Troubleshooting Balling Effect in Clear Gommage Peeling Gel

Your current test should be recalculated by active content, not only by grams.

If Carbomer 940 (2%) 10 g means 10 g of a pre-made 2% carbomer gel, then it contains only 0.20 g active Carbomer 940. Your CTAC 30% liquid 3 g contains about 0.90 g active Cetrimonium Chloride. That gives a CTAC active : carbomer active ratio of about 4.5 : 1, which is very high and is likely to over-complex/collapse the carbomer instead of giving a clean gommage balling effect.

Also, if the batch is roughly 10 g carbomer gel + 3 g CTAC liquid before TEA/water correction, CTAC product level is about 23% of the batch and CTAC active is about 6.9%, far above the catalog guidance for Cetrimonium Chloride (CTAC), which is normally used at much lower product levels.

Why the balling did not appear

The erasing/balling effect comes from a controlled interaction between neutralized anionic carbomer and a cationic quaternary ammonium ingredient during rubbing. It is not simply from dissolving CTAC into carbomer gel. Carbomer 940 is also not electrolyte tolerant, and CTAC is a cationic salt, so too much CTAC can thin, cloud, precipitate, or destabilize the gel.

Suggested troubleshooting direction

1. Fully hydrate/disperse Carbomer 940 in water first.
2. Neutralize slowly with TEA to about pH 6.0–6.5 until the gel is uniform. pH 6 is in the Carbomer 940 catalog range, but pH alone does not guarantee balling.
3. Pre-dilute CTAC 30% with water.
4. Add the diluted CTAC slowly after the carbomer gel is already formed, using low-to-moderate mixing.
5. Do not add CTAC into dry carbomer or into unneutralized/incompletely hydrated carbomer dispersion.

For a small screening test, keep Carbomer 940 around 1–2% active in the final formula, neutralized to pH 6.0–6.5, then trial CTAC 30% at low final product levels such as 0.2%, 0.5%, and 1.0%. Check clarity, viscosity, 24-hour stability, and rub-out/balling after each version.

If the gel becomes cloudy, stringy, grainy, thin, or separates after CTAC addition, the CTAC level is too high, the addition is too fast, or the local CTAC concentration is too high. A clear stable bottle gel and a strong rubbing/balling effect are opposing targets, so the usable ratio window can be narrow.

For facial or eye-area positioning, CTAC use should be reviewed carefully for irritation and regulatory suitability. Keep development as rinse-off unless separately substantiated.