Herbal Shampoo Formulation Guidance

Creating a herbal shampoo involves combining cleansing agents, foaming agents, preservatives, and your chosen herbal ingredients. Based on your questions and the product information, here are the details:

Cleansing and Foaming Agents

You asked about the percentages for Mild-Wash and Coco-Foam.

• Mild-Wash L™ (Sodium Lauroamphoacetate): This is an extra gentle detergent with good cleaning ability. The recommended usage rate is 1-20%. If used as the primary detergent alone, 5-10% is suggested. If combined with other detergents, 3-5% is recommended.
• Coco-Foam-50™ (Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine): This ingredient focuses on creating lather and foam but has low cleaning efficiency. It should be used with other detergents. The usage rate is 1-30%.

Both Mild-Wash L™ and Coco-Foam-50™ are alkaline and will require pH adjustment to the skin's range of 5-6 using an acid like Citric Acid or Lactic Acid.

You asked if you could use only Coco-Foam-50™ for both cleansing and foaming. Since Coco-Foam-50™ has low cleaning efficiency and is primarily a foam booster, using it alone is not recommended for effective hair cleansing.

You also asked if Coco-Betaine is a better alternative to Mild-Wash L™. Coco-Betaine is also a mild surfactant and foaming agent, considered more natural and less irritating than Cocamidopropyl Betaine. Like Coco-Foam-50™, it has lower cleaning efficiency when used alone and is best combined with other detergents. Mild-Wash L™ offers good cleaning power while still being gentle. The choice between Mild-Wash L™ and Coco-Betaine depends on whether your priority is cleaning effectiveness (Mild-Wash L™) or a more natural origin and potentially milder feel (Coco-Betaine), assuming you are using other primary cleansing agents.

As suggested by the staff, using a Sulfate Free Shampoo Base (like Sulfate Free Shampoo Base or Sulfate Free No-Tear Shampoo Base) at 30-35% (for adult formulas) mixed with water is an easier option as it provides both cleaning and foaming properties in one base.

Preservatives

You asked about the percentage for Mild-Preservative and if you need to add a preservative when using Sulfate Free Shampoo Base with herbal water.

• Mild Preserved™ COS: This is a broad-spectrum preservative. The recommended usage rate is 0.75-1.5%. It should be mixed in the final step at a temperature below 45°C and is effective in a pH range of 2-8.

Even if a base like Sulfate Free Shampoo Base contains preservatives (such as Methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone), adding herbal water introduces microbial contamination risk. Therefore, you should add an additional preservative. The staff recommended Phenoxyethanol SA at 0.5% mixed into the water phase first. Phenoxyethanol SA has a usage rate of 0.5-1.25% and works best in a pH range of 2.0-6.0. Since you have Mild-Preservative, you can use that instead at its recommended rate of 0.75-1.5%.

Herbal Ingredients and Water

Regarding your herbal ingredients (Kaffir lime, Butterfly pea, Ginger) and water:

• Fresh Herbs: As the staff mentioned, using fresh herbs directly in cosmetic formulations is generally not recommended due to microbial control and stability issues.
• Herbal Powder: Using herbal powder might offer better stability than fresh herbs, but it is crucial to check with the supplier of the powder regarding its suitability for cosmetic use, processing methods (e.g., sterilization), and recommended usage to ensure safety and stability.
• Herbal Water vs. Distilled Water: The standard practice when using shampoo bases is to mix them with distilled water or DI water for stability and microbial control. Using herbal water instead of distilled water introduces significant challenges in terms of preservation and product shelf life. If you choose to use herbal water, you must ensure robust preservation.

Thickening

You asked if salt can be used to thicken the Sulfate Free Shampoo Base. Yes, salt (Sodium Chloride) can be used to adjust the viscosity of Sulfate Free Shampoo Base. The product description suggests adding about 0.5-1.5% salt. It is recommended to start by testing at 0.2%, stirring gently, and letting the formula sit for 24 hours as the thickening occurs gradually.