Shampoo Formulation Issues: Separation and Thickening

Subject: Re: Shampoo Ingredient Inquiry

Hello,

Thank you for providing details about your shampoo formulation attempt and the issues you encountered with separation and thickening.

The separation and difficulty in thickening you experienced are likely due to the mixing order and potentially the concentrations used, especially the total amount of surfactants and how the thickener (SugarThick) was incorporated.

Based on the staff's previous advice, it is crucial to follow a specific mixing procedure for this formula:

1. Warm the water to around 70°C.
2. Add the conditioning agents and Behentrimonium Chloride (Poly-Conditioner Pro 400, HyaCoat Hair, GuarCat Weight-less, Behentrimonium Chloride) to the warm water and stir gently until fully dissolved.
3. Add the surfactants (BabyFoam, Creamy Foamer, Lauryl Glucoside, Gluta-Clean, Coco Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine) to the mixture and stir gently to avoid excessive foam.
4. Warm the mixture again to 60-70°C if it has cooled, and then add SugarThick. Start with a lower concentration, as suggested by the staff (e.g., 2%), and stir gently until it dissolves and the mixture begins to thicken upon cooling. Using 5% might be too high, especially if the surfactant system isn't optimal for that concentration, leading to stickiness rather than proper viscosity.
5. Once the mixture has cooled and thickened, add the remaining ingredients (Zinc Pyrithione, Piroctone Olamine, BioSulphur™ EQ, BioSulphur™ EQ, Pure Keratin, Creatine 100, Biotin Express, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Silk Protein, N-Acetyl Cysteine, preservatives like Phenoxyethanol SA and Mild Preserved Eco). Stir gently until everything is uniformly dispersed.
6. Finally, check and adjust the pH using Citric Acid as needed.

Regarding the concentrations, the staff mentioned that the total concentration of surfactants should be at least 20% for effective cleaning. Using all ingredients, including surfactants, at very low concentrations (0.1-1% each) might result in a total surfactant level far below this recommendation, which can negatively impact the formula's stability, foam, cleaning performance, and ability to thicken properly with SugarThick.

It is recommended to:

• Follow the detailed mixing steps and temperatures provided by the staff.
• Ensure the total concentration of your chosen surfactants is adequate, ideally 20% or more of the total formula, adjusting the water percentage accordingly.
• Review the recommended usage rates for each ingredient on their respective product pages and adjust concentrations based on your desired effects, keeping the total formula at 100%. As the staff noted, you have many ingredients in similar categories; you might consider reducing the number of ingredients or using them at lower, effective concentrations as part of a balanced formula.
• Start with a lower concentration of SugarThick (like 2%) and incorporate it with warming as instructed.

By following the correct mixing procedure and ensuring appropriate concentrations, particularly for surfactants and the thickener, you should be able to achieve a stable, properly thickened shampoo.