Salt Dissolving in Gel Scrub Formulation

Subject: Salt Scrub Gel Formulation Issue

Hello! Regarding your salt scrub gel formula and the issue of the salt dissolving:

The main reason the Sodium Chloride (salt) is dissolving is because your gel base is primarily water (90.1% water + other water-soluble ingredients). Sodium Chloride is highly soluble in water. When you add the salt to this water-rich gel, it simply dissolves into the water phase.

Also, I noticed that the percentages in your formula add up to 120% (90.1 + 5 + 2 + 1.5 + 0.4 + 1 + 20). It seems you have a 100% gel base (the first 6 ingredients add up to 100%) and then you are adding 20% salt on top of that. This high concentration of salt added to a water-based system makes it very difficult to keep the salt in solid particle form.

To prevent the salt from dissolving, you would need to significantly reduce the water content or use a continuous phase that does not dissolve salt.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Consider an oil-based scrub: Salt does not dissolve in oil. A common way to make salt scrubs is to mix salt with oils (like carrier oils, emulsifiers, and thickeners like waxes or butters) to create a paste or balm.
• Use a different type of exfoliant: If you want to keep a gel-like texture, consider using an exfoliant that is not water-soluble, such as:
  • Polyethylene beads (if allowed in your region)
  • Jojoba beads
  • Natural particles like ground seeds or nuts (ensure proper processing and stability)
• Reduce water activity: While difficult in a high-water gel, reducing the amount of free water available to dissolve the salt would help, but this usually requires very high concentrations of humectants or other water-binding agents, which might change the texture significantly.

Keeping a high percentage of salt as solid particles in a water-based gel is challenging due to salt's high solubility. An oil-based system or using non-soluble particles are more effective approaches for scrub formulations.