Gentle Facial Cleansing Gel Formula Review

Thank you for sharing your formula for a gentle facial cleansing gel. Here's a review and guidance on mixing and adjusting the percentages:

Mixing Procedure:

1. Prepare the Water Phase: In a beaker, add the water.
2. Hydrate the Thickener: Slowly add Xanthan Gum to the water while stirring continuously to prevent clumping. Stir until fully dispersed and the gel starts to form. You can also pre-disperse the Xanthan Gum in a small amount of Propylene Glycol or Glycerin (if used) before adding to water to help prevent clumps.
3. Add Humectants and Water-Soluble Ingredients: Add Propylene Glycol, Natural Moisturizing Amino Acids, Sodium PCA, and Sodium Lactate to the water/Xanthan Gum mixture. Stir until everything is well combined.
4. Add Surfactants: Gently add Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, and Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate. Stir slowly to avoid creating excessive foam.
5. Add Preservative: Add the preservative blend (Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid). Stir to incorporate.
6. Adjust pH: Measure the pH of the mixture. Slowly add Lactic Acid drop by drop, stirring after each addition, until the pH is between 5.0 and 6.5.
7. Final Check: Once the pH is adjusted, stir gently one last time. Package the product.

Review and Adjusting Percentages for Gentleness:

Your formula uses a combination of mild surfactants and moisturizing ingredients, which is a good starting point for a gentle cleanser. However, the percentages of some ingredients are quite high:

• Propylene Glycol (30%): While a useful humectant and solvent, 30% is a very high concentration, even for a wash-off product. It might potentially cause some dryness or irritation for very sensitive skin.
• Cocamidopropyl Betaine (30%): This is a high percentage for Cocamidopropyl Betaine, especially as the main surfactant. While milder than some anionic surfactants, such a high concentration could still be drying or irritating for some individuals. It also contributes significantly to the viscosity and foam.
• Total Surfactant Load (36%): The total amount of surfactants (Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate) is relatively high for a cleanser specifically aiming for maximum gentleness.

Recommendations for Adjustment:

To make the formula potentially gentler, you could consider the following adjustments:

• Reduce Total Surfactant: Lower the total percentage of surfactants. A total surfactant concentration between 10-20% is often used for gentle cleansers, depending on the specific surfactants.
• Adjust Surfactant Ratio: Increase the percentage of very mild surfactants like Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate (currently only 1%) and Lauryl Glucoside (5%) while reducing Cocamidopropyl Betaine (30%). For example, you could try a ratio that uses more Lauryl Glucoside and Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate as primary cleansing agents, with Cocamidopropyl Betaine as a co-surfactant and foam booster at a lower percentage (e.g., 5-10%).
• Reduce Propylene Glycol: Consider reducing the Propylene Glycol percentage. You could replace some of it with water or other humectants like Glycerin (typically used at 2-10%).
• Maintain or Increase NMF Components: The Natural Moisturizing Amino Acids, Sodium PCA, and Sodium Lactate (1% each) are beneficial for skin hydration and can be kept as is or slightly increased if desired.
• Xanthan Gum and Preservative: The percentages for Xanthan Gum (1%) and the preservative blend (1%) are likely appropriate and can be kept.

Example of a potential adjustment (Illustrative, requires testing):

This is just an example and needs testing and adjustment based on desired feel and performance:

• Water: q.s. to 100% (e.g., around 60-70%)
• Propylene Glycol: 5-10%
• Cocamidopropyl Betaine: 5-10%
• Lauryl Glucoside: 5-10%
• Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate: 5-10%
• Natural Moisturizing Amino Acids: 1%
• Sodium PCA: 1%
• Sodium Lactate: 1%
• Lactic Acid: q.s. to pH 5.0-6.5
• Preservative Blend: 1%
• Xanthan Gum: 0.5 - 1% (adjust for desired viscosity)

Remember that any changes require testing the stability, viscosity, foaming, and feel of the final product.