add, stirring until dissolved. If using SugarThick, it can be added at 50-60°C or warmed separately and added. If using Xanthan Gum or AnyGel (alternative thickeners if you have a blender), disperse in a small amount of glycerin or oil (if in formula) before adding to water, or blend at high speed in water until gel forms.
In a separate container, mix the Essential Oil with Flora Solve Clear.
Add the solubilized essential oil mixture to the main batch and stir.
Add Mild Preserved Eco and stir.
Measure the pH and adjust to 5.5-6.5 using a solution of Citric Acid (to lower) or Sodium Hydroxide (to raise). Add gradually and stir well after each addition.
Add remaining water to reach 100%.

Formula 2: Foaming Pump Soap

Ingredient	Percentage (%)
Water	~70-80
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate	10-15
Coco Glucoside	5-8
Cocamidopropyl Betaine	5-8
Mild Preserved Eco	1
Flora Solve Clear	0.5-2.5
Essential Oil	0.5-1
Disodium EDTA	0.2
Citric Acid or Sodium Hydroxide	q.s. to pH 5.5-6.5

Instructions:

Follow the same instructions as for the liquid soap, omitting or reducing the thickener as foaming pump soaps are less viscous.

Additional Notes:

Solvent: Flora Solve Clear acts as a solubilizer for the essential oil in these water-based formulas. No other solvent is typically required.
Emulsifier: Emulsifiers are not needed as these are water-based cleansing products, not emulsions.
Antioxidant: Antioxidants are generally not necessary unless easily oxidizable oils are included in the formula. Essential oils typically do not require antioxidants in this type of product.
EDTA: Disodium EDTA is included as a chelating agent to help prevent metal ions in water from affecting the formula's stability and performance, especially if distilled water is not used.

Always perform a small test batch before making a large quantity.