White precipitate in shower gel using ClearClean
Question
I am making a shower gel using the following formulation:
- ClearClean (5%)
- Emal Ad25
- BabyFoam
- Fragrance
- NaCl (5%)
- Water
Initially, after mixing ClearClean, Emal Ad25, BabyFoam, and water, the texture was clear and viscous. However, after adding the fragrance and 5% NaCl, a white precipitate or fibers appeared in the gel.
I have not yet added Citric Acid.
What could be causing this white precipitate, and how can I fix it?
Answer
Subject: White precipitate in shower gel using ClearClean
Hello,
Thank you for sharing your shower gel formulation and the issue you encountered with white precipitate/fibers after adding fragrance and NaCl.
Based on your description and the staff's feedback, the most likely cause of the white precipitate is the high concentration of NaCl (5%) in your formula. While NaCl is commonly used to increase the viscosity of certain surfactant systems, adding such a high amount when using a dedicated thickener like ClearClean can sometimes lead to incompatibility issues.
High salt concentrations can disrupt the structure formed by surfactants and thickeners, causing some components to "salt out" or precipitate, appearing as white fibers or cloudiness.
ClearClean is designed to effectively thicken surfactant systems on its own and typically does not require additional NaCl for viscosity adjustment.
Recommendation:
- Reduce or Eliminate NaCl: Try making your shower gel formulation again, but significantly reduce or completely eliminate the addition of NaCl. ClearClean at 5% should provide sufficient thickening for your surfactant system (Emal Ad25 and BabyFoam).
- Check pH: Ensure the pH is suitable for ClearClean's optimal performance after you have mixed all ingredients (except potentially citric acid, which you mentioned you hadn't added yet). The staff noted that incorrect pH is a common reason for ClearClean not thickening properly, although your initial result was good before adding fragrance and NaCl. If you remove NaCl and the viscosity is too low, you might need to re-check and adjust the pH slightly with Triethanolamine if needed, but avoid adding NaCl.
By removing the high concentration of NaCl, you should resolve the precipitation issue and still achieve the desired viscosity through the ClearClean.
