Addressing Your Gel Formulation Issue with Glycerin Gel and EDTA

You've encountered a common challenge when using certain gel makers: incompatibility with electrolytes. In your case, adding Disodium EDTA, which is an electrolyte, caused your Glycerin Gel formulation to become liquid.

Here's a breakdown and how to address it:

Why the Gel Became Liquid

Glycerin Gel (Glyceryl Polyacrylate) is a simple gel base, but it is generally not tolerant of electrolytes. When you added Disodium EDTA (an electrolyte) to the formulation, it disrupted the gel structure formed by the Glycerin Gel, causing it to lose viscosity and become liquid.

In contrast, some other gel makers, like Pro Polymer (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer), are specifically designed to be electrolyte tolerant. Their structure is more stable in the presence of salts and other charged substances.

How to Fix Your Formulation

To achieve a stable gel texture when using ingredients like EDTA, you have a couple of options:

1. Switch to an Electrolyte-Tolerant Gel Maker: The most reliable solution is to use a gel maker known for its electrolyte tolerance. Pro Polymer is one such option. If you use Pro Polymer, you might need to use a slightly higher concentration (e.g., 2-3% instead of the typical 1%) depending on the total amount of electrolytes in your formula (including EDTA and any other salt-containing ingredients).

2. Avoid Electrolytes (If Possible): If you must use Glycerin Gel, you would need to avoid adding ingredients that are electrolytes, such as EDTA. However, EDTA is often important for chelating metal ions in water and improving formula stability, so omitting it might not be ideal, especially if you are not using distilled water.

Glycerin Gel and Electrolyte Tolerance

Based on your experience and the typical properties of Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Glycerin Gel is not electrolyte tolerant. This is why adding EDTA caused your gel to break down.

For formulations containing electrolytes, selecting a gel maker specifically designed for electrolyte resistance is crucial for maintaining the desired texture and stability.