Preventing Separation in Herbal Shampoo Formulation

Recommendation to Prevent Separation in Herbal Shampoo

The separation issue you encountered in your herbal shampoo after 2-3 months is likely due to several factors. Primarily, it often happens when incompatible ingredients in the formula, especially herbal extracts (such as essential oils, suspended solids, or other compounds that don't dissolve well in water), separate from the water and surfactant base.

Based on your formula, which contains 68% herbal water and uses main surfactants like Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine that don't provide significant viscosity, and lacks a specific suspending or emulsion stabilizing agent, the components from the herbal water have a higher chance of separating or settling over time. The relatively low viscosity also contributes to this separation.

To address this issue, it is recommended to add a suitable thickener and suspending agent to your formula. These ingredients will help build structure within the shampoo, keeping the incompatible ingredients or particles from the herbal water dispersed and preventing settling or separation.

Suitable ingredients for use in shampoo to help prevent separation and improve stability include:

• ClearClean™ or ThickClean™ (Acrylates Crosspolymer): This group of ingredients are thickeners and suspending agents specifically designed for shampoos and liquid soaps. They help create a gel texture that can effectively suspend beads, glitter, or other particles without settling. They work well within the typical shampoo pH range of 4-6, which is suitable for skin and hair. ClearClean™ provides a clearer texture than ThickClean™.

  • Usage Rate: Generally recommended at 1-3% of the formula, or adjusted based on the desired viscosity and suspension. It should be incorporated following the recommended procedure for this type of ingredient (often added after surfactants and pH adjustment).

• Sepimax Zen (Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6): This is a thickener and emulsion stabilizer with high tolerance to salt and pH variations. It can help create a gel structure in the water phase and improve the overall stability of the formula.

  • Usage Rate: Recommended at 0.5-2% of the formula.

Adding these ingredients to your formula will increase viscosity and create a network that helps hold the particles or incompatible parts of the herbal water in suspension. This will make your shampoo more stable and prevent separation over time. You should start by adding a small amount and gradually adjust until you achieve the desired viscosity and stability.