Sugar Gel Not Gelling with Oil Soap
Question
I am trying to make a gel using Sugar Gel (Product ID 661) and Oil Soap (100% oil base with Oil Soap surfactant). I followed these steps:
1. Mixed Glycerin and Sugar Gel and heated until a thick, opaque cream formed.
2. Added a small amount of water (about 1 bottle cap) to this mixture.
3. Heated the Oil Soap separately.
4. Added the heated Oil Soap to the Sugar Gel mixture while stirring.
However, the mixture became liquid instead of gelling. Did I follow the correct procedure?
Answer
Troubleshooting Sugar Gel Not Gelling with Oil Soap
Based on the information for Sugar Gel (Product ID 661), the process for creating a gel involves specific steps and conditions that you might not have fully followed, which could explain why your mixture didn't gel properly.
Here is the recommended method for using Sugar Gel:
- Prepare Phase 1: Mix Sugar Gel with Glycerin and water. It is important to include water in this initial phase, typically around 4-10% of the total formula, as Sugar Gel works best with a small amount of water present.
- Heat Phase 1: Gently heat this mixture of Sugar Gel, Glycerin, and water to about 70-80°C while stirring continuously until it dissolves and forms a creamy texture.
- Prepare Phase 2 (Oil Phase): Heat your oil phase (in your case, the Oil Soap) separately to the same temperature, around 70-80°C.
- Combine Phases: This is a critical step. Slowly pour the heated oil phase (Phase 2) into the heated Sugar Gel mixture (Phase 1) while continuously stirring or mixing. Do not pour all the oil at once. Pour gradually and keep stirring until the gel texture starts to form.
Potential reasons your mixture didn't gel:
- Insufficient Water: You mentioned adding only a small amount of water (1 bottle cap) after heating the Glycerin and Sugar Gel. Sugar Gel requires water in the initial dissolution phase to function correctly, and the amount added might have been too little compared to the total oil content.
- Temperature: Both the Sugar Gel mixture and the oil phase need to be heated to 70-80°C before combining. If the temperatures weren't right when you mixed them, it could affect gelling.
- Mixing Method: Pouring the oil phase slowly into the Sugar Gel phase while continuously stirring is essential for the gel structure to form properly.
- Oil Soap Composition: Sugar Gel is designed to gel oil. While it can incorporate small amounts of water and other ingredients, the presence of surfactants in your "Oil Soap" might interfere with the gelling mechanism compared to using a pure oil.
To troubleshoot, try following the recommended method precisely, ensuring you include the correct proportion of water in the initial Sugar Gel/Glycerin phase and combine the heated phases slowly with continuous stirring. If it still doesn't gel, it's possible that the "Oil Soap" product itself might not be fully compatible with Sugar Gel as the primary oil phase to be gelled.
