SugarThick Thickening Performance with Different Surfactants in Shampoo
Question
I added SugarThick (PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate) to a shampoo where the main surfactant is SulFoam (Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate), but it did not thicken at all. However, it worked well when used with Coco Betaine (Cocamidopropyl Betaine). What is the reason for this?
Answer
Subject: Regarding SugarThick in Shampoo
Thank you for your question.
SugarThick (PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate) is a thickener whose effectiveness depends on the type of surfactant used in the formulation. It works by interacting with surfactant micelles to increase viscosity.
It appears that SugarThick interacts effectively with the surfactant system containing Coco Betaine (Cocamidopropyl Betaine), which is an amphoteric surfactant often used to boost viscosity.
However, it does not interact effectively with the surfactant system primarily based on SulFoam (Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate), which is an anionic surfactant.
Therefore, the lack of thickening when using SulFoam as the main surfactant is likely due to the specific interaction (or lack of interaction) between SugarThick and the SulFoam surfactant system, compared to its interaction with the Coco Betaine system. Different surfactants have different chemical structures and properties, leading to varied interactions with thickeners like SugarThick.
