Thickening a Herbal Hair Mask

Regarding your question about using Paste Maker (Ceteareth-25) to thicken a hair mask made with blended herbs, the staff's advice is correct. Paste Maker is suitable for this purpose as its primary function is to increase viscosity and create a thicker texture, which will help the herbal mixture adhere to the hair and prevent dripping.

As recommended by the staff, you can start by using Paste Maker at a concentration of 3% and adjust the amount based on the desired thickness of your hair mask. Remember that Paste Maker is a thickener and does not act as an emulsifier if your formula contains both water and oil phases that need to be bound together.

If you are looking for alternative thickeners, here are a couple of options that could also be suitable for hair mask formulations:

• Sepimax Zen (Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6): This is a highly tolerant thickener that works well in the water phase and can handle varying pH levels and salts, which might be present in herbal extracts. It creates a gel texture and is typically used at a lower concentration, between 0.5% and 2%.

• CondThix™ SC96 (Polyquaternium-37 emulsion): This product acts as both a thickener and a conditioning agent, which could be beneficial for a hair mask. It is easy to use, does not require heat, and works across a wide pH range. The recommended usage rate is typically between 2% and 4%.

Consider the desired texture and any additional benefits (like conditioning from CondThix™ SC96) when choosing between these options. Always start with a lower recommended percentage and gradually increase until you achieve the desired consistency for your herbal hair mask.