Increasing Foam in Clear Sulfate-Free Shampoo

To increase the amount of foam in a clear shampoo formulation without using ALS or SLS, you can consider incorporating gentle, sulfate-free surfactants known for their foaming properties. Here are a few options:

• Creamy Foamer™ (Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate): This ingredient is specifically described as a Foam Booster that creates soft, smooth foam. It's sulfate-free and gentle. You can use it at a recommended rate of 10-15%, and increase up to 30% if more foam is needed.

• SulFoam™ (Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate): A gentle, high-concentration detergent that provides good foaming action. It can be used as a foaming agent at 5-10% in combination with other surfactants, or 15-30% if used alone as the primary detergent.

• IseFoam™ (Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate): This is a highly gentle detergent that also produces good foam. It is typically used at a rate of 1-15%.

• Apple-Foam™ (Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids): Derived from apple amino acids, this surfactant gives a high volume of bubbles and is very gentle. While its cleaning efficiency is lower, it's excellent for boosting foam and gentleness. Usage rate is typically 5-30%.

• Powderly Foam™ (Potassium Laureth Phosphate): This gentle, sulfate-free surfactant provides a soft feel but works best for high foam when combined with other good foaming surfactants.

Combining different gentle surfactants can often help achieve desired foam characteristics (volume, stability, texture) while maintaining mildness.

Alternatively, if you are developing a new formulation, you could consider using a pre-formulated Sulfate-Free Shampoo Base such as Sulfate Free Shampoo Base (pH 7, Clear, Foaming), Sulfate Free No-Tear Shampoo Base (pH 6, Clear, Foaming), Sulfate-Free Foaming Base (pH 6, Clear, Foaming), or Sulfate-Free No-Tear Foaming Base (pH 6, Clear, Foaming). These bases are designed to be clear, sulfate-free, and provide good foam, simplifying the formulation process.

When adding any new ingredient, it's recommended to start with a lower percentage and gradually increase while testing the foam performance and clarity of your specific shampoo formulation.