Shower Cream Formulation for Scrub Suspension
Question
I am developing a shower cream formulation and would like the scrub particles, such as apricot seed powder, to remain suspended throughout the product. Would the following formula be suitable, or what modifications should I make?
Here is the proposed formula:
- Sulfate-Free Foaming Base (pH 6, Clear, Foaming): 30%
- Creamy Foamer™ (Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate): 10%
- Methyl Gluceth-20: 2%
- emulPearl™ (Pearlizer, Dispersed Liquid): 5%
- EasyThick™: 10%
- Phenoxyethanol SA: 1%
- Scrub: 1%
- Other Active Ingredients: 5%
- Purified Water: 35%
Answer
Shower Cream Formulation for Scrub Suspension
You are working on a shower cream formula and want to ensure scrub particles, like apricot seed powder, remain suspended.
Suspending dense particles in a liquid requires the formula to have a property called yield stress. This means the liquid is thick enough and has a structure that can hold particles in place when the product is not being moved, preventing them from settling over time. Simple viscosity (how thick it feels when flowing) is often not enough for long-term suspension.
Your formula includes EasyThick™ at 10%, which is a thickener for shampoo and liquid soap (INCI: POLYOXYETHYLENE GLYCERYL ISOSTEARATE). While EasyThick™ will increase the overall viscosity of your shower cream, its primary function is thickening rather than creating the specific yield stress needed for robust particle suspension.
Based on the properties of EasyThick™, it is unlikely that your current formula will be able to keep dense scrub particles like apricot seed powder suspended long-term. The particles will most likely settle to the bottom over time.
To effectively suspend scrub particles, you would typically need to use a dedicated suspending agent or a rheology modifier specifically designed to create yield stress in surfactant systems. Common ingredients used for this purpose include certain Carbomers, Acrylates copolymers, or specialized suspension polymers.
You may need to replace or add a suitable suspending agent to your formula to achieve stable suspension of the scrub particles.
