Surfactants Part One A Reference Guide Revised

Surfactants: A reference guide (revised 2022) 1
Susan Barclay Nichols
ADVENTURES IN COSMETIC
C HEMISTRY
2
INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................6
Introduction to the 2022 revision................................................................................6

GENERAL NOTES ON MAKING PRODUCTS .....................................................8
ANTI-OXIDANTS & PRESERVATIVES .........................................................................11

CHOOSING PRESERVATIVES ..................................................................................12
PRESERVATIVE COMPARISON CHART .....................................................................12
QUICK NOTE ON ELECTRICAL CHARGES ...............................................................14
HOW TO MAKE PRODUCTS MORE ORGANIC OR NATURALLY COMPLIANT? .........15
LINK TO A SERIES ON MY SITE ABOUT USING FRAGRANCE OILS IN OUR
PRODUCTS! ............................................................................................................15
A FEW THOUGHTS ON EQUIPMENT AND PROCESS .......................................16
WHAT’S A SURFACTANT? ..............................................................................17
WHAT’S SURFACE TENSION? .................................................................................17

WHAT ARE MICELLES? ............................................................................................18
BUBBLES, FOAM, AND LATHER...............................................................................19
CLEANSING...........................................................................................................22
ACTIVE SURFACTANT MATTER ................................................................................23
OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT… ..............................................................25
DESCRIPTIONS OF FOAMS AND SUCH ..................................................................25

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SURFACTANTS ...........................................................25
FOAM MODIFIERS .................................................................................................26
FOAM BOOSTERS: AMINE OXIDES ........................................................................27
INCORPORATING MILDNESS INTO OUR PRODUCTS (AN OVERVIEW) ...................31
HERE’S THE QUICK SUMMARY ABOUT INCREASING MILDNESS….........................34
AN ASIDE: COCO- VERSUS LAUR- ..........................................................................34
THINGS TO NOTE WHEN WORKING WITH LIQUID SURFACTANTS ................35
THINGS TO NOTE WHEN WORKING WITH SOLID SURFACTANTS ..................37
A NOTE ON USING BLENDS OF SURFACTANTS .............................................39
WHY IS pH SO IMPORTANT IN THESE KINDS OF PRODUCTS?.......................40
MEASURING PH ....................................................................................................41
ADJUSTING pH ......................................................................................................41
AN ASIDE: WHAT CAUSES SKIN TIGHTNESS AFTER WASHING? ....................43
VISCOSITY ....................................................................................................44
BUILDING VISCOSITY: INCREASING SURFACTANT CONCENTRATION ...................46

AN ASIDE: WHAT ARE ELECTROLYTES? AND ARE THEY REALLY WHAT PLANTS
CRAVE?..................................................................................................................47
BUILDING VISCOSITY: INCREASING MICELLE SIZE ................................................48
BUILDING VISCOSITY: CREATING GELS AND THICKENING WATER........................49
THICKENERS ..................................................................................................51
ACACIA GUM (GUM ARABIC) - anionic ..................................................................51

CROTHIX (PEG-150 pentaerythrityl tetrastearate (and) PEG-6 caprylic/capric
trigLycerides (and) water) - NON-IONIC ..................................................................52
GLYCOL DISTEARATE - NON-IONIC ........................................................................54
HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE (HEC) - NON-IONIC.....................................................54
HYDROXYLPROPYL METHYL CELLULOSE (HPMC) - NON-IONIC ...............................56
LAMESOFT® PO 65 (INCI: Coco glucoside and glyceryl oleate) ...............................58
PEARLIZER (INCI: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycol Distearate, Cocamide MEA,
Laureth-10) .............................................................................................................62
PEG-150 DISTEARATE - NON-IONIC........................................................................63
RHEOMER 33T (INCI: Polyacrylate-33) ....................................................................63
RITATHIX DOE aka SURFTHIX™ DOE (INCI: PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate (and)
Methyl Gluceth-10) - NON-IONIC ............................................................................66
SEPIMAX ZEN (INCI: Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6) - ANIONIC ................................67
SEPINOV EMT 10 (INCI: Hydroxyethyl Acrylate / Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate
Copolymer) - ANIONIC ..........................................................................................68
SILIGEL (INCI: Xanthan Gum (and) Lecithin (and) Sclerotium Gum (and) Pullulan) -
ANIONIC ...............................................................................................................69
SOLAGUM AX (INCI: Acacia senegal gum and xanthan gum) - ANIONIC .................70
XANTHAN GUM - ANIONIC ...................................................................................71
AN ASIDE: USING EDTA IN SURFACTANT BASED PRODUCTS .........................73
GENERAL CHECKLIST FOR EACH SURFACTANT ...............................................74
ANIONIC (NEGATIVELY CHARGED) surfactants .............................................76
DISODIUM LAURETH SULFOSUCCINATE (DLS) - LIQUID ..........................................76

DISODIUM LAURETH SULFOSUCCINATE (DLS) - POWDER ......................................77

FOAMING PROTEINS (OVERVIEW) ........................................................................78
FOAMING AMARANTH PROTEIN PET OR ECT ........................................................79
FOAMING APPLE SURFACTANT ..............................................................................80
FOAMING OAT PROTEIN .......................................................................................81
FOAMING RICE .....................................................................................................83
FOAMING SILK ......................................................................................................84
FOAMING SOY......................................................................................................85
SODIUM C14-16 OLEFIN SULFONATE (liquid) .........................................................87
SODIUM C14-16 OLEFIN SULFONATE (POWDER) ...................................................88
SODIUM COCO SULFATE (POWDER) .....................................................................90
SODIUM COCOYL GLUTAMATE..............................................................................91
SODIUM COCOYL GLYCINATE ...............................................................................92
SODIUM COCOYL ISETHIONATE (solid) .................................................................93
SODIUM COCOYL METHYL ISETHIONATE (solid, FLAKES) .......................................94
SODIUM COCOYL ISETHIONATE (SCI) AND DISODIUM COCOYL GLUTAMATE
(POWDER) .............................................................................................................96
SODIUM COCOYL SARCOSINATE ..........................................................................98
SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLeS) .........................................................................99
SODIUM LAURYL GLUCOSE CARBOXYLATE ..........................................................100
SODIUM LAURYL GLUCOSIDES HYDROXYPROPYL SULFONATE .............................101
SODIUM LAURYL SULFOACETATE (SLSa) - SOLID ..................................................102
SODIUM METHYL COCOYL TAURATE (paste) ........................................................103
SODIUM METHYL COCOYL TAURATE (powder) .....................................................104
SODIUM TRIDECETH SULFATE ...............................................................................105
SUGA®NATE 160 DRY (INCI: Sodium laurylglucosides hydroxypropylsulfonate and
silica) ...................................................................................................................106
NON-IONIC SURFACTANTS .........................................................................108
COCO GLUCOSIDE ..............................................................................................108

DECYL GLUCOSIDE ..............................................................................................109
DECYL GLUCOSIDE & SODIUM LAUROYL LACTYLATE (liquid) ................................110
LAURYL GLUCOSIDE .............................................................................................112
AMPHOTERIC SURFACTANTS .......................................................................113
BABASSUAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE ........................................................................113

COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE (CAPB)....................................................................114
COCAMIDOPROPYL HYDROXYSULTAINE ..............................................................115
DISODIUM COCOAMPHODIACETATE ...................................................................116
LAURAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE ...............................................................................117
SHEA BUTTERAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE ..................................................................118
SODIUM BIS-HYDROXYETHYLGLYCINATE COCO GLUCOSIDES CROSS POLYMER..120
SODIUM COCOAMPHOACETATE .........................................................................121
SODIUM LAUROAMPHOACETATE ........................................................................122
SURFACTANT BLENDS ..................................................................................123
CLEANSING BLEND WF .......................................................................................123

ISELUX ULTRA MILD ..............................................................................................124
MIRACARE SOFT 313 (BLEND) ..............................................................................125
PLANTAPON SF or COCO GLUCOSE ....................................................................126
PLANTAPON TF ....................................................................................................127
STEPAN-MILD BSB.................................................................................................128
STEPAN-MILD LSB SURFACTANT............................................................................129
SUGA®DET MILD .................................................................................................131
A FEW EXAMPLES OF HOW WE MIGHT BLEND SURFACTANTS ....................132
Formulating a bubble bath .....................................................................................132

Formulating a foaming facial cleanser ....................................................................132
Formulating a gentle hand wash .............................................................................133
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................135
SUPPLIERS’ INFORMATION ..................................................................................136
Written by Susan Barclay Nichols, better known as SwiftCraftyMonkey, blogger and

formulator for the blog Point of Interest (http://swiftcraftymonkey.blog).
© 2022 by Susan Barclay Nichols. All rights reserved. This e-book or any portion thereof may not be
reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the author, except as permitted by
Canadian copyright law. The products you make from formulas contained in this e-book can be used by
you for personal or commercial purposes, but please don’t copy and paste the text or share this entire e-
book on sites like Scribd or forward to your friends who aren’t subscribers to the blog. Instead, please
refer them to my shop or refer them to the site. Have fun formulating!
INTRODUCTION
I admit it - I’m a surfactant junkie. If I see a new one,
I have to have it! I love making products with
surfactants from shampoo and body wash, make-up
remover to facial cleanser, bubble bath to shampoo
bar - I can’t think of a surfactant based product I
don’t love making.
I remember stumbling upon a shampoo for oily hair

back in 2006 when I started making products. I drove
as quickly as I could to Voyageur Soap & Candle,
bought up all the surfactants I could, and made it as soon as I arrived home. It was the rst
time in years my hair felt clean and shiny. (You try nding a shampoo for oily hair. It’s all
“greasy roots, dry ends”, which does neither well.) I was hooked! That was the very last
time I bought commercial shampoo!
Before I made my own products, I used sensitive skin, fragrance free body wash and facial
cleanser and everything else because my skin always felt so dry and tight after using other
versions. That doesn’t happen any more either because I can make all kinds of amazing
formulas with increased mildness and reduced irritation that rinse o easily, even in hard
water.
I think I’ve covered every surfactant I’ve used over the last 16 years in this e-book. If there’s
one that interests you, please let me know by writing to
swiftcraftymonkey@swiftcraftymonkey.blog with the name of the surfactant or blend and
where I could buy it, and I’ll do my best to obtain it!
INTRODUCTION TO THE 2022 REVISION
The goal of this revision of the original e-book from May 2018 was to incorporate all the
new surfactants I’ve used over the last four years - there are 16 new pro les in this e-book -
along with more information on how to work with surfactants with information like
increasing mildness and thickening the nal product. I’ve reviewed and updated every
surfactant entry that needed updating, and I hope you enjoy this new version!
If you’re interested in surfactants and making cleansing products, check out these other e-
books in the shop on my site…
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Body cleansing bars you will love (making solid cleansing

products)
Foamy, bubbly, lathery powders: Face & body cleansers
Hair care products: Shampoos & conditioners
One shampoo bar, four ways
Shampoo bars you will love
Surfactants: Making foaming facial cleansers
Surfactants, part three: Formulating guidelines and liquid thickeners
Surfactants: Body washes and shower gels
Surfactants: Milder combinations for gentler products
Bath time fun!
My favourite class formulations: Making hair care products
You may notice some of these entries look very similar to those on the blog. There’s no
point re-writing something just to make it look di erent, and I’ve checked them to ensure
they're accurate based on what I've learned over the years about this topic, and have added
information where I though there were gaps. My goal for this e-book was to assemble all the
information I know on surfactants to create a reference guide for future e-books and projects
on the blog.
Quick note on the cover photo: That’s a microscopic view of a body wash I made a few years ago. Look at
those lovely little bubbles!
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GENERAL NOTES ON MAKING

PRODUCTS
If this is your rst time making products, woo hoo! I admit I’m a bit jealous of the exciting
journey that lies ahead for you. If you’ve made products before, this is probably old hat, so
feel free to jump ahead!
How to read a formula? Convert the % to the word grams and you’ll be making a 100 gram
batch of something. If you want more than 100 grams (3.3 ounces) of something, you’ll
want to multiply everything by 2 for 200 grams, 3 for 300 grams, and so on.
Why do we use weighted measurements? We need to measure every formula you want to
make by weight as it’s more accurate. If I tell you to use 1 tablespoon of beeswax, is that
before or after it’s melted? Do you shave the beeswax o or does it come in pastille form?
When we make things by weight, we don’t worry about those things! Besides, when we
measure everything on the scale into the container, we only have one or two things to clean
instead of all those tiny spoons and measuring cups! Invest in a good digital scale – you
should get one for about $30 or so – and you’ll be so happy with your products.
Why do you use grams? Because I’m Canadian and that’s the way we do things up here in
metric system land. Besides, if something’s in ounces, how do you know if those are volume
or weighted ounces? A gram is always a measurement of weight so it’s easier.
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If you need a quick conversion, one weighed ounce is about 30 grams. You may see it listed as
28.something or other, but it’s just as easy to think of 1 ounce = 30 grams.
What if I want to use ounces? You can, but the math gets tricky. If you try doing the
“convert the % to ounces” thing, you end up with 100 ounces, and that’s a lot of stu . You
could convert % to ounces, then multiply by 0.1 to get 10 ounces, but that’s still a lot. It’s
just so much easier to use grams.
How much should I make of a product the rst time? Make no more than 300 grams of
something. That way you don’t have a lot of something hanging around the house if you
hate it or if the formula fails. (I generally make 100 grams, but you need a little scale that
measures to 0.1 or even 0.01 grams for that!)
How should I mix the formulas? If I don’t tell you, then mix with either a stick blender or
a hand mixer with the beater blades. If I do tell you, please do it that way as it’s important
to make the product work. If you’re working with foamy or lathery things, like body washes
or face cleansers, you’ll want to use a large fork and mix it carefully.
Do not mix any emulsions by hand with a whisk, spoon, or fork as lotions and conditioners
require a lot of vigorous mixing to make the emulsion come together properly. You might
have something stable today and even tomorrow, but these kinds of emulsions will soon
separate because there’s just not enough energy to make them work properly. There’s
nothing romantic, special, or clever about hand-churned products; it goes against everything
we’re taught about creating stable emulsions.
Why are you using distilled water? Using distilled water or reverse osmosis water in
these formulas is essential. Even boiled water can contain minerals that can cause or speed
up contamination or rancidity. Invest $2 for four litres (one gallon) of distilled water and
save yourself the heartache of seeing a great product go bad!
I’m assuming you have passing familiarity with ingredients for bath & body products. If you
nd something unfamiliar, please visit my blog at http://swiftcraftymonkey.blog and look at
the sections or do a search. I’ve done my best here to give you a brief overview of various
ingredients, but if I went into as much detail as I do on the blog, this little e-zine would run
40 pages for one formula alone!
Can I use di erent oils than you use? De nitely! In any of my formulas for lotions, you
can exchange any oil for any oil, any butter for any butter, any oil for any butter, or any
butter for any oil and the formula will work. You may alter the viscosity if you use olive oil
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instead of cocoa butter and you may alter the skin feel if you exchange a greasy oil for a dry
one, but the emulsion will still turn out just ne.
Can I make alterations in the water phase? In general, I say you can alter the water phase
of a product by adding a little aloe vera or hydrosol in place of distilled water, but you have
to check to see which emulsi ers or other ingredients can mix with things like electrolytes
(salts) or alcohol, for instance. And remember we have to think about the charge – anionic,
cationic, or non-ionic – when adding things lotions, so it’s probably best you don’t alter the
water phase much the rst time or two you make something. Having said this, if you don’t
have something like aloe vera or hydrolyzed protein, you can always leave it out and add
that percentage back in the distilled water amount. For instance, if you remove 10% aloe
vera, add 10% distilled water so the formula always totals 100%.
How do I use 100x or 200x aloe vera concentrated powder? We can’t just add this
concentrated powder to a product, we need to reconstitute it rst. Measure 1 gram aloe vera
100x powder into a bottle, then add 98.5 grams distilled or reverse osmosis water with 0.5
grams Germall Plus liquid. Shake well until mixed. You might need to warm the water
slightly if it’s cold.
If you wanted to use 200x concentrated powder, you would measure 1 gram aloe vera 200x
powder into a bottle, add 198 grams of distilled or reverse osmosis water with 1 gram
Germall Plus liquid or other suitable preservative. Shake until mixed. You may need to
warm the water slightly if it’s cold.
What’s the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients)? The INCI is

the name you’ll see in brackets for an ingredient at our suppliers’ shops, in data sheets or
bulletins from manufacturers or distributors, in trade magazines and formulas, and
ingredient lists. For oils, butters, and essential oils, it’ll be the botanical name with the
common name in brackets. Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter) fruit is shea butter. For
other ingredients, this will be the chemical name of the ingredient. For instance, the INCI
for Ritamulse SCG is (Glyceryl stearate (and) cetearyl alcohol (and) sodium stearoyl
lactylate). The (and) means that you’ll also nd that compound in the ingredient.
In Canada, we use the 11th edition of the INCI name book, while the US uses the 2nd
edition from the 70s.
When making any of my formulas, please follow the process carefully. I’ve written
these instructions to work with the formula, and altering them can result in a failed product.
If the formula calls for an immersion or stick blender, it requires shear-type mixing, and
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using a hand mixer or mixing by hand with a whisk is no shear type mixing, and the lotion
can fail. I suggest reading the formula and the process three times before making it so you
can get a good idea about everything involved instead of having something sneak up on you
while you’re mid-formulation, like needing a hand mixer or having to test the temperature
with a thermometer.
When adding ingredients to the formula while formulating, add all the ingredients
into one container, unless I note otherwise. For instance, for lotions, we might have a
heated water phase, a heated oil phase, and a cool down phase. The heated water phase is
one container, the heated oil phase is another container, and we combine the two after
removing them from the heat. We would put the cool down phase directly into the one
container that contains the heated water and oil phase when the time is right. Measuring
out a tiny cool down phase in a shot glass or tiny cup means we run the risk of losing some
of it to the container, and considering that’s generally where the preservatives go, we risk
contamination by not including all of it.
Please measure temperature with a thermometer. Get an inexpensive one that has a nice
face you can read quickly and easily without your glasses. Touching the ingredients in the
container or holding the outside of it isn’t even remotely accurate, and knowing the actual
temperature is vital to the success of so many products, including avoiding those horrible
grains butters cause.
A N T I - OX I DA N T S & P R E S E RVAT I V E S
Anti-oxidants are ingredients that retard or slow down the rancidity of our oils, like Vitamin
E, so they extend the shelf life of our products.
Preservatives are ingredients that prevent contamination of our ingredients by bacteria,

fungus, mold, yeast, and so on in products that contain water or will be exposed to water.
An anti-oxidant will not prevent contamination, and a preservative won’t retard rancidity.
Products like whipped butters, lotion bars, lip balms, and salves don’t contain water -
they’re anhydrous or “without water” - and won’t be exposed to water, so we don’t need a
preservative. If we want to extend the life span of our product, we could at 0.05% to 0.1%
T-50 mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E) to it. There are too many variables to gure out how
much longer we would extend the life, but we know it will be longer than one without the
anti-oxidant.
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As a note, we don’t want to go overboard with T-50 mixed tocopherols as more doesn’t
mean better when it comes to anti-oxidants. I see far too many people using 0.5%, 1%, and
even 5% - eek! Using too much can actually speed up the process of rancidity, so you’re not
only wasting ingredients, you’re ruining your product.
When we use anything that contains water or might be exposed to water, we need to use a
preservative. The one I use the most is Germall Plus liquid, a broad spectrum preservative
that contains propylene glycol (60%), diazolidinyl urea (39.6%), and iodopropynyl
butylcarbamate (0.6%). It should be used at 0.1% to 0.5% in the cool down phase of any
products that contains or will be exposed to water. (“Broad spectrum” means it covers
bacteria, yeast, mold, and fungus.)
C H O O S I N G P R E S E RVAT I V E S
Botanical matter is a microbe party just waiting to happen. If you’re using one in a product,
you’ll want to make sure you’re using the best, most e ective broad spectrum preservative -
one that ghts against all kinds of bacteria, fungi, yeast, molds, and so on. I like to use 0.5%
Germall Plus liquid in a lot of my formulas, but we should evaluate each product to ensure
we’re choosing exactly the right preservative for the job.
We can use preservative boosters, metal chelating ingredients like sodium phytate or EDTA,
and anti-oxidants to help keep beasties out or eliminating them.
Using hurdle technology for these kinds of products is a good idea, which includes good
manufacturing processes; lowering the pH below 5; use of air tight packaging, like airless
pumps or jars; use of preservative boosters, and adding chelating ingredients.
Reducing the water activity of the product is super important, too! If we can bind the water
with ingredients like glycerin, propylene glycol, propanediol 1,3, hexylene glycol, and other
glycols, there’s less available for nasty beasties to use to multiply. You’ll see glycols being
used as preservative boosters, like caprylyl glycol or ethylhexyl glycerin in this fashion. I like
to use a combination of 3% glycerin and 3% propanediol 1,3 for this purpose, and often I’ll
add up to 3% propylene glycol or another glycol to work as a humectant and booster.
As we’re using anionic surfactants in most products and can add cationic conditioning
polymers, check both of those columns in the chart below to ensure compatibility between
your product and the preservative.
P R E S E RVAT I V E C O M PA R I S O N C H A R T
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PRESERVATIVE INCI Cationic Anionic pH 5 pH 6 pH 7 Usage
Euxyl K 703 Phenoxyethanol (and) Benzoic Yes No Yes Yes Yes Add 0.4% to 1.2% to
Product bulletin Acid (and) Dehydroacetic Acid. the cool down phase
of the product at 40˚C
or lower
Euxyl K 900 INCI: Benzyl Alcohol (and) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 0.5% to 1% heated
NaTrue and Ethylhexylglycerin phase as it’s heat
COSMOS approved tolerant to 100˚C
(212˚F)
Euxyl K 903 INCI: Benzyl alcohol (and) Yes Yes Yes Not Not 0.4% to 1.2% in the
Product bulletin benzoic acid (and) ideal ideal cool down phase
dihydroacetic acid
Euxyl PE 9010 Phenoxyethanol (and) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 0.5% to 1% mixed
Ethylhexylglycerin with solvent into the
heated or cool down
phase.
Germaben II Propylene Glycol, diazolidinyl Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 0.5% to 1.0%
urea, ethylparaben, and Add to the cool down
propylparaben phase
Germall Plus, liquid Propylene glycol, diazolidinyl Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 0.1% to 0.5%
urea, and iodopropynyl Add to the cool down
butylcarbamate phase.
Jeecide CAP-2 Caprylyl Glycol, Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 0.5% to 1.5% for
Sold at TKB Trading Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene lotions in the cool
as Cap-2 Glycol down phase.
Jeecide CAP-5 Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 0.5% to 1.5% for
Sold at TKB Trading Glycol (and) Potassium Sorbate lotions in the cool
as Cap-2 and (and) Water (and) Hexylene down phase.
Lotioncrafter as Glycol
Jeecide CAP-5
Jeecide CAP-7 Caprylyl Glycol (and) Glyceryl Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 1% to 1.5% in the
Naturally compliant Laurate (and) Glyceryl cool down phase
Undecylenate
Liquipar Optima Phenoxyethanol, Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 0.5% to 1% when the
methylparaben, product is below
isopropylparaben, 80˚C. Must contain
isobutylparaben, butylparaben. oils, not water only
products.
Optiphen ND Phenoxyethanol (and) Benzoic No Yes Yes Yes No 0.2% to 1.2% in any
Acid (and) Dehydroacetic Acid. phase of your creation
Optiphen Plus Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Yes Yes Yes Yes No 0.75% to 1% in the
Glycol (and) Sorbic Acid heated water phase
Phenonip Phenoxyethanol (and) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 0.25% to 1%

Methylparaben (and) Use in the heated
Ethylparaben (and) phase of your
Butylparaben (and) products.
Propylparaben (and)
Isobutylparaben
QUICK NOTE ON ELECTRICAL CHARGES
Anionic, cationic, and non-ionic refer to the

electrical charge on the ingredient in question.
Non-ionic means it has a neutral charge.
Anionic means it has a negative charge.
Cationic means it has a positive charge.
Amphoteric means it has a di erent charge

based on the pH. Generally, if it’s acidic, it’s
cationic; if it’s alkaline, it’s anionic. (Each amphoteric will have a di erent over/under pH,
so check with the surfactant.)
Our hair and skin are negatively charged or anionic. Positively charged or cationic
ingredients will adsorb or form a ne layer on your hair or skin in a process called
substantivity. This is how hair conditioners work, they form this lm to make the cuticle
lay atter, which reduces tangling, increases shine, increases softness, and reduces static.
Why should we care about the charge? We usually don’t want to mix something anionic
with a cationic quaternary compound* because they can complex, which means you may get
a gooey white lump of stu at the bottom of the container of a product or it might just fail,
but we can mix either with non-ionic ingredients.
*A huge thing to note here is that ingredients like behentrimonium methosulfate (BTMS) or
behentrimonium chloride (BTMC) are cationic quaternary compounds, which are di erent
from the cationic polymers, like the polyquaterniums. The former will cause a weird, gooey,
white complex that’ll sink to the bottom of the bottle if combined with anionic surfactants.
The cationic polymers are designed to work with anionic surfactants well, and you won’t
have that issue. Also, you need water to make this reaction happen, so you can combine
things like Incroquat BTMS-50 (cationic) and sodium cocoyl isethionate (anionic) in a
shampoo bar without issue.
For further reading on this topic on my blog, please click these links…
Question: How can we add a cationic polymer to an anionic product, like shampoo, body
wash, or facial cleansers?
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My response to the YouTube video, “Why you do NOT use Incroquat BTMS-50 in a
shampoo bar”
Creating cleansing conditioners: A rant about not combining anionic and cationic
ingredients, plus loads of links to formulas
Q&A: Why can cationic and anionic ingredients be used together in solid shampoo bars?
HOW TO MAKE PRODUCTS MORE ORGANIC OR

N A T U R A L LY C O M P L I A N T ?
As a note, I’m often asked about how to make a formula organic, and the simple answer is
that you can substitute any oils I use for organic oils, any hydrosols or oral waters I use for
organic ones, any extracts and such for any that are deemed organic. You won’t be altering
the chemistry of a formula by using organic jojoba oil instead of non-organic jojoba oil, so
the formulas will continue to work well.
Please note, though, you can’t claim your formula is organic if the supplier from which you
sourced the ingredient isn’t certi ed organic or the facility in which you’ve made it isn’t
certi ed organic. This is something that’s overlooked a lot - if your supplier, their facility, or
you aren’t certi ed organic, the moment you open the container, you can’t call the product
certi ed organic any more. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy using organic ingredients, just
that you can’t advertise it as such. (Check your local regulations for more.)
You can alter the formulas to be more naturally compliant - meaning they’re certi ed by
COSMOS, ECOCERT, NaTrue, ISO 16128, NPA, and so on - by substituting those
ingredients for the ones I share in the formulas. If they’re the same ingredients - say, using
an ECOCERT version of a botanical extract instead of the non-certi ed version - they won’t
have an impact on the chemistry of the formula, and you shouldn’t su er any failures.
LINK TO A SERIES ON MY SITE ABOUT USING

FRAGRANCE OILS IN OUR PRODUCTS!
If you’re interested in learning more about using fragrances in your formulas, I’ve just
nished a four part series on my site - Smell Ho! Let’s talk about fragrances and essential
oils - that goes into all the things you might want to consider when using these kinds of
ingredients in our products. I talk about the IFRA maximum skin exposure levels, and we
have some worksheets on how to nd those and gure out how much you can use. If you’d
like to dive a little deeper into this topic, this is the series for you.
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A FEW THOUGHTS ON EQUIPMENT

AND PROCESS
When it comes to working with surfactants, often you can make
surfactant based products cold without heating and holding. You
can warm the surfactants and other ingredients to make it easier to
mix, but you don’t need to get it up to 70˚C and hold it and such.
Pretty awesome, eh?
A number of years ago, I read a study that said the best way to mix
something was in a zig zag fashion with a fork, so I always
recommend that method when working with surfactants. I have a
huge fork I found at Lotioncrafter to make larger batches, but you
can use regular forks for smaller batches, like 500 grams or lower.
But don’t beat it into foam! Slow and steady wins the race! If you
do get too much foam, let the product sit a day or two until the
bubbles go away or you’ll have bottle after bottle of half lled
containers as the bubbles make up a lot of volume at rst.
I mix my products slowly until they’re uniform, which I test by

lifting up my fork and checking for streaks or clumps. If there’s a
clump, I stir it further.
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WHAT’S A SURFACTANT?
The word surfactant is a port-manteau for surface active agent, meaning something that
works at the interface between two things that might not normally mix together without
help - like water and air, water and oil, water and silicones, silicones and water, oils or water
and our skin, and so on. The surfactant brings together those two things by reducing the
surface tension between them.
WHAT’S SURFACE TENSION?
“The cohesive forces between liquid molecules

are responsible for the phenomenon known as
surface tension. The molecules at the surface…
form a surface " lm" which makes it more
di cult to move an object through the surface
than to move it when it is completely
submersed.” (Reference)
Reducing surface tension between skin or hair

and product allows it to spread easier. It may help the product become wetter, something we
can see when we work with gels and they go from being white to clear as the product
thickens. It de nitely helps with what is called “cosmetic elegance” or the idea that
something spreads easily, has a cushion-y feel with good play time or how long it takes the
product to spread out on our skin. And we notice it when something like a shampoo is too
thick and feels draggy on our hair.
When we’re making products, we’re also interested in interfacial tension, or the tension
that’s happening between two things - air and water, water and oil, water and silicone - and
so on. Reducing that tension means we need less energy to mix the two things and, if we’ve
done it right, reducing the amount of energy required to remain in that mixed state.
Remember, so much of chemistry is about lazy molecules or atoms wanting to exert as little energy as
possible, so our goal is to reduce the amount of energy they’d have to expend. In something like a lotion,
we can reduce the amount of work they have to do to emulsify and stay emulsi ed by using enough of the
right emulsi er, heating it all properly (if necessary), and mixing it the way it wants to be mixed. Ha, you
lazy molecules, we fooled you!
Surfactants have a hydrophilic or water loving head and a hydrophobic or water hating tail
or a lipophilic or fat loving tail*. The water loving head connects with water and the fat
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loving tail connects with oil, bringing them together to create all kinds of things like
emulsions.
*I know there are surfactants created using silicone that have water loving heads and siliophlic or silicone
loving tails, but we aren’t covering those in this e-zine and I have no idea where to get them, which makes
me sad as they sound fun!
By now you must be wondering if the emulsi ers we use in lotions are surfactants, and
you’re right, they are! They reduce the interfacial tension between oil and water so they can
come together to create emulsions.
Unless you’re reading a lot of cosmetic chemistry textbooks or explanations of theories, it’s rare to see the
word “surfactant” used to refer to anything other than our foamy, bubbly, lathery ingredients used to
clean our hair and skin, and whenever you see me referring to surfactants, I’m referring to these kinds of
ingredients.
Conversely, some of our bubbly surfactants can act as light emulsi ers to incorporate small
amounts of oils, fragrance oils, essential oils, or esters into the product, but always
remember that oils can suppress the foam and lather so it’s wise to nd ways to hydrate and
moisturize skin without ruining the things we love in these ingredients.
WHAT ARE MICELLES?
They are de ned as “an aggregate of surfactant

molecules dispersed in a liquid colloid”.
So what’s a colloid? It is a type of mixture in which

one substance is evenly dispersed throughout another.
There’s generally two phases – the dispersed or internal
phase and the continuous phase. In the case of oil-in-
water lotions, the oil phase is the dispersed phase
because it is dispersed into the water phase. In the case of detergent mixtures, the dispersed
phase would be the detergents mixed dispersed into the water phase. (You’ve been making
colloids for years and didn’t even know it!)
As more surfactant is added, more molecules crowd together at the interface until no more
can budge their way into line, so they start forming micelles. The surface tension continues
to decrease in a linear relationship with how much surfactant is added. When the interface
is saturated, the surface tension stops decreasing. This is called the critical micelle
concentration (CMC) “is de ned as the concentration of surfactants above which micelles
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form and all additional surfactants added to the system go to micelles.” (Reference) The
higher the molecular weight - something we don’t necessarily know or need to know about
surfactants - the lower the CMC as larger molecules can’t crowd at the interface as easily as
smaller molecules, meaning they start creating micelles in smaller concentrations.
Why do we care about micelles? In detergent mixes, the micelles help to create the
viscosity of the product and emulsify small amounts of oils (like fragrance, essential, or
speciality oils). These also work to increase mildness, which is always a plus as most
surfactants are considered irritating in one way or the other.
So we want to reach the critical micelle concentration for our detergent products so we can
get good viscosity. We can do this by making sure we add an appropriate percentage of
surfactants or by thickening the products with salt, thickeners, or other surfactants.
BUBBLES, FOAM, AND L ATHER
Di erent surfactants o er di erent qualities to

our products. Some might be great for ash foam
and bubbles, others o er gentle cleansing and
good lather. Part of the fun of working with
surfactants is to gure out which ones are great
in shampoos, others in body washes, and still
others in bubble baths. Here’s a short primer on
these properties…
Foam is when we see little gaseous bubbles in

liquid, lather is when those little bubbles remain
small and form a thicker layer, while bubbles are
larger spheres of air held in place by surface
tension.
Reference for this section can be found in the footnotes.

I’m afraid I don’t have exact references for a lot of this as
it’s just stu I’ve learned over the last 16 years.
Foam results when molecules are dissolved in a liquid, which alter the surface tension.
“Ordinary aqueous foams, like suds in a sink, are mostly gas (95%) and a little bit of liquid
(5%). The gas subdivides the liquid into a matrix of tiny bubbles. Despite the high
concentration of air, foam is a springy material that is quite di erent from air.” This is where
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the electrical charge of the surfactants - non-ionic, anionic, cationic, or amphoteric - is

important. Each of these has that hydrophilic head and lipophilic tail, but they work slightly
di erently.1
Foams in non-ionic surfactants result in the hydrophobic head being in the air-liquid
interface - where the surfactants meet the outside world - and the hydrophilic tail in the
liquid solution. (Decyl glucoside is a non-ionic surfactant.)
In anionic or negatively charged

surfactants, there’s a negative charge on the
water loving or hydrophilic tail. “As aqueous
liquid is pulled down over the bubble’s
surface, the negative charges reach a
concentration at the bubble at the liquid
interface. Most often, the negative charge
serves to stabilize the bubble, and the
bubbles will begin to repel each other at the
interface. This phenomenon is known as an
“electrostatic repulsion.”2 The more traditional surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
or sodium laureth sulfate (SLeS) generally “open structured frothy” foam.3
With cationic or positively charged surfactants, the positive charge is on the hydrophilic
tail, so it behaves like the anionic surfactant and the positive charge will repel the other
bubbles at the interface through “electrostatic repulsion”. We don’t tend to see positively
charged foaming surfactants often, but we can use positively charged surfactants as
conditioners in conditioning shampoo or a 2-in-1 shampoo.
Amphoteric surfactants like cocamidopropyl betaine, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, or

disodium cocodiamphoacetate, to name a few, will be positively charged in acidic products.
Electrostatic repulsion is akin to bringing the positive ends of two magnets together - they
push each other away - so this is what’s happening in these surfactant mixes. They push
other similarly charged molecules away, which contributes to viscosity, bubble stabilization,
and foam stabilization.
1 (O’Lenick, Silicones, pp 55 - 59)
3 (Liquid Detergents, pages 405 to 406)

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This is one of the reason we have to be careful when mixing the charges as bringing anionic
and cationic ingredients together: This can reduce the viscosity by reducing the electrostatic
repulsions.
As we can see, bubbles made with anionic surfactants may be more stable than those from
non-ionic ones, but that isn’t to say we can’t use the non-ionic ones, just that we might
need to nudge them along.
Bubbles occur when the “surface layer of the water has a

surface tension low enough to create a layer that acts like
an elastic sheet. The spherical shape of the bubbles is also
caused by surface tension. The tension causes the bubble
to form a sphere, as a sphere has the smallest possible
surface area for a given volume.”4 Bubbles start to
collapse thanks to that always annoying force, gravity.
Lather is when we have loads of tiny bubbles that stick

around for a while, so it’s a lot like foam and a lot like bubbles. “…lather is a special type of
foam formed during shampooing and other processes and “consists of small bubbles that are
densely packed,” thus resisting ow.”5 It can be reduced by oils and sebum, something we
can see ourselves in every tine we rinse and repeat.
As an aside, we can boost foam with ingredients like cocamide DEA, but one study
suggested we should call them “lather modi ers” as they produce a creamier, thicker lather
with a nicer skin feel. They serve to strengthen the lm that keeps the little bubbles from
breaking.
When it comes to stabilizing foam and bubbles, high viscosity is where it’s at for a few
di erent reasons. Thicker formulas can trap more air to become bubbles under the surface;
they reduce the how large bubbles can grow, which decreases bubble stability; and they can
trap in smaller bubbles, creating more foam.
As a nal note before we leave this section, there isn’t necessarily a correlation between
cleansing and foam, lather, or bubbles, but we think there is and might hate something that
doesn’t have those qualities when we expect them. Can you imagine using a shampoo that
didn’t foam or lather when you applied it?
5 (Liquid Detergents, pages 405 to 406)

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CLEANSING
All foamy surfactants will irritate our skin, no matter how mild they are. (Yes, even cold
process soap because the very nature of putting a detergent-y surfactant of our skin can
cause irritation.) Data bulletins will generally list how much active ingredient is required for
mild to moderate skin irritation. Most are quite high - for SLeS we need 40% in a mixture to
get mild to moderate skin irritation - but some, like SLS, are lower. If this is something that
concerns you, keep this in mind and check before using.
Having said that, I can’t think of a situation where I’d just use one surfactant and nothing else, so we
don’t tend to get into the upper end of usage rates. Wait, I’ve seen it happen with solid shampoo bars
(syndet bars) where someone is using 80% SCI or SCS (sodium coco sulfate), which may exceed the
suggested usage rates, which can lead to irritation. The goal is to always use surfactants in the suggested
usage range with other surfactants to increase mildness.
Anionic surfactants will irritate our skin more than

amphoteric, cationic, or non-ionic surfactants as they
have small, spherical micelles that can annoy our skin.
We can alter the size and shape of those micelles -
making them larger, more rod-like - by adding some of
those other surfactants. This is why you’ll usually see a
blend of a few di erent ones - to increase the mildness.
It’s safe to assume that most - if not all - surfactants are considered mild cleansers when it
comes to personal care products, with the exception of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which
you’ll often see referred to as “harsh”.
I’ll be using a scale that's a little annoying - sorry, but they all want to be considered "mild
cleansers", so we need to re-de ne the word! Think of it on a scale from 1 to 3 (but I hate
using numbers, so you won't see "1" or "3" in my posts!)
Gentle or very mild - this surfactant is unlikely to cause skin irritation when used at the
suggested amount or lower. It is unlikely to bother your eyes as well.
Mild - this surfactant is unlikely to cause skin irritation when used at the suggested amount
or lower, but don't get it in your eyes. It could cause irritation for people with very sensitive
skin.
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Not so mild - this surfactant may cause mild skin irritation when used at the suggested
amount or lower, and it may cause eye irritation. It could cause irritation for people with
sensitive to normal skin. The only one that falls de nitely in this category is SLS.
Surfactants based on proteins, like sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium cocoyl isethionate, and
the foaming proteins are more gentle than other anionics, and we can increase the mildness
of any product by adding secondary surfactants, emollients, and more, and ensuring the pH
is within the right range for our skin at 4.5-ish to no more than 7. (See more about this
shortly in this section.)
ACTIVE SURFACTANT MATTER
What does this mean? It's the amount of surfactant in the surfactant expressed as a
percentage. So if you have a bottle of sodium laureth sulfate (SLeS) that has 25% active
surfactant matter, this means in 100 grams of the liquid as purchased we'd nd 25 grams of
SLeS.
Why do we care about it? Honestly, I don't really think of it too much when I'm formulating
as it's not like I have a version of SLeS with 50% active and another that’s 25% active, but it
can be helpful if you’re working with something new. Let’s say we have a facial cleanser in
which we want to add 10% SLeS, how much active matter is in there? (10 x 0.25 = 2.5%).
In the formulas I share on my blog, in this e-book, and in other e-books, I’ve already done
that math for you, so you really don't need to worry about doing the calculations again, but
you can if you want. The reality is that you aren't likely to nd something that's 100% liquid
surfactant, and most of them range between 25% and 40% (except for some blends, which
may be higher or lower). If you want to use something 40% active in place of the SLeS in my
example above, at 10% you’d have 4% active surfactant. The di erence between 2.5% and
4% is so small, I wouldn't bother doing the math except as an intellectual exercise.
You may also see categories of cleansers with suggestions for total active surfactant matter.
Facial cleansers will have low percentages, while something like a bubble bath might be
quite high.
There are calculators you can use to calculate this number, but I'd encourage you to calculate
it yourself to practice your math skills. Remember that a percentage becomes a decimal
when you multiply. So 10% = 0.1, 20% = 0.2, and 37% = 0.37
Example: If we have a surfactant that has 30% active surfactant matter, and we want to add
10% of this, we would have 3% active surfactant matter. We can gure it out like this – if we
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have 30 grams of surfactant and we add 10% or 0.1, we multiply 30 by 10% or 0.1 to get 3%
active matter.
If you had a surfactant that was…
25% active surfactant matter and you added 10% to your product, you would have… 25 x
0.1 = 2.5% active surfactant matter.
If you had 32.5% active surfactant matter and you added 25% to your product, you would
have… 32.5 x 0.25 = 8.125% active surfactant matter.
0.1 = 4% active surfactant matter.
0.25 = 15% active surfactant matter.
85% active surfactant matter and you used 55% in your product, you would have… 85 x
0.55 = 46.75% active surfactant matter.
OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT…

DESCRIPTIONS OF FOAMS AND SUC H
“Lacy glove foam” is all about the ne bubbles and lather

such that they look like lacy gloves. Decyl glucoside, sodium
cocoyl glutamate, and foaming proteins fall into this
category.
“Elegant” skin feel refers to surfactants like sodium cocoyl

isethionate (SCI), which has a very creamy, rich, lovely
bubbly foam and lather and leaves hair and skin feeling
conditioned after rinsing.
“Flash foam” refers to the immediate foam we see when we

add bubble bath to water.
“Creamy foam” means the foam feels dense and

moisturizing to our skin.
“Layer of bubbles” is a term my mom made up to describe what she wanted from me in a
bubble bath. She wanted that ash foam to create the bubbles along with bubbles that
would last through her bath to keep her warm. To me, this represents long lasting bubbles
that stay in the tub for quite some time as long as you don’t add oils or soaps to them.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SURFACTANTS
You’ve probably read this time and time again, so what do these terms mean?
Primary surfactants are the ones that do all the heavy lifting. They clean, foam, bubble, and
do all those things we want them to do. These can be anionic or negatively charged
surfactants, like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLeS), C14-16 ole n
sulfonate, disodium laureth sulfosuccinate (DLS), sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI), and so
on, or non-ionic surfactants, like decyl glucoside. Amphoterics are rarely considered primary
surfactants.
Secondary surfactants also clean, foam, and bubble, but they tend to be incredibly mild on
their own, and thus not great as the primary cleanser, except for those with very sensitive
skin and children. They may boost the foam, stabilize bubbles, and increase viscosity. And
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they generally increase mildness and reduce irritation of the primary surfactants by altering
the shape and size of the micelles.
The main secondary surfactants tend to be the amphoteric surfactants , like cocamidopropyl
betaine, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, babassuamidopropyl betaine, or sodium
lauroamphoacetate, to name a few, but there are non-ionic ones as well, like lauryl
glucoside.
FOAM MODIFIERS
As we saw in the section on foams, bubbles, and lather, this is an important component of
the skin or hair feel and perception of e cacy. We can use secondary surfactants to boost
these qualities, or we can use other things, such as thickeners.
Thickeners, like xanthan gum or hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), can be used to thicken

products. Some, like HEC at 0.2%, “often create a nice thick creamy lather from a loose larg
bubble foam, presumably by enhancing the lm strength of the lather.”6 But HEC is a pain
to use as you have to mix it while it’s heating to
Xanthan gum shows good compatibility with non-ionic surfactants in high concentrations –
which means surfactants like decyl glucoside that don’t contain a ton of salts with thicken
nicely with it – but low concentrations of anionic and amphoteric surfactants (just about
every other surfactant). It’s not compatible with cationics, so you want to avoid ingredients
like BTMS, honeyquat or polyquat 7, or Tinosan as your preservative. Salts can slow down
the hydration of xanthan gum, but don’t have much of an e ect on it once it’s hydrated, so
don’t worry about adding things like aloe vera that contain a ton of electrolytes. This works
best at acidic pH levels of 7 or lower.
Humectants, like glycerin, propylene glycol, and propanediol 1,3, to name a few, thicken
our products, increase mildness, hydrate our skin, and clarify a cloudy product while
reducing the freezing point while in transit. They also help create thicker foam and longer
lasting bubbles.
Cocamide DEA (or cocamide diethanolamine), also found as lauramide DEA, and oleamide
DEA, is a non-ionic surfactant derived from coconut fatty acids (hence the coca- part) that
behaves as an emulsi er, slip enhancer, and re-fattener when included in surfactant mixes.
6 Liquid Detergents, p 406

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Cocamide DEA can improve the density, body, and stability of foams, so it is a great addition
to a bubble bath, but it doesn’t boost foams, and isn’t a foaming or lathering surfactant. It’s
di cult to create a clear product using cocamide DEA, so keep this in mind if you really
want a clear product.
With a pH of 9.5 to 11, it is very alkaline and we have to get the pH down by the inclusion
of citric acid. The suggested us it 1% to 10%, depending upon the surfactant mix. You want
to use this at a 4:1 ratio with 4 parts surfactant mix to 1 part cocamide DEA. It doesn’t react
to salts, so you can’t thicken it that way, but you probably won’t want to when you see the
thickening power of this surfactant!
I use this in my bubble baths all the time – I nd the 4:1 ratio a little high. Anything over
about 5% will feel a bit sticky and too greasy and will make your bubble bath thicken too
much. I like to use in body washes around 2% to o er a “greasy, slippery feel” to the foam
and a moisturized after feel. If you use it at low levels like these, you don’t really need to
worry about the pH as the other surfactants and ingredients will ensure it stays at a nice
level, like 6.0.
Cocamide DEA is mild on our skin, but can cause skin irritation at 10% in a leave on
product for some people. As with any ingredient, try it and see what your body thinks!
FOAM BOOSTERS: AMINE OXIDES
Amine oxides - also known as alkyl amine

oxides- are molecules made up of a fatty acid -
like lauric or myristic acid - work as polar,
amphoteric, water soluble emollients, cleansing
agents, skin and hair conditioners, viscosity
boosters, as well as foam stabilizers, enhancers,
and boosters that increase mildness and
emollience without ruining foam, bubbles, or
lather in our surfactant based products.
They’re highly polar molecules, so they’re

soluble in water. The smaller the molecule, the more soluble, so lauramine oxide will be
more water soluble than myristamine oxide, but you really wouldn’t notice as it’s a pretty
small di erence.
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They’re amphoteric, meaning they have di erent electrical charges depending on the pH of
the product. If they’re in acidic pH products, they’ll be positively charged or cationic,
meaning they’ll act as conditioners for hair and skin. They’re compatible with all kinds of
surfactants – non-ionic, anionic, and cationic – and can be used with foamy, bubbly, lathery
surfactants as well as lotions, conditioners, and other emulsions as emollients.
If you want to know more about the chemistry of amine oxides, click here for a very detailed paper!
This means these can work as conditioners for hair, so they work as anti-statics that can
reduce combing forces, which makes them a great addition in a 2-in-1 shampoo or
conditioner.
These won’t interfere with the clarity of your surfactant based products, which is awesome.
As a note, they’re said to create “lacy, voluminous foam” in products, so it’s not a super
dense foam or lather, but one made up of loads of little bubbles, which can be quite rich
when paired with the right surfactants.
They all work as water soluble emollients, cleansing agents, skin and hair conditioners,
viscosity boosters, as well as foam stabilizers, enhancers, and boosters. They’re similar in
nature to water soluble esters, like Olivem 300 or water soluble shea, but those don’t
increase viscosity or foam or work as conditioners.
They work to enhance mildness in surfactant based products. You’ll see in the next section
that emollients can alter the size and shape of micelles to make them less irritating. Amine
oxides are less irritating than anionics, cationics, and amphoterics like cocamidopropyl
betaine, which is pretty awesome. Including these in a formula means we’ll have a much
milder product that won’t dry our skin or denature proteins.
If you want to know more about increasing mildness of our surfactants, click here to nd the surfactants
section of the blog, or scroll down for that series or click here to nd the information in this e-book.
And they can help disperse soap scum and increase foaming in hard water. This also means
they can increase rinseability of surfactants, another important component of increasing
mildness by eliminating that feeling of tightness after washing.
They all work as emollients to moisturize skin and hair in these products, too, which is a
bonus!
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These can also be used in household products, as evidenced by these formulas found in
Stepan’s Naturally-derived amine oxide brochure. They’ve been tested and found to be
biodegradable.
They generally derived from coconut, palm, palm kernel, and other solid oils, but they could
be derived from any oil or butter that contains the speci c fatty acids. If the origin is
important to you, check with your supplier to nd out more or nd the data bulletin.
They’re generally used at 1% to 5% in products, but you could use up to 20% without issue.
Because they’re heat tolerant, you can use them in the heated water phase without concern.
Cocamidopropylamine oxide is a very mild, water

soluble, non-ionic foam booster and stabilizer
compatible with all surfactants that o ers thickening
and conditioning. It’s 32% active with a pH of 6.0 to
7.5. It’s water-soluble, acid and alkali stable, and
amphoteric. It’s stable in hard water, and can help
remove lime soap scrum and increase rinseability of
surfactants. It works as a water soluble emollient,
cleansing agent, skin and hair conditioner, viscosity
boosters as well as foam stabilizers, enhancers, and boosters. It’s cationic or positively
charged in acidic conditions.
This is also listed as an anti-static, which is great for hair cleansing and conditioning
products. If you wanted to get a bit of moisturizing in a conditioner but didn’t want to use a
heavy oil, this would be an excellent choice!
As we’ve seen with esters, when you see something listed as “coco”, it’s generally derived from the fatty
acids from coconut oil, which could be caprylic, capric, lauric, and other fatty acids, so it’s not just one
fatty acid, as we’ve seen in myristamine and lauramine oxide. This means it has the best of a few di erent
worlds, including that anti-static property. It will be as relatively water soluble as the other two we’ve met
today.
Stepan has a version – Ammonyx® CDO – that’s 32.5% active with a pH 7.2, which is nice
and neutral. It has a of 0.99 g/ml, which is almost the same as water – 1 gram/ml- and it’s
water soluble.
I have a version from Making Cosmetics that’s suggested for use at 1% to 5%. As it’s not
heat sensitive, you can add it in the heated phase of a product easily. The pH ranges from
6.0 to 7.5. This version is derived from coconuts, and lis a yellow liquid without an odour.
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Lauramine oxide (aka lauryldimethylamine oxide)

is a very mild, water soluble, non-ionic foam
booster and stabilizer based on lauric acid, a fatty
acid with 12 carbons derived from coconut, palm,
babassu, and other oils of that nature. It’s acid and
alkali stable.It’s stable in hard water, and can help
remove lime soap scum and increase rinseability of
surfactants.
It works as a water soluble emollient, cleansing

agent, skin and hair conditioner, viscosity booster as well as a foam stabilizer and enhancers.
It’s cationic or positively charged in acidic conditions.
The version from Stepan, Ammonyx® LO, has a pH of 7.5 to 8 and is 30% active, so it
contains 70% water. It has a density of 0.968 g/ml, which is lighter than water, which is 1 g/
ml. It isn’t listed as an anti-static, but we know it works as a conditioning agent when it has
an acidic pH. It’s bleach and alkali stable, and it’s used in household products with bleach
for this reason. As it’s heat stable to 100˚C (212˚F), it can be used in the heated water or
cool down phases.
Because it’s smaller that myristamine oxide, it’ll be slightly more water soluble, although
you won’t really notice a di erence.
Myristamine oxide is a cleansing agent, emulsi er,

hair conditioner, emollient, foam stabilizer, viscosity
booster, and foam booster based on myristic acid, a
fatty acid with 14 carbons. It’s water soluble, and is
acid and alkali stable, so you can use it in products with
low and high pH. It’s stable in hard water, so it can
disperse soap scum and increase rinseability of
surfactants to prevent that tight feeling after cleansing.
It works as a hair and skin conditioner that can tolerate
heat, so you can use it in the heated phase of products. The suggested usage ranges from 1%
to 20%, depending on application. I tend to use it at 5% to 10% in body washes and such.
You can nd a few versions of this ingredient. One version from Stepan, Ammonyx® MCO,
is 30% active, with the potential to be 30% to 40% active. The rest is water. It has a pH of
8.0 at 10% in water, so you may need to test and adjust your products when using it. It can
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easily handle heat – its boiling point is 100˚C (212˚F). It’s speci c density is 0.959 g/ml, so
it’s lighter than water.
INCORPORATING MILDNESS INTO OUR PRODUCTS (AN

OVERVIEW)
Surfactants, by their very nature, are irritating to our skin. The goal when creating
surfactant based products is to reduce the irritation to our skin by using milder cleansers,
creating blends that enhance mildness, and adding ingredients like cationic polymers,
proteins, or emollients.
When a surfactant comes into contact with our skin, it can bind to the surface and denature
our skin's proteins. It can interact with the lipids on our skin and disrupt the organization of
the stratum corneum lipids, which can lead to increased dryness and increased trans-
epidermal water loss. Surfactants can remove the natural moisturizing factor in our skin,
leading to a reduction in the ability of our skin to attract moisture from our environment. If
they annoy our skin enough, the anti-in ammatory response can kick in leading to itching,
drying, and redness. (This is one of the reasons you don't want to leave an anionic surfactant
on your skin as a leave-on type of product!)
Okay, now that I've scared you into never wanting to use surfactants ever again, let's take a
look at how easy it is to increase the mildness of our surfactant mixes so we won't have
these horrible side e ects for simply washing our faces!
We can increase mildness a few di erent ways, including:
1. Using only very mild surfactants;
2. Combining surfactants to create larger, more rod-like micelles that are less likely to
irritate our skin;
3. Modifying the pH to be more acidic or neutral, pH 4 to 7-ish;
4. Reducing the concentration of surfactants in our creations;
5. Modifying the behaviour of the surfactants; and
6. Protecting the skin's surface by including various ingredients.
Using only mild surfactants will create a mild creation. You can create some very mild
cleansing products using decyl glucoside (non-ionic) with cocamidopropyl betaine
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(amphoteric), which we see in baby products. We can create very mild blends with anionic
surfactants, then combine them with the non-ionics and amphoterics to creating something
even milder!
If you want to try making something without anionic surfactants, you could make a really
mild blend using decyl glucoside, cocamidopropyl betaine, and PEG-7 cocoate or one of the
oxides that will re-fatten the skin, thicken quite well, and o er mild cleansing with not-so-
great foam. This would work well as a very mild facial cleanser or make-up remover, but for
something like a body wash, we really do need our lovely anionics.
Ensuring the pH is to a skin or hair friendly pH 4 to 7 is vital as using rinse o products

outside the pH range can result in dull, tangled hair or itchy skin. (Read more in this
section.)
Reducing the concentration of the surfactants in our creations is really simple. Just
use less. I know, this sounds really glib, but it's true. If you are making a facial cleanser, but
nd that it's a little too much for you, you can take that mixture, add about 33% more water
and turn it into a foaming cleanser - if you don't want to thicken it - or add some more
Crothix or salt and thicken it up! You can make this as easy as taking out 10% surfactant, or
you can make it more complicated by consulting the active surfactant matter percentage and
working it out that way.
Combining surfactants is a great way to modify the behaviour of the surfactants in our
products and it's a really simple way to increase mildness. Adding cocamidopropyl betaine
(amphoteric) or non-ionic surfactants like decyl glucoside or even polysorbate 20* will
reduce the potential irritancy of an anionic surfactant dramatically, and you can combine
surfactants to increase mildness. There are two theories about why this works.
*As a note, adding one of the solubilizers, like polysorbate 20 or caprylic/capric glucosides, will reduce
your lather and foam. Adding anything oil soluble will do the same.
Theory the rst: It's all about the micelles, baby!

When we add a few surfactants together, they form
larger and more stable micelles, which reduces
number of solitary loners or monomers, which are
the things that bother your skin and cause irritation
as they interact directly with your skin's proteins.
Theory the second: Surfactants compete for

binding sites on your skin. When you add a milder,
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secondary surfactant it occupies the spot to which the rst, less mild surfactant could have
bound. So the less mild surfactant has no where to attach to your skin and is washed away.
We can add all kinds of ingredients to protect the skin's surface. We can add cationic
polymers, proteins, and emollients like dimethicone to our products to increase the
mildness and help protect our skin. When we add a polymer - like polyquat 7, honeyquat, or
dimethicone - they incorporate into the micelles and reduce the relative amount of
monomers in the solution. As the monomers are the culprits in causing irritation, this will
reduce irritation. As well, they compete for those binding sites so the less mild components
of our cleanser will wash away.
A little more chemistry...when the polymers interact with the micelles, the micelles become more
hydrophobic. Increased hydrophobicity means less adherence of the surfactants to your skin. We know that
adherence of surfactants to your skin is a key element in that feeling of tightness after washing, so less
adherence equals less irritation.
When we add proteins, we want to add the higher molecular weight proteins like oat or
wheat to form a lm on our skin. Silk is lovely for dry skin types, but if it penetrates your
skin, it kinda defeats the purpose of forming the lm. Proteins are great additions to
surfactants mixes - they increase foam stability and density and increase the feeling of
creaminess and slipperiness.
Emollient ingredients - Crothix, glycol distearate, water soluble oils, fatty alcohols (like
cetyl alcohol), and silicones - will help reduce the disruption of the stratum corneum lipids,
which can lead to an impaired barrier function. Plus, these may be incorporated into the
micelles, which we know reduces irritation. You can use a lotion after bathing, or you can
incorporate some of these ingredients into your surfactant mixes. The down side with
emollients is the potential interference with foam, lather, and bubbles.
And don't forget your humectants! One of the big problems with incorporating humectants
into your surfactant creation is this - they wash o . Sodium lactate is pointless in a
surfactant mixture because it'll wash o and fail to o er any form of humectancy! Glycerin
and urea (in urea form or Hydrovance) are your best choices for humectants, as well as one
of the glycols like propylene or butylene glycol. Glycerin not only increases your bubbles and
lather - bonus! - but can help with barrier repair, improved stratum corneum hydration, and
reduces trans-epidermal water loss. I add it at 3%, but you can go even higher to 5% - 8% in
a body wash if you have really dry skin. Most of this will wash o , but if you get even 1% to
stay on, that's a good thing!
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Finally, we can include some anti-in ammatory ingredients - like aloe vera, witch hazel,
white willow bark, or salicylic acid - but it's better to reduce irritation than to treat it after
the fact!
HERE’S THE QUIC K SUMMARY ABOUT INCREASIN G

MILDNESS…
The size of micelles can determine the mildness of a product. The larger the micelles, the
milder the cleanser. The smaller the micelles, the harsher the cleanser.
The shape of the micelles can determine the mildness of a product. Spherical micelles can be
harsher than those that are longer, more rod-like.
We can increase the size of the micelles by using di erent surfactants, thickeners, and other
viscosity enhancers.
We can increase micelle size by reducing repulsions between negatively charged heads by
adding salt or other ingredients, allowing them to pack in closer, so they arrive at the critical
micelle concentration earlier.
*I’ve written pages and pages in my e-book, Surfactants: Milder combinations for gentler products if you
want to know even more about increasing mildness in our products.
AN ASIDE: COCO- VERSUS LAUR-
You may see surfactants with very similar names, like sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium coco
sulfate or sodium cocoyl glutamate or sodium lauroyl glutamate.
The laur- part means they’re derived from lauric fatty acids, which could come from any oil
that contains lauric acid, like palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, babassu oil, and so on.
When you see coco- it means this came from coconut oil and may have more than just lauric
acid in it. The coco- tends to be milder than the laur- version, but this isn’t necessarily so.
For example, you can nd sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium coco sulfate (SCS), the
latter of which is milder.
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THINGS TO NOTE WHEN WORKING

WITH LIQUID SURFACTANTS
Do we need to heat and hold our liquid surfactant based products? For liquid products, no,
we generally don’t need to do so. If you don’t have an ingredient that needs melting, you can
almost always make these products at room temperature.
The longer answer is when dealing with liquid surfactants, it is easier to mix surfactants
when the product is warmer, so you might consider heating it slightly - let’s say to no more
than 50˚C or 120˚F so we don’t have to wait forever for it to cool. The downside is that it’s
best to wait until the product comes to room temperature before adding the thickeners as
something that looks perfect at 45˚C may be far too thick at 20˚C (around 70˚F).
If you don’t want to heat your product, you can make liquid products at room temperature,
but ensure you’re using distilled* or reverse osmosis water. You can’t use tap water as it
contains metals that can ruin the bubbles, lather, and foam and complex in the bottle. Even
when you boil tap water, it’ll contain metals and things like chlorine. Don’t use spring or
mineral water as those contain salts and minerals that can also ruin the foam and such.
*Given how cheap it is to get distilled water, I can’t think of a good reason not to use it. (I pay $2 for 4
litres or over a gallon when it’s not on sale.)
Thickening a product should generally be the

very last step of the process, unless otherwise
indicated. Start the process after adding fragrance
or essential oils, colours, and preservatives, and
when it’s at room temperature, unless otherwise
indicated.
Fragrances and essential oils have a surprising

impact on the viscosity and clarity of our products.
Vanilla of any sort will thin out the product, while

citrus generally thickens. I’ve found some lavender
essential oils will thin a product, while Black Amber Lavender fragrance oil from
Brambleberry thickens it.
Keep records of what fragrances have what kind of e ect on which batches of your product.
Noting the supplier of the fragrance is also important as the version of Black Raspberry
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Vanilla I bought from Our Natural Creations creates a clear product, while the version from
Voyageur Soap & Candle didn’t. It doesn’t mean any of these are inferior ingredients in any
way, just that they a ect surfactant based products di erently.
This is really important for a surfactant blend like Iselux Ultra Mild or surfactant like
sodium cocoyl sarcosinate, both of which don’t play nicely with fragrance oils. You can get
them to work with some, but often the product will separate or thin too much. (For these
surfactants, if you want a scent, try using hydrosols or oral waters.)
If you're a subscriber to the blog, click here to see a little video comparing two body washes with di erent
fragrance oils to see just how big a di erence they can make.
When you’ve made your product,

let it sit until the bubbles come
out as this will impact the clarity
and volume of the product. This
will help you see the nal viscosity
and it’ll ensure you have a full
bottle, not one that’s half bubbles.
Check out this body wash over a three

day period. You can see a di erence in
the volume and clarity over that period
of time.
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THINGS TO NOTE WHEN WORKING

WITH SOLID SURFACTANTS
Solid surfactants come in many forms - powders, prills, akes, pastilles, and pellets - and
most need to be melted in a double boiler before using.
When you’re working with solid surfactants, check to see if there’s something you can add
to the mix to help speed along the melting process. For instance, sodium cocoyl isethionate
(SCI) melts best when combined with disodium laureth sulfosuccinate (DLS),
cocamidopropyl betaine, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, sodium methyl cocoyl or oleoyl
taurate, and sodium cocoyl glutamate, to name a few. I measure out just the SCI and the
liquid surfactant into a Pyrex jug, which I put in my double boiler.
I’ve seen people suggesting we melt SCI in a

double boiler that’s on low to medium with very
little water. I have found the complete opposite
works to melt even 1 kg or 2.2 pound batches of
SCI for shampoo bars.
Make up a double boiler – I use a fondue pot, but

you can use a pot on the stove – and get the water
boiling. Use as much water as you can without
having it spill over the sides when you add the
SCI container. Reduce the heat so it’s not
splashing into the container, add your SCI and
other surfactant ONLY in a glass container, and
heat until melted.
If you’re using prills, it should only take 5 to 10 minutes at the most. If you’re using
noodles, it might take longer. If you’re using powder, it isn’t necessary to heat it at all,
although I like to because it still contains fatty acids that have higher melting points that’ll
bind the bar as it cools! You can mix it, if you want. I generally do as it makes me think I’m
doing something rather than just waiting.
You can put a noodle or ake into a co ee grinder to make the bits smaller and easier to
melt.
If you want to more about making solid shampoo bars with all this information, please check out this
amazing visual tutorial by Jo-Anne Emery subscribers can nd on my site.
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Check the pH of the powdered surfactant you want to use as sodium coco sulfate (SCS) has
a high pH of 8 to 11.5, and this is far outside the range we want for hair care products. You
can alter it using a pH meter and a citric acid/water blend to get it into an acidic range, or
you can choose another surfactant with a better pH range, like sodium cocoyl isethionate
(SCI). Alkaline shampoo can damage hair easily, leaving it it dull, tangled, matted, and
rough.
If you’d like to learn more about making solid cleansing bars for your hair or skin, check out these e-books
- Body cleansing bars you will love (making solid cleansing products) and Shampoo bars you will love
A NOTE ON USING BLENDS OF

SURFACTANTS
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good blend of surfactants,
especially when they contain liquid versions of ingredients we
might only get as powders or akes - like LSB with SLSa or
Iselux Ultra Mild with sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate
(SLMI) - as they tend to include a little bit of an anionic, a little
bit of a non-ionic or amphoteric, which means they’re milder
than the surfactant on its own and you don’t have to put a ton
of thought into which surfactant goes best with another one.
They can often be used on their own with some water - making
a “no more tears” shampoo is simple with Stepan-Mild BSB,
water, and preservative - to make all kinds of cleansers, which
makes life so much easier.
But there’s a downside to using them, especially if you’re selling your products —
sometimes blends go away. The supplier might not be carrying them, the manufacturer
might stop making them, your favourite Etsy or eBay store changes hands — and it’s a pain
to re-formulate your product to have the same properties as that lovely blend had.
This isn’t to say you can’t use blends, just an aside on why you might want to make your
own blends from individual surfactants, especially if you’re selling your products.
*Lest you think this is a silly warning, there are two blends in this e-book that I can’t nd in North
American any more - Stepan-Mild LSB and Miracare Soft 313. I used both of these a lot, and now I can’t
make exactly the same product I made before. This is why we din’t want to get too dependent on these
blends and learn how to make our own.
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WHY IS PH SO IMPORTANT IN
THESE KINDS OF PRODUCTS?
Our skin has a pH of 4.7 to 5.9, while hair can range
from 3.7 for virgin hair to as high as almost neutral
to 7.
Quick reminder: pH is a scale that ranges from 1 to

14. pH 1 is very acidic, like hydrochloric acid; pH 14
is very alkaline, like sodium hydroxide or lye; pH 7
is neutral, like water. We call something pH 6.9 or
lower, acidic. We call something pH 8.0 or higher,
alkaline or basic. (Cold process soap is always in the
alkaline range.)
We can handle alkaline pH ranges when it comes to rinse o products for our skin, like
soap, but leave on products, like those made with an emulsi er like triethanolamine-stearic
acid to create TEA-stearate could be very irritating. (This is Lush’s primary emulsi er, which
you can see in things like the Ocean Salt Scrub and other moisturizers.)
Our hair isn’t as forgiving and can be damaged when we use

something outside the right pH range of 4-ish to 6-ish. When
the pH is too high, the cuticles may not lay at to seal the
strand, which leads to tangling, matting, and damage as they
rub against the each other, as well as rough hair that looks
unconditioned and dull. And when hair is damaged, it’s
damaged. There’s no xing it, except temporarily using
conditioners and silicones.
As an aside…Hair shine has a lot to do with the atness of the cuticle. More light will bounce back from a
hair strand with a smooth cuticle than will bounce back from one with those scales sitting at the wrong
angle, leading to that dull appearance. There are other reasons hair might not be shiny - those of us with
frizzy or curly hair know our hair is never as shiny as when it’s bone straight - due to the kinks and swirls
and curls that bounce back less light. This isn’t to say that hair that isn’t shiny isn’t healthy, just that
physics plays a big role in shininess!
Some people use cold process soap, which is always alkaline, as a shampoo, then follow it
with a vinegar rinse. Vinegar is acidic - it doesn’t matter what type you use as anything from
white to apple cider is ne - so it can help close the cuticle as the pH is returned to normal.
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It’s a better idea to use an acidic conditioner to condition hair if you’ve used an alkaline
shampoo than vinegar, or combine the two.
MEASURING PH
Do you need a pH meter to work with surfactants? Yes and no. I would argue that if
you’re following the formulas I share the way they are written, you don’t need one as I’ve
done the work for you. If you want to start working with higher pH surfactants like sodium
coco sulfate (SCS) or decyl glucoside, you’ll want to reduce the pH, and to do that, you’ll
need to measure the pH.
There are a few ways to test pH. The rst is by using pH

testing strips. You can nd them as long strips of brown-
ish, yellow-ish paper that give you a general idea of the
pH, but they’re wildly inaccurate. At best, they o er you
a general pH range, but you have no idea if it’s at the low
end of pH 3, which would be far too low, on par with
using AHAs or salicylic acid in a product, or the high end
of pH 3, which is still low, but not face burning low.
You can nd plastic strips that have two, three, or four

indicators, which are a much better choice, and they’ll
register pH in 0.5 or 0.25 pH increments. I nd it hard to
work with them as it’s di cult to identify the minute
colour di erences between each pH level, but they’re
better than the brown ones.
I prefer to use a pH meter. You can spend $20 or you can spend $300 for that really fancy
one I want from the local hydroponics store where I always loudly announce I’m looking for
cosmetic chemistry equipment as I browse the beakers and other measuring thingies
section.
I have a review of a number of di erent kinds of meters on my blog, and will be adding more as I test more.
Please click here to see the reviews.
ADJUSTIN G PH
To decrease the pH or make it more acidic, make up a solution of 50% citric acid and
50% distilled water. Add it to the product at 0.1% (=0.05% citric acid) at a time, mix,
measure, and repeat, if necessary. Keep good notes so you have a sense of what you did last
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time, but don’t rely on that as every batch of product can be slightly di erent, even when
you use the same ingredients.
To increase the pH or make it more alkaline, make up a solution of 18% sodium

hydroxide and 82% distilled water. Mix, let it warm up, then cool down, and add it your
product at 0.05% to 0.1% at a time. Mix, measure, repeat, if necessary. Again, keep good
notes.
You can also alter the pH upwards by adding triethanolamine at 0.1% at a time. It’s not as
alkaline as lye, so you’ll need more, but it’s harder to add too much as it’s slightly thickened.
It’s also safer to use than lye or lye water, and has a longer shelf life.
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AN ASIDE: WHAT C AUSES SKIN

TIGHTNESS AFTER WASHIN G?
We all know the feeling - our skin feels tight, smooth, or dry after cleansing, but not in a
good way. Skin tightness is associated with a marked decrease in the water content of our
stratum corneum (top layer of our skin), and can be the rst sign that repeated use of this
product could lead to scaling, aking, and possible redness - all the signs of irritation. So
what causes this?
It was previously thought that removing lipids from our skin caused this feeling, but it's
been shown that although removing too much oil is associated with and can enhance the
feeling of tightness, it's not an essential component.
What has been shown to be an essential component of skin tightness is the amount of
surfactant left on your skin after washing. Some surfactants don't rinse o well and leave a
lm on your skin. The worst culprits for this are the alkyl sulfates (like sodium lauryl sulfate
or SLS) and the alkyl benzene sulfonates (also known as the alkyl aryl sulfonates like linear
alkylbenzene sulfonate, which are mostly used in household cleaning products).
What can we do to reduce this feeling? We can make sure we use surfactants that rinse o
well - and all but the two mentioned above do this - and we can add cationic and non-ionic
ingredients to mitigate the feeling. In essence, we can incorporate mildness into our
products.
We can increase this rinse-ability by including a chelating ingredient, like tetrasodium

EDTA, disodium EDTA, or sodium phytate at up to 0.2% so they’ll work better in di erent
types of water. (Click here to see more on this topic in this e-book.)
We can also make sure we aren't using more surfactants than we need as the more, the
harder to rinse it o , right?
You can also use a toner on your face after cleansing to remove more surfactant (and you
know I have a ton of formulas for that particular product on my site and in my e-books!) or
you can use fewer surfactants or only a titch of cleanser when you're washing your face!
That's one of the reason I like foamer bottles. One squirt is more than enough for some
serious cleansing. If you package your facial cleanser in a pump, it makes it easy to get just
the right amount for that day's face washing!
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VISCOSITY
The easy way to think about viscosity is about
the thickness of a uid. Water has low
viscosity while something like glycerin has a
higher viscosity. I liked this de nition that
“Viscosity is resistance to ow” (reference),
that more viscous things require more force
to make them ow. So something like
glycerin takes more force to make it ow
when compared to water.
I really liked this one minute video on viscosity,

which is awesome.
If you want a more science-y de nition, I

liked this one: “Viscosity is the measure of
the internal friction of a uid. This friction becomes apparent when a layer of uid is made
to move in relation to another layer. The greater the friction, the greater the amount of force
required to cause this movement, which is called shear. Shearing occurs whenever the uid
is physically moved or distributed, as in pouring, spreading, spraying, mixing, etc. Highly
viscous uids, therefore, require more force to move than less viscous materials.”
(Reference) They also say this internal friction is “caused by molecular attraction”.
There are a few de nitions I’d like to look at as they’ll be important when we start talking
about other thickeners for surfactants.
Yield stress: This is the “applied stress we must exceed in order to make a structured uid
ow.”
Yield stress point: “Minimum stress value applied to initial ow.” When the uid is below
this point, it displays the properties of being a solid or in that it isn’t owing the way water
might ow. When it’s above it, it’ll ow like a liquid. (Reference)
“Some materials can better be described as soft solids than as uids. Strong gels and thick
pastes possess an inherent structure to such a degree that they will not ow appreciably
unless left for a very long time.” (Reference) In other words, there are things that kinda
seem like solids when they’re below this yield stress point, but ow when the yield stress
point or value required to have the thing ow.
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The word “elastic” is important to this discussion, too. This means a solid has the ability to
return to its previous shape or size when the force is removed.
Shear: It’s de ned as the “relative motion between adjacent layers of moving liquid”. As
above, “Shearing occurs whenever the uid is physically moved or distributed, as in pouring,
spreading, spraying, mixing, etc.”
A high shear mixer – like an immersion or stick

blender – will brings those layers together quicker
than something that’s low shear, like a hand mixer.
High shear mixers spin quicker in the middle than the
outsides.
If we were to talk about something like ketchup, it’s

very thick when it’s sitting in the bottle. To get some
out for our hash browns or chips, we have to apply
force or stress to it by shaking or hitting the bottle.
When it reaches its yield stress point, it will start to
ow and comes out of the bottle. When we stop
applying the stress to the bottle – and, in my case,
stop swearing at the damned thing! – it stops owing.
How is viscosity measured? Viscosity is measured by millipascal seconds or mPa.s, and

water at 20˚C is 1.0020 mPa.s, which gives us a base line so we can measure the viscosity of
other things we use.
If I create a gel with 3% Sepimax ZEN, using 3% with 0% salt creates something that’s
100,000 mPa.s, so you know it’s much thicker than water.
Glycerin is 1430 mPa.s, propylene glycol is 40.4 mPa.s, while olive oil is 84 mPa.s, so we
know that using 3% Sepimax ZEN creates something much much thicker than olive oil.
Click here for more fun looking up various liquids!
You may see some things measured in centistokes or cS. (1 cS = 1 mPa.s) Silicones are
measured this way, especially dimethicone. I’ve worked with 5 cS, 6 cs, 350 cS, and 1000 cS,
which you might be able to picture as being as almost as thin as water, thicker than olive oil,
and thinner than glycerin respectively.
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As an aside, temperature can have a huge impact on viscosity, something you’ve no doubt
witnessed as your lotion thickened or as a lip balm or lotion bar sti ens as it cools. For a lot
of science-y stu from solubility to viscosity, it’s important to know the temperature in
Celsius. If it isn’t listed, you could assume it’s normal temperature and pressure, being
20˚C and 1 atm, or atmosphere, which is sea level.
Why should you care about this concept? Because we adjust the viscosity in just about
every product we make. (And because science is #metalaf.) Think how many times you’ve
wished your lotion, facial cleanser, bubble bath, and so on was thicker or thinner, and you
can see how important it is. It keeps our products from splooshing all over our hands when
we use products, like shampoo or body wash, and it’s also vital for things like bubbles and
foams.
When formulating with surfactants, viscosity is such a huge issue! We have to match up the
right surfactant with the right thickener – something you know very well if you’ve ever tried
to thicken foaming silk protein or disodium laureth sulfosuccinate (DLS) with Crothix and
wondered why you still had what seemed like water – to increase viscosity.
If you want to make a cleanser with suspended

jojoba beads, micas, glitters, or other particles, you
need to think carefully about the viscosity.
These particles need to be suspended in the product, instead

of sinking to the bottom, which requires very speci c types
of thickeners, like Sepimax ZEN or Siligel. Crothix will
not work in this capacity, unless you make Jell-O will it.
Xanthan gum isn’t a suspending type thickener either,
unless it’s like Jell-O.
They stay suspended as the cleanser is more a solid

than a liquid when there’s no stress placed on it,
like when it’s sitting on a counter. If we start
putting pressure on the system by squishing the bottle, we’ll soon overcome the yield stress
point, and it will ow like a liquid. When we return the bottle to the counter, it’ll soon
behave as more like a solid until annoyed again, and the beads will remain suspended.
BUILDING VISCOSIT Y: INCREASING SURFACTANT

CONCENTRATION
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There are three main ways to thicken a surfactant based creation: Increase the concentration
of the surfactants, make the micelles larger, or thicken the water by creating a gel, for
instance.
You can increase the surfactant very easily by adding more surfactants and removing the
water. But, when you increase the surfactant concentrations above the suggested usage
rates, you are asking for irritation, plus you're wasting supplies.
You can increase the concentration by using the salt curve, which is the concept of adding
salt - an electrolyte - to a surfactant mix to make it thicker. It does this in two ways. The
electrolyte increases the size of the micelles in the surfactants, so the viscosity increases.
And they compete with the surfactants for water, so as we add more salt, we fool the
product into thinking we've increased the concentration of the surfactants, which will
increase viscosity. This kind of thickening creates elongated micelles.
As we gradually increase the salt, it will thicken nicely and

stay that way. But if we add too much salt, we eventually start
to thin it out back to the watery state. This is one of the
reasons we add it slowly - once you get to 3% to 3.5% you risk
turning back to water due to the imbalance of charges between
the various ingredients in your creation.
I suggest adding it at 0.2% at a time. Add, mix well, let it sit for a few
minutes, then check the viscosity.
When we see a surfactant can help thicken another - like cocamidopropyl betaine or SMC
taurate - this is often thanks to the increase of electrolytes in the mix. When we see
something like cocamide DEA increase viscosity, we have fooled the system into thinking
we've increased the concentration of the surfactants, and it thickens. You can use something
full of electrolytes, like aloe vera extract,
Ideally you'll use between 0.25% to 3% salt in your creation - remember to add it slowly so
you don't end up on the wrong side of that curve! The down side of using salt is that it can
make your creations cloudy, so you'll want to bottle those in a non-clear container or just
accept it!
A N A S I D E : W H A T A R E E L E C T R O LY T E S ? A N D A R E T H E Y
R E A L LY W H A T P L A N T S C R AV E ?
“An electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that make the substance electrically
conductive. The most typical electrolyte is an ionic solution, but molten electrolytes and
solid electrolytes are also possible. Commonly, electrolytes are solutions of acids, bases or
salts.” (From Wikipedia).
In other words, when you take something like sodium chloride – a salt – and mix it into a
solvent – like water – you have an electrolyte! If you’re making a gel, electrolytes become
really important because some gels will not gel if the concentration of electrolytes is really
high. Aloe vera is very high in electrolytes, which is why it can be di cult to create your
own aloe vera gel and why it will thin out any kind of surfactant based product* if you add
too much.
As a note, magnesium chloride (“magnesium oil”), Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate), things like sodium
lactate or sodium PCA are salts as well. These will have quite the e ect on your products.
Another aside, please don’t add any aloe vera powder of any amount to a shampoo bar as they will become
really soft and crumbly because it contains loads of electrolytes, which messes with the surfactants.
BUILDING VISCOSIT Y: INCREASING MICELLE SIZE
The second way to increase the viscosity of our surfactant-y creations is to

increase the size of the micelles. (Please click here for a refresher on
micelles!) We learned in a previous section that increasing micelle size can
reduce irritation, so you're not only building viscosity, you're decreasing
irritation! (I love two-for-one processes!)
We can do this by using salt, by adding surfactants like the betaines, or by

adding fatty materials, like Crothix, PEG-150 distearate, EZ Pearl (glycol distearate), amine
oxides, or other thickening esters. Because surfactants have those hydrophilic heads and
lipophilic tails, the fatty materials will become trapped in the middle of the micelles, causing
them to swell. This creates viscosity in our products.
If you are using these fatty materials, be warned that some will pearlize or cloud your
product. Crothix will create clear systems, but glycol distearate is de nitely something that
will make it very opaque, pearlized, and lovely. (It’s not called EZ Pearl for nothing.)
These products thicken very well, but may not play well with your fragrances. Keep a list of
those fragrances that thin or thicken your mixture so you can compensate for that change.
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I like to use liquid Crothix to thicken so I have more control over the product - I make
something like a bubble bath, add everything but the Crothix, and wait until the next
morning when it becomes clear. I can add the Crothix then - 0.5% at a time - to see how it
thickens up.
BUILDING VISCOSIT Y: CREATING GELS AND

THIC KENIN G WATER
There are a few ways to create a gel that will thicken our surfactant mix. We can use
polysaccharides, carbomers, and other gelling ingredients.
Polysaccharides like agar, carageenan, guar gum, gum

arabic, locust bean gum, pectin, xanthan gum (anionic),
carboxymethocellulose and variations on the
methocellulose (non-ionic), and modi ed starches are
great options for forming gels. Because these are botanical
in nature, make sure you preserve these well with the
maximum preservative allowable!
This is a jar of hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) and distilled water into

which I didn’t add preservative because I was annoyed that it
wasn’t thickening well. You can see a few weeks later, even in a
closed container, there’s a lot of contamination. Please use a strong,
broad-spectrum preservative that works with your chosen
surfactants at the suggested usage rate to avoid this heartbreak.
Xanthan gum is made from saccharide monomer units d-glucose, d-mannose, and d-
glucoronic acid. It dissolves in most acidic solutions (less than pH 7) and shows great
stability in presence of most organic acids (like vinegar, lactic acid, AHA, and so on). It also
shows good compatibility with many basic compounds, but something that is very alkaline
like lye (pH around 12), you might see some precipitation of xanthan gum and salts. It is
also unusually good with salts in that it won’t thin out, but solubility is an issue. There is an
incompatibility of xanthan gum and metal ions in solution with high pH, so addition of
EDTA is a good idea if you're using some high pH ingredients like lye (although I can't see a
good reason to make a really high pH product...)
Xanthan gum shows good compatibility with non-ionic surfactants in high concentrations,
but low concentrations of anionic and amphoteric surfactants. It's not compatible with
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quaternary compounds, or you want to avoid using something like BTMS, honeyquat or
polyquat 7, or Tinosan as your preservative.
You can use xanthan gum in your lotions in the oil phase of the lotions and in your
surfactant mixes in the heated water and surfactant phase to create a rich creamy lather. But
remember, if you're making a shampoo, leave the positively charged honeyquat and polyquat
7 out!
When it comes to polymers, like Ultrez 20, Sepinov EMT 10, or Sepimax ZEN, ensure you're
in the right space for electrolytes. ZEN loves electrolytes, so it’s always my rst choice when
I need to create a gel with surfactants.
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THICKENERS
Here’s the thing to know about using
thickeners: You can make what you think is
the exact same product you did last time, but
need more or less thickener. Why?
Thickening can depend on a few di erent

things from amount of salt, type of fragrance,
type of colouring, botanical ingredients, and
so on. You can also have a tiny slip of the
wrist so this time you used 1.1% of
something instead of 1%, which could make
a di erence depending on the ingredient. So
keep very good records every single time you make something so you can see a pattern in
what’s happening with your thickener.
Some of the most common thickeners we encounter are polyethylene glycol esters or PEG
esters, which you can identify easily as they have a number - say PEG-150 - and something
that ends in “-ate”, like distearate. These are modi ed so they'll be more water soluble and
may behave as surfactants, too.
I've written a lot on this topic on my blog, so click here if you'd like to learn more.
When considering a thickener, think about the pH range of your product; how well it does
with certain ingredients, like fragrances; the surfactant load it can handle; how well it
suspends exfoliants and beads, if you’re including them; and how emollient they might be.
ACACIA GUM (GUM ARABIC) - ANIONIC
This gum is a mixture of polysaccharides and glycoproteins that dissolves easily in water.
This is an interesting gum as it’s not considered a viscosity builder, but it will thicken our
products, lowers surface tension to make products glide easier on our skin so they don’t pill,
and forms lms to hydrate and make products feel more watery and soft. It also has
emulsion stabilizing properties, and create light emulsions on its own with low levels of
fragrance or essential oil. It has some shear thinning characteristics at lower shear rates.
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It’s heat sensitive, so you add it to the heated water phase of a lotion just before adding
combining it with the oil phase. so add it to the water phase before you start creating a
lotion.
The suggested usage is up to 3% in the heated water phase of a product, but as high as 30%
still produces lower viscosity products when compared to xanthan gum.
To hydrate it, you’ll want to add it to water while it’s being mixed, then mix for about 10
minutes. (It’s much like xanthan gum in this way.) In lotions, you’ll see it added at the end
of the water phase, just before the oil and water phases are combined. If you put it in the
water phase while its being heated without mixing, you’ll see some clumping. De nitely put
it at the end, just before mixing to avoid these issues.
Because it’s anionic or negatively charged, you can use it with anionic ingredients, like many
foamy, bubbly, lathery surfactants as well as Ritamulse SCG, carbomers, and products that
contain sodium polyacrylates, you can’t use it with cationic ingredients, like hair
conditioners.
It has a pH of around 4.5 to 5.5 in water, and is so water soluble, up to 33%! It isn’t great
with electrolytes or salt, losing viscosity when combined with it.
C R O T H I X ( P E G - 15 0 P E N TA E RY T H R I T Y L T E T R A S T E A R AT E
( A N D ) P E G - 6 C A P R Y L I C / C A P R I C T R I G LYC E R I D E S ( A N D )
WATER) - N ON-IONIC
Crothix is an ester – in fact, it’s a complex ester! The INCI is PEG-150 pentaerythrityl
tetrastearate (and) PEG-6 caprylic/capric triglycerides (and) water. It’s derived from and
composed mostly of stearic acid. It’s non-ionic and it will create clear thickened surfactant
systems, as opposed to the pearlized systems created with the glycol distearate. Crothix is
tolerant to electrolytes and cationic salts, so you can use aloe vera and other ingredients that
contain salt without issue.
As a bonus, liquid Crothix contains PEG-6 caprylic/capric glycerides (coconut based), which
o er superfatting and emollient properties. And you may recognize it as one of the very
light surfactants I use to make micellar waters or as a component of Caprol Micro Express, a
solubilizer used to include fragrance or essential oils in room or fragrance sprays.
How to use it…I generally use Crothix at 1 to 2% surfactant mixture. You can use it up to
8%, but this will result in goo, so I don’t suggest it. (Although you can always make a jar of
bubble slime in green for your kids! They love it!) Always add Crothix when your mixture
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has been fragranced, preserved, and everything else and when it has completely cooled. I
mean really cool. I mean the next day kind of cool. You will never know how thick it is going
to be until it is completely cooled (I think I’ve made the point).
Let’s say I want to make a body wash with Jewelled Citrus fragrance oil in it. I know this
fragrance will thicken the mixture at rst but will eventually thin out to be only slightly
thicker than water. I make the body wash with all the ingredients – EXCEPT CROTHIX –
then let it sit overnight in a well covered Pyrex jug. Do not bottle it yet! The next morning I
check the viscosity, then add 1% Crothix. Mix well without generating too many bubbles,
then test the viscosity. Do I like it? If the answer is no, I could add another 0.5% more, mix,
test, then add up to another 0.5% more, but rarely more than 2% (my personal preference).
As an aside, if your product after using 3 to 5% is

like “runny honey”, you’ve made something that
can’t be thickened by Crothix because using 5%
with something like sodium laureth sulfate will
create a really thick jelly, as you can see from this
photo. (And that’s not the thickest Crothix Jell-O
I’ve made!)
Surfactants that can be thickened by Crothix:

Sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate,
SLSa, disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, sodium
C14-16 ole n sulfonate when combined with
other surfactants, and betaines.
Surfactants that can’t be thickened by Crothix:

Sodium lauryl sarcosinate, foaming proteins, decyl
glucosides, and all other glucosides
Check in the listing for each surfactant in this e-book as I share how best to thicken it.
I recommend using liquid Crothix over the pastilles that must be heated with the
surfactants at the start of the process as there are too many variables that could make a
product thicker or thinner during the formulating process. The liquid can be used at any
time in the formulating process at room temperature, and can be used to thicken products
weeks or even months later.
Quick summary: Crothix is a thickener, irritant mitigator, foam stabilizer, and emollient for
surfactant systems. (Feel free to insert your own jokes about irritation mitigation here…I
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have a ton of them referring to my neighbours.) It works to increase micelle size, and it’s
what’s called a hydrophobic polymer type thickener.
Suggested usage rate: 0.5% to 2%, can go higher if you wish. Add at room temperature after
all the other ingredients have been added, including fragrance or essential oils.
G LYC O L D I S T E A R A T E - N O N - I O N I C
Glycol distearate or EZ Pearl is a great thickener that also pearlizes

your surfactant systems as well as acting as a very low HLB (1)
emulsi er in combination with something like Ceteareth-20 (15.2)
to create your own emulsi cation system for lotions. It works as an
emollient to reduce the irritation of surfactants, so it’s a great
addition when making a product for normal to very dry skin. It
works to increase micelle size, and acts as a great emollient to re-
fatten skin and scalp during washing.
An aside, when we see an opaque, pearly product, we think it’s more

moisturizing and better for dry skin or hair. We aren’t wrong - this ingredient will produce a more
moisturizing product that one without - but it’s interesting nonetheless.
Suggested usage rate: Up to 3% in the heated phase at up to 65˚C (149˚F). I’ve found it
best to melt it in its own container and heat the water and surfactants separately, mixing
occasionally. Then add the melted glycol distearate to the surfactants. Start with 1.5% to see
if you like that, then go up to 3% if you want more thickening and opacity. I have also found
I need to add a titch of Crothix or Ritathix in some cases, like when I use vanilla based
fragrances.
HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE (HEC) - NON-IONIC
This a non-ionic or neutrally charged polymer used to thicken aqueous products to produce
“crystal” clear gels or to thicken emulsions. It’s a polysaccharide, which will hydrate and
create a lm or light barrier on our skin to act as an emollient, hydrator, and anti-
in ammatory.
Why do we care if it’s non-ionic? This means it can be used with things like anionic or
negatively charged surfactants in body washes, bubble baths, and so on, and with negatively
charged emulsi ers like Ritamulse SCG, although I don’t think this one has trouble getting
thicker! It can be used with cationic or positively charged ingredients, like conditioners, and
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it’s a nice thickener for things like cetrimonium chloride, which is water thin, to make
detanglers. (Oh, so many hair care products we can make with HEC!)
And it’s stable at an acidic pH – which is to say, at the pH of just about everything we make!
Woo!
It can tolerate salts, like those found in aloe vera and sodium lactate, and lm form to o er
more hydrating goodness. which means we can use this to thicken aloe vera gels or
hydrating products. Again, I say woo!
With surfactants, it can help stabilize bubbles, increase viscosity, and increase mildness,
which is always welcome in a surfactant mix. Awesome news! It can help thicken surfactants
that don’t want to thicken well, like sarcosinates and sulfosuccinates (like disodium laureth
sulfosuccinate or DLS), and may thicken decyl glucoside at an acidic pH level. Using it at as
low as 0.2% can create a “nice thick creamy lather from a loose large bubble foam”, which
means we can use this to take something like foaming silk protein, which has “lacy glove
bubbles” to something much creamier. Woo!
Use it in hair gels for a “soft hold” or as a gel base for things like facial moisturizers,
cleansers, and serums.
We use it at 0.1% to 3% in the water phase. At 1%, it has a pH of 6.7, which is a great,
almost neutral pH place to start. It has a shelf life of about 2 years.
It’s derived from wood, so I guess you could call it

natural, although it has to undergo a heck of a lot of
processing to stop being splinters to become this
product. It’s a cellulose ether, which is cellulose that
has been chemically modi ed. “[C]ellulose bers are
heated with a caustic solution that, in turn, is treated
with methyl chloride, and either propylene oxide or
ethylene oxide, yielding hydroxypropyl methyl
cellulose or hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose,
respectively. The brous reaction product is puri ed
and ground to a ne, uniform powder.” (This is a really
interesting document, if you’d like to know more.)
Here’s the thing: This is a pain in the bum to thicken, so follow the directions very carefully.
I trashed my arm a few years back mixing this for an hour - and it still didn't thicken! As
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well, make sure you're using a good, broad spectrum preservative as this can go o quite
quickly.
Lotioncrafter recommends that it be “added to room temperature water with a neutral pH”,
after which it can be heated and the pH adjusted as these two factors can a ect hydration
time or the time that it takes for HEC to be hydrated. Add it to the water phase and “stir
until the polymer is dissolved” to prevent the particles from settling. The version I bought
from Lotioncrafter can take between 4 and 25 minutes to hydrate, while other versions I saw
said it could take 30 to 60 minutes, so my recommendation is to put on some awesome
music and do some fancy dancing as you mix this to hydration.
You’ll know when it’s ready because it’ll be crystal clear.
Rheology modi ers like HEC need to be wetted, dispersed, and

hydrated, and we can see this with this thickener. We need it to be
wetted when we add it to the water phase, then we stir it until it’s
dissolved, then we hydrate it by mixing for up to 60 minutes.
De nitely do the water phase rst, then the surfactants last

as mixing those for 4 to 25 minutes will result in a container
of bubbles and nothing else! And I recommend heating it up
to 60˚C (140˚F) to help it hydrate faster. Let it cool down to
room temperature before adding the rest of your
ingredients.
I recommend using an overhead stirrer if you have one or a hand mixer with one or two
blades. I would recommend a Kitchenaid type stand mixer, but I really nd heating it in a
double boiler or on a hot plate is much faster and more e ective.
HYDROXYLPROPYL METHYL CELLULOSE (HPMC) - NON-

IONIC
Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (also known as hypromellose or HPMC as I’ll be typing

from now on!) is a non-ionic, water soluble polymer derived from cellulose. It comes as a
white or o -white odourless powder that we use to thicken our products. Because it’s non-
ionic, it has many uses like shampoos, lotions, shaving gels, and pretty much any product
you want to thicken.
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The cellulose derivatives, like HPMC and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) are created through
a reaction of cellulose with ethylene or propylene oxides or both to create these products.
(See the previous section for more information.)
HPMC is kinda weird because it’s very soluble in cold water and almost insoluble in hot
water (and remember, things tend to be more soluble when you add heat, which is yet
another reason to heat and hold our products!). With most of our thickeners, we add them
to the water rst and allow them to hydrate before heating; with HPMC, it’s best to add it to
cold water and allow it to hydrate but don’t add it to the heated water phase of our
products. We’d then add that to the cool down phase of our products. I know, it’s weird!
This is because it doesn’t gel in heat, it gels in cold, so it basically congeals to create a semi-
exible mass. The more HPMC you add, the lower critical temperature needed to achieve
gelling.
Yes, I know that last paragraph is very strange and I’m trying to wrap my head around it. I’ve searched
through tons of manufacturers’ recipes and although I’ve found a few where the HPMC is used in the
water phase and heated, almost all of them suggest adding it at the end or making the entire surfactant
based product cold.
If you want to use it as a gelling agent for something like a shampoo or even a shower jelly
(this is why I bought this ingredient as I hate working with carrageenan), sprinkle it into
cold distilled water and add it at the end of the process with the cool down ingredients.
(Make sure it is distilled water because we don’t want beasties or other contaminants in our
products!) Use it at 0.2% to 0.5% in surfactant based products. Or add it to your
conditioners at the same amount in the same way (only don’t reserve all the water for the
conditioner – take out about 10% or so and use that at the end of the process). The general
suggested usage rates for HPMC is 0.3% to 1%, with the up to 1% being for proper gels like
shaving gels.
HPMC is a great thickener for surfactant based products like shampoo or body wash because
it doesn’t need salt to thicken, so it will thicken things like decyl glucoside, sulfosuccinates,
and SLeS, all of which are di cult to thicken with salt. It won’t interfere with our
surfactants’ cloud point or titer point, which means you can achieve a clearer product. Like
the other gelling ingredients we’ve seen so far this week, it o ers freeze-thaw stability,
meaning it will work like anti-freeze for our products.
Finally, because HPMC is pseudoplastic (which means it exhibits shear thinning) we can
make our products quite thick and still have them squeeze out of the bottle, and use it to
suspend exfoliants.
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LAMESOFT® PO 65 (INCI: COCO GLUCOSIDE AND

G LYC E R Y L O L E A T E )
Lamesoft® PO 65 is a is a 100% naturally derived thickener, emollient, and re-fattener for

surfactant based products, like shampoos, body washes, facial cleansers, bubble baths, and
more. Let’s take a closer look at glyceryl oleate and coco glucoside.
Glyceryl oleate (aka glycerol monooleate) is a

non-ionic ester created by reacting glycerin
(glycerol) and oleic acid. It works as an emollient
and skin conditioner as well as a water-in-oil
emulsi er with an HLB value of 3.5. It can be
combined with surfactant blends to thicken and
work as a re-fattener of our skin with a suggested
usage of 0.5% to 1% to create a clear, transparent
product. Or you can use it at 0.5% to 3% as an
emulsi er.
Adding Glyceryl Oleate – a non-ionic emollient, emulsi er, and solubilizer – will alter the
shape and increase the size of the micelles in surfactant based products, making our
products much milder than those without it. It also works to re-fatten our hair or skin to
make it feel more moisturized and soft.
Please read yesterday’s post for more information on Glyceryl Oleate as I go into far more
detail there!
Let’s talk about coco glucoside for a moment!
From this post on alkyl polyglucosides, foamy, bubbly, lathery™ surfactants!
Coco glucoside uses coconut alcohol (C8 to

C14) and glucose. It’s used as a foaming
detergent and it can thicken other surfactant
blends that include non-ionic polyglucosides,
like decyl glucoside or lauryl glucoside. It tends
to be quite thick – 2500 mPa.s (cps) and higher
– and can be 51% to 53% active surfactant
matter. It creates a “satisfactory level” of foam with good stability. It creates good, stable,
ne bubbles, those that would be described as “lacy glove” foam. It can be used as a primary
surfactant or secondary.
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The pH is 11.5 to 12.5, which is very high, so you’ll need to test and adjust the pH of your
products to get it to a more hair- and skin-friendly pH of 4 to 6.
In general, alkyl polyglucosides, like coco glucoside, lauryl glucoside, or decyl glucoside,
lower surface tension e ectively, and they’re tolerant of electrolytes. This is a good thing –
you can use salts or things containing salts like aloe vera liquid or extract – but also means
that you can’t thicken these with salt. In fact, APGs are a pain to thicken and won’t with
Crothix or salt, but Ritathix DOE, Sepimax ZEN, Siligel, or natural gums work well. But
they will thicken with Lamesoft® PO 65.
They work well in hard water, rinse o well, and can tolerate alkaline (pH above 8)
ingredients and conditions. You’ll want to reduce the pH in hair and skin care products to
pH 4 to 6 for pretty much every APG you meet.
They’re compatible with anionic (negatively charged) surfactants – they increase the
mildness by altering the shape and size of the micelles (read more here) – or cationic
(positively charged) ingredients, like cationic polymers.
The foamy, bubbly, lathery glucosides produce small bubbles and lather, ones that can be
described as “lacy glove foam”. If you lather up your hands, they’ll look like lace with large
openings and lots of small bubbles. (The opposite of this is something like SCI, which has
elegant, dense foam and lather that has few openings and creates a thick layer.)
Lamesoft® PO 65 (INCI: Coco glucoside and

glyceryl oleate) is a clear, viscous, slightly yellow
liquid with a viscosity of 2,500 to 6,000 mPa.s.
It can create clear and transparent surfactant blends

if we reduce the pH to around 5.2, but can be used
in pearlized and opaci ed products.
It’s called a “lipid layer enhancer” because it can

deposit lipids on our skin while using surfactant
based products to make our skin and hair feel softer
and moisturized: They advertise this as a “skin
identical bio lipid”.
Because adding a lipid to a these kinds of products alters the size and shape of anionic
(negatively charged) surfactants – increasing the size and shape of the small, spherical
micelles to be larger and more rod-like – including Lamesoft® PO 65 increases the mildness
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of products, and increases the rinse-o of the products, eliminating that tight, dry feeling
you get after showering or bathing.
It’s also recommended for products for babies and children as it increases the mildness and
gentleness of surfactant blends so well.
It’s recommended for products that are ECOCERT, COSMOS, or NaTrue certi ed. It can “be
considered for products with EU Ecolabel and Nordic Swan” (reference) as well as products
for NSF and the Natural Products Association (reference) They note it’s “100% derived from
natural, renewable feedstocks”, like coconut oil and sun ower oil, but given the data
bulletin notes that Lamesoft® PO 65 is a “Raw material according to the RSPO MB Supply
Chain Certi cation”, there seems to be some relation to palm in there?
Okay, so this is a bit confusing as some sources say it’s derived from coconut and sun ower
oil (reference), while the SDS from BASF notes that it’s composed of “coconut / palm kernel
oil, sun ower oil, glucose, glycerine”, so there is the potential for palm kernel oil in the
product. If this is really important to you, you’re best o speaking to your supplier or even
to a rep for BASF, if you can get hold of one.
It contains 20% to 40% coco glucoside, 20% to

40% glyceryl oleate, 1% to 5% citric acid, 32% to
35% water with approximately 0.02% tocopherol
and approximately 0.01% Hydrogenated Palm
Glycerides Citrate, both of which work as anti-
oxidants.
It has a shelf life of 12 months.
If it’s stored at lower than 10˚C (50˚F), it could

crystallize. Just heat it up gently to 25˚C to 30˚C,
and it’ll be ne.
This photo shows the layers of a formula –

surfactant on the bottom, Lamesoft® PO 65 in the
middle, water on top before mixing.
How to use this ingredient?

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The suggested usage is 1% to 5% at 15˚C to 25˚C (59˚F to 77˚F), but I’ve made it slightly
warmer at 30˚C (86˚F), and it worked very well. You’ll see a formula below in which it’s
used at 60˚C (140˚F), so it’s safe at higher temperatures too.
To have it work as a thickener, I recommend 2% to 5% in the surfactant phase. Mix it well

with the surfactants and water. After you’ve added the rest of the ingredients, test the pH.
It’s ideally at pH 5.2 for awesome thickening action.
If the product still isn’t thick enough, you can try adding more – up to a total of 5% – or
adding up to 2% sodium chloride at 0.25% at a time to see if that works.
If you just want to use this as an emollient, 1% to 2% in the surfactant phase is more than
enough.
I have to warn you that it isn’t playing really nice with the
fragrances I’ve been trying with my basic shampoo/body
wash formula with Plantapon® SF and 3% Lamesoft® PO 65.
It thickened up very nicely and became very very clear, but
after adding colour (water soluble dyes, like LabColour or
stained glass) and fragrance, it’s become cloudy and some are
separating. I have a feeling I need to add a solubilizer to the
mix – a high HLB emulsi er, like polysorbate 20, polysorbate
80, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, or caprylyl/capryl
glucoside, to name a few – to make the fragrance remain in
suspension and not separate.
LAMESOFT PO 65 (INCI: Coco glucoside and glyceryl oleate) - thickener, emollient,

and re-fattener for surfactant based products
Purpose Thickens hard-to-thicken surfactant based products, like those that
include alkyl polyglucosides, proteins, and sulfate-free surfactants
Deposits lipids in surfactant based products, softens and moisturizes
skin and hair
Increases mildness and rinse-o in surfactant based products by
increasing the size and altering the shape of micelles
Increases mildness for children and baby care products
Suggested usage 1% to 5% in surfactant based products, cold processable
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Solubility Practically insoluble in water and mineral oil; sparingly soluble in

ethanol.
Activity: Up to 65% solids, up to 35% water
Charge Non-ionic
Viscosity 2500 to 6000 mPa.s (viscous)
pH 3 to 4
Speci c gravity 1.06 to 1.1 grams per millilitre (Water, 1 gram = 1 ml at 20˚C)
Certi cations and ECOCERT, COSMOS, or NaTrue certi ed. It can “be considered for
other information products with EU Ecolabel and Nordic Swan”
Raw material according to the RSPO MB Supply Chain Certi cation
Vegan, non-GMO
Cost Voyageur Soap & Candle, 250 ml or 8.4 ounces (liquid) for $10.99
Canadian = 4.4¢ per ml. Measuring by weight, it works out to 4.7¢
(1.06 g/ml) to 4.84¢ (1.1 g/ml)
Other information Recommended temperature for processing: 15˚C to 25˚C (59˚F to
77˚F)
Shelf life: 12 months
Derived from coconut and sun ower oil
Preservative free
P E A R L I Z E R ( I N C I : S O D I U M L A U R E T H S U L F A T E , G LYC O L
DISTEARATE, C OC AMIDE MEA , L AURETH-10)
I bought this ingredient from Candora Soap, but I think it’s the same
ingredient you’d nd at Wholesale Supplies Plus.
You’ll notice it has a few things in here, like water (50% to

60%); sodium laureth sulfate (15% to 25%); glycol distearate
(15% to 25%), which we know is a thickener; cocamide MEA
(1% to 5%), which is a foam booster and viscosity enhancer; and
laureth-10 (1% to 5%), which is a soft, waxy emulsi er. It has a
pH of 6.5 to 7.5, and is dispersible in water. It works best with
traditional surfactants, like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium
laureth sulfate (SLeS), and sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (SLSa).
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It will give your products a pearlized appearance thanks to the glycol distearate. So why use
it instead of just using glycol distearate? Because it’s so much easier to use and can be done
at the end of the process in steps, rather than adding it to the heated phase and hoping you
have enough in there.
Suggested usage: 3% to 10% at the end of the process when the product is cold. Add 3%,
mix, then see how you like it. If you want more, add 1% at a time, mix, then add more if
necessary.
P E G - 15 0 D I S T E A R AT E - N O N - I O N I C
This PEG or polyethyleneglycol diester of fatty acids is

a good thickener for a variety of surfactant blends,
including sulfate free products. The white akes are
soluble in hot water, surfactants, and alcohol, and has
an HLB 18.9, indicating it could be paired with a low
HLB emulsi er to create lotions. good for sulfate free
products. It can create clear surfactant systems, which
is a bonus. It works to increase micelle size, and acts
as a great emollient.
It’s an inexpensive ingredient with one huge drawback: It’s kind of a pain to use. It’s very
temperature sensitive. One commenter in the forum on Chemists’ Corner noted that at
35˚C (95˚F) the product could be water, 20˚C (68˚F) it could be perfect, and at 10˚C
(50˚F), it’s like jelly. This might not seem like a huge deal, but if you need to ship your
product in slightly colder weather, this could be an issue.
I’ve only used this ingredient a few times, and while I was happy with the thickener, it was a
lot more annoying to use than Crothix or Ritathix DOE, both of which can be added at the
end of the process to ne tune the viscosity. It’s a great choice for sulfate free products,
those that contain harder to thicken surfactants, like decyl glucoside.
Suggested usage: 0.5% to 5% in the heated surfactant phase, which should be at 60˚C to
65˚C.
R H E O M E R 3 3 T ( I N C I : P O LYA C R Y L A T E - 3 3 )
This is a very interesting thickener that works in a completely di erent way than the other
thickeners we’ve met so far. Its pH is very low - 2.1 to 2.8 - and it contains 27.5% to 30%
active matter. It increases ash foam and volume, and I’ve found it creates a creamier, more
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elegant foam and lather in body washes and shampoos. (This may be my new favourite
thickener!) It can handle a lot of oils, too, so making creamy, emollient cleansers and
shampoos is fairly easy.
It’s a very e ective thickening and suspending polymer for low to medium surfactant based
products (6% to 13%) that works when the pH is increased during the formulating process.
It has a synergistic e ect with cationic polymers, like the polyquaterniums or Honeyquat,
and to increase volume and clarity. Adding 0.5% to 1% sodium chloride can boost these
qualities, too.
The optimal pH is 3 to 6 for suspending and thickening, but these systems may not be
transparent, but they do look pearlized, which is nice. You can add all manner of exfoliants,
like jojoba beads, seeds, crushed shells, and more, but you’ll want to stay at or below 13%
active surfactant matter.
If clarity is important to you, the pH must be 6.3 or higher with no more than 3% active
amphoteric surfactants, like cocamidopropyl betaine, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine,
sodium cocoamphoacetate, sodium lauroamphoacetate, and others. Add up to 1% salt. If
you’re using cationic polymers, add 0.95 to 1.5% to increase clarity.
It works best with a variety of surfactants from sulfates to non-ionic glucosides. I’ve tried it
with all kinds of blends, and it’s worked every single time, which is awesome!
There are two ways to use this thickener. You will need a pH meter to make this work. And
remember how I said I didn’t worry much about the active surfactant matter percentage?
We’ll need to worry about it here.
Rheomer 33T contains 27.5% to 30.5% active matter so 4 grams Rheomer 33T = 1.1 grams
to 1.22 grams active matter and 11 grams Rheomer 33T = 3.025 grams to 3.355 grams
active matter.
PROCEDURE 1
1. Add to the distilled or reverse osmosis water while stirring. You’ll want to have 1% to
3.3% active Rheomer 33T, which would be between 4 grams or 4% to 11 grams or 11%
of the formula.
2. Add the anionic surfactant for a total of 3% to 11% active surfactant matter.
3. Neutralize the mix to around pH 6.5 by adding small quantities - 0.05% to 0.1% at a
time - of triethanolamine or 18% lye solution, and testing frequently. The o cial
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instructions say to agitate it for up to 10 minutes, but I mixed it gently with a fork for
maybe 2 minutes, and it worked well.
4. Add the amphoteric surfactant at 1% to 3% active surfactant matter.
5. Add up to 0.5% cationic polymer.
6. Add non-ionic surfactant up to 2.5% active surfactant matter.
7. Add other ingredients like humectants, pearlizers, emollients, fragrance or essential oils,
preservatives, and so on.
8. Test the pH and adjust, if necessary, by adding 18% lye solution or triethanolamine to
increase the pH or by adding 50/50 citric acid and water blend to reduce the pH.
9. If you want a clear solution, adjust the pH to 6.3 or higher and add up to 1% salt.
10. If you want a thicker solution that suspends well, adjust the pH between 3 and 6 - better
to be around 4.2 to 6 - and up to 0.5% salt if you require further thickening.
11. If desired, add exfoliants.
PROCEDURE 2 - This is good if you've made something that didn't thicken with another
thickener and want to use Rheomer 33T.
1. Add all the surfactants and distilled or reverse osmosis water together. Follow the same
guidelines for use as in procedure 1. Add the anionic, amphoteric, cationic polymer,
other ingredients like humectants, pearlizers, emollients, fragrance or essential oils,
preservatives, and so on.
2. Add Rheomer 33T and mix with a fork for a few seconds, careful not to create too many
bubbles.
3. Neutralize the mix to around pH 6.5 by adding small quantities - 0.05% to 0.1% at a
time - of triethanolamine or 18% lye solution, and testing frequently. The o cial
instructions say to agitate it for up to 10 minutes, but I mixed it gently with a fork for
maybe 2 minutes, and it worked well.
4. If you want a clear solution, add up to 1% salt and increase the pH to 6.3 or higher. (It is
probably around this pH already.)
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5. If you want a thicker solution that suspends well, adjust the pH between 3 and 6 - better
to be around 4.2 to 6 - and up to 0.5% salt if you require further thickening.
6. Add exfoliants, if desired.
How does it work? It’s called a HASE thickener, a hydrophobically modi ed alkali
swellable emulsion latex polymer. When the pH increases due to the addition of an alkaline
ingredient, like triethanolamine or diluted sodium hydroxide, “hydrodynamic volume
expansion of the latex particles occurs due to electrostatic repulsion between the ionized
acidic groups”7. The molecules change shape from compact sphere to coil.
Wow, that was a lot, eh? What does it all mean? When we add an alkaline ingredient to a
product that contains this thickener, the particles expand due to electrostatic repulsion -
which you may recall from the section on bubbles, foam, and lather - is like bringing two
positive or two negative ends of magnets together, so they push each other away. In these
products, they push similarly charged molecules away, which contributes to viscosity. The
“ionized acidic groups" are anionic or negatively charged or cationic or positively charged
groups that have a pH below 7, so they're acidic.
R I TAT H I X D O E A K A S U R F T H I X ™ D O E ( I N C I : P E G - 12 0
METHYL GLUCOSE DIOLEATE (AND) METHYL
GLUCETH-10) - N ON-IONIC
Ritathix DOE (INCI: PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate,

Methyl Gluceth-10) is a non-ionic liquid thickener thicken non-
ionic surfactants like decyl glucoside that normally don’t want
to thicken something like liquid Crothix. It can produce clear
products, and requires no neutralization.
Suggested usage rate: 0.5% to 3%, although you can go slightly

higher, if necessary. It can be added at any time in the process,
but I suggest using it after you’ve added everything, including
the fragrance/essential oil and colour. You may need to warm
Ritathix DOE before using as it’s quite thick.
Surfactants that can be thickened with Ritathix DOE: Decyl

glucoside, lauryl glucoside, disodium laureth sulfosuccinate,
and those that won’t thicken with salt. (There are others, and
7 Cosmetics & Toiletries,

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I’ve mentioned them in the chart for each surfactant.)
To sum it up: Ritathix DOE is an emollient, irritation reducer, and irritation mitigator
suitable for all surfactant based products. It produces clear systems, and can be used in cold
process formulating. It’s water soluble with a 12 month shelf life.
S E P I M A X Z E N ( I N C I : P O LYA C R Y L A T E C R O S S P O LY M E R - 6 )
- ANIONIC
Sepimax ZEN (INCI: Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6) is an

anionic, pre-neutralized polymer we can use to create thick
gels without having to do a lot of mixing. It works well with
electrolytes, so we can use it to make gels from aloe vera and
surfactant mixes easily. It can handle acidic pH levels, so we
can use AHAs and glycolic acid at up to 4%. And it can make
clear gels at lower surfactant levels.
Sepimax ZEN is awesome with negatively charged or

amphoteric surfactants - it boosts their foam and lather,
leaving behind a moisturized feel - but it doesn't get along with positively charged or
cationic ingredients, like honeyquat, polyquat 7, or Incroquat BTMS-50 in it. (Having said
that, I have been able to make some things work, which you’ll see shortly…)
It can handle natural oils as well as esters, so you can use up to 10% to create a creamy
cleanser or emollient body wash. And it works very well with electrolytes, and I've used up
to 30% aloe vera liquid with 3% Sepimax ZEN without fail.
It is a superlative suspender of exfoliating ingredients.
You can use it one of two ways when combining it with surfactants.
1. Sepimax ZEN can be thickened by mixing for about 10 minutes with a hand mixer or
mini mixer, not a stick blender. Start with a lower speed – around 500 rpm – and move
to 1500 rpm. Add the surfactants at the end, and combine with a fork until uniform.
2. Or weigh all the ingredients into a container, mix a bit to integrate the ZEN, then leave
it for up to 8 hours to hydrate. But you have to leave it alone! (Okay, you can take a look
from time to time, but don’t mix it or you’ll ruin it!) At the end, mix with a fork until
uniform.
I’ve found that when I mix the product, it’s not as thick as the version that sits for a while.
But choose whatever works for you best!
SEPIN OV EMT 10 (IN CI: HYDROXYETHYL ACRYL ATE /

S O D I U M A C R Y L OY L D I M E T H Y L T A U R A T E C O P O LY M E R ) -
ANIONIC
Sepinov EMT 10 (INCI: Hydroxyethyl Acrylate / Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate

Copolymer) is pre-neutralized polymer you can use to make gels, cream gels, and alcoholic
gels, and can be added to an emulsion as a rheology modi er (thickener).
The recommended usage rate is 0.5% to 5%, and it makes

products from pH 3 to 10. The lower usage rate is for
including it in lotion, while the higher levels are creating gels
or cream gels where EMT 10 is the main ingredient. It makes
gels that are smooth, only slightly bouncy, and less watery
than a normal gel. I’ve yet to make a clear gel with it, but
that’s no big deal when you’ve made something lovely and
moisturizing.
It’s an anionic or negatively charged ingredient, so it’s not

compatible with cationic or positively charged ingredients, such as cationic polymers, like
honeyquat, polyquat 44, polyquat 7, and so on, as well as emulsi ers like Incroquat
BTMS-50, Rita BTMS-225, and so on. Some hydrolyzed proteins might be right out, too, so
if you want to include those, do a test batch to see how they turn out. It is compatible with
anionic and amphoteric surfactants.
To make a gel, add it to the water phase, then mix with a hand or stick mixer. As you’ll see
in my formulas, I get all my ingredients into the container - except the surfactants - then add
Sepinov EMT 10 last and mix very well for around 10 minutes or until thickened. Then add
the surfactants, and mix with a fork until uniform.
You can add oils to this - up to 10% oils, esters, or oil soluble ingredients - to create
emollient body washes and other cleansers. Create an oil phase, add them all together, then
add the water phase to it while mixing. Add the gel and mix as above, adding the surfactants
last.
Because it can handle acids, this is a good ingredient for making AHA or salicylic acid
containing cleansers.
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SILIGEL (INCI: XANTHAN GUM (AND) LECITHIN (AND)

SCLEROTIUM GUM (AND) PULLULAN) - ANIONIC
This is an interesting green, biodegradable, and eco friendly

ingredient that can be used as a gelling ingredient, stabilizer in
emulsions, suspender for things like exfoliants in gels, and
skin feel enhancer. (It's advertised as a substitute for
silicones.)
It comes as a water soluble beige powder that we use

anywhere from 0.3% to 2% depending upon the application.
I've found in surfactant based products, I generally use 2% for
thickening and suspending properties. It has a 12 month shelf
life, and it’s hygroscopic, meaning it can draw water to itself so keep it well sealed with a
few silica packages for good measure.
It can tolerate quite a lot of electrolytes at up to 20% – so you can use tons of aloe vera, as
well as a lot of sodium chloride or magnesium chloride (“magnesium oil”)– as well as up to
15% alcohol. You can use it in facial products in which you might want to add hyaluronic
acid, AHAs like glycolic acid, or salicylic acid as it can handle a huge pH range of 2 to 10. It
can handle up to 2% oils, but it’s not a great emulsi er.
The down side is that you can't use more than 5%

active anionic (negatively charged) or active
amphoteric surfactants, so you'll have to work out
the active surfactant matter of each ingredient as
you create your formulas.
It doesn't work with cationic polymers, like

honeyquat or polyquaternium 7, or cationic
compounds, like Incroquat BTMS-50. You can use
non-ionics like decyl glucoside as well as non-
foaming surfactants, like polysorbate 20,
polysorbate 80, and caprylyl/capryl glucoside at
much higher levels, but it can start to smell weird
after a while*. (I con rmed this with Jane Barber of
Making Skincare and Christine Hwang, and they had similar experiences.)
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*As a note, the representative of the company noted to add 0.05% to 0.1% T-50 mixed tocopherols and
0.2% metal chelating ingredient - tetrasodium EDTA, disodium EDTA, or sodium phytate - to avoid the
horrible smell. And it works really well!
It can take up to 24 hours to reach its nal viscosity, so don’t worry too much if you’re
nished working with it and it’s still quite thin. The recommendation is to use high shear
mixing – so using an immersion blender, stick blender, or one of these adorable mixers I
have from Lotioncrafter or Candora Soap (Ontario) – rather than a hand mixer.
I found I had to mix for around 10 minutes. With surfactants, you’ll want to mix everything
and add the foaming, lathery things at the end as you’ll end up with a frothy mess!
This is a truly excellent suspender, so it's great for cleansers and body washes in which you
want to include all manner of physical exfoliants, from jojoba beads and seeds to loofah and
microdermabrasion crystals.
SOL AGUM AX (INCI: ACACIA SENEGAL GUM AND

XANTHAN GUM) - ANIONIC
This brings together all the awesome power of acacia gum

and xanthan gum in one easy to use powder. The acacia
gum coats the xanthan gum to create a “non-dusty
powder”. (I don’t nd either gum “dusty”, but I guess it’s
a selling point if you have to work with huge quantities of
it.) It o ers particle suspension as well as lm forming
and thickening in the presence of acids, surfactants, and
salts.
Neither of these gums require heat for hydration, but they

do require stirring. The suggestion is to add it to the end
of the heating phase of a lotion, then mix for
approximately 10 minutes. Shear isn’t necessary, and I’ve
found great success using a hand mixer with a beater
blade or magnetic stirrer.
If you’re using this to thicken a surfactant based product, add it to room temperature water,
then mix well for about 10 minutes to hydrate before adding the surfactants and the rest of
the ingredients. It will produce clear gels, so that’s when you’ll know it’s been properly
hydrated.
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At 1%, it has a pH of 5 to 7.5. It can tolerate pH ranges of 3 to 12, which is pretty huge.
Suggested usage: To increase viscosity, use at 0.6% to 1%. If you’re using it in lotions, it’s
suggested at 0.1% to 3%, with 0.25% to 1% seeming to be the normal range. It has some
good synergy with Sepinov EMT 10, which you can use at 1% with 1% Solagum AX in
lotions and other gelled products.
Because it’s anionic, it can’t be used with cationic ingredients, like hair conditioners,
positively charged emulsi ers, polyquaterniums, and some hydrolyzed proteins. (This
means you can’t combine it with something like polyquaternium 7 in a shampoo.)
XANTHAN GUM - ANIONIC
Xanthan gum is an anionic polymer derived from the

bacterium Xanthomonas campestris, which can be
found on cruciferous veggies like cabbage, cauli ower,
and broccoli (all of my least favourites!). In the
manufacturing of this ingredient, they actually use the
bacteria in a fermentation process. It’s permitted in
food and cosmetic products and the typical usage is
about 0.1% to 0.3% in lotions, higher in gels and
surfactant blends.
It dissolves in most acidic solutions (less than pH 7)

and shows great stability in presence of most organic
acids (like vinegar, lactic acid, AHA, and so on). It also shows good compatibility with many
basic compounds, but in something very alkaline like lye (pH around 12), you might see
some precipitation of xanthan gum and salts. It is also unusually good with salts, but
solubility is an issue. There is an incompatibility of xanthan gum and metal ions in solution
with high pH, so addition of EDTA is a good idea if you’re using some high pH ingredients
like lye (although I can’t see a good reason to make a really high pH product…)
Xanthan gum shows good compatibility with non-ionic surfactants in high concentrations –
which means surfactants like decyl glucoside that don’t contain a ton of salts with thicken
nicely with it – but low concentrations of anionic and amphoteric surfactants (just about
every other surfactant). It’s not compatible with quaternary compounds, or you want to
avoid using something like BTMS, honeyquat or polyquat 7, or Tinosan as your preservative.
Salts can slow down the hydration of xanthan gum, but don’t have much of an e ect on it
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once it’s hydrated, so don’t worry about adding things like aloe vera that contain a ton of
electrolytes.
In our surfactant based products, add it in the heated water phase and surfactant phase to
create a rich creamy lather. But remember, if you’re making a shampoo, leave the honeyquat
and polyquat 7 out!
Xanthan gum is pseudoplastic, so when it is subjected to stress it will thin out but will
thicken up again when the stress is removed, which means it works as a good suspender of
exfoliants.
As a note, xanthan gum works really well in concert with other gums or thickeners. It works
best with guar gum (80% guar gum to 20% xanthan gum) and with locust bean gum
(50-50). I have not tried these combinations, so I'm afraid I can't o er much by way of
sharing my experiences.
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AN ASIDE: USING EDTA IN

SURFACTANT BASED PRODUCTS
EDTA or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid is a chelating or sequestering ingredient we can
add to our products at as low as 0.2% It binds with metal ions (mostly calcium and iron
ions) and keeps them from being reactive with our various ingredients. These metal ions can
precipitate in our creations, forming a metallic solid that is really unpleasant, keeping
surfactant mixes from foaming as well as they should and building up a scum on the bath.
EDTA is insoluble in water, so sodium or calcium is added to it to increase the solubilty and
to create a salt. Disodium EDTA, as it has two sodium ions (the Na+ ions), while the
tetrasodium EDTA has four sodium ions, hence the “tetra” in the name.
It’s suggested you use tetrasodium EDTA for alkaline products (pH over 8) as it has an
alkaline pH in water of 10 to 11, and disodium EDTA for products in the pH range of 3.0 to
9.0 as it has a pH of 4 to 6. We can use it in lotions and surfactant based creations at up to
0.20%, which is enough to do the job (but check your suppliers’ recommendations). Add it
to your water phase.
If you’re creating a gel or surfactant system where clarity is important, you’d want to use
tetrasodium EDTA. I did a search through the formulas I have on my laptop from various
textbooks and data bulletins, and wherever a clear system was wanted, regardless of pH,
they’d use tetrasodium EDTA (example here and example here). I would check the pH of
your nished product as this one has a high pH at 10 to 11 and could mess things up a bit.
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GENERAL C HEC KLIST FOR EAC H

SURFACTANT
Through this e-book and in subsequent e-books on surfactants, I’ll be sharing with you
checklists for each surfactant and blend as we meet them so you can get to know these
ingredients well. Here are the things I consider for each surfactant:
1. Name: This may be the brand name under which you might nd it or the name a
supplier has given it.
2. INCI name: This is the International Nomenclature for Cosmetic Ingredients name,
which is the thing to know if you’re shopping at a few di erent places so you don’t end
up buying the same ingredient over and over again. For instance, at Voyageur Soap &
Candle, I buy an ingredient called Amphosol CG with an INCI of cocamidopropyl
betaine, something you should be able to nd at almost any suppliers of surfactants.
Plus, I’ll be sharing a few French sites with great surfactants, and the INCI is the same in
either language.
3. Surfactant type: This is the classi cation for the surfactant, like sulfate or glucoside.
4. Charge: Is the ingredient non-ionic (neutral), anionic (negative), or cationic (positive)?

This becomes important when you’re combining ingredients as anionic and cationic
ingredients may not get along, leading to separation and weirdness.
5. Suggested usage rate: This a general idea of how much to use in a product. There may be
di erent recommendations based on di erent products. For instance, a facial cleanser
will contain far less than a bubble bath or body wash. There may be di erent rates for
hair and skin types: For dry skin, it’s generally suggested to use a lower percentage than
might be used for oily skin.
6. Active surfactant matter: This is a percentage indicating how much of the product is
active surfactant with the rest being water, preservatives, and such. If you really need to
know how much active matter you have in a product, you can do the math easily. If you
have 10 grams of a surfactant with 30% active matter, you have 3 grams active surfactant
matter. (10 x 0.3 = 3). This can di er from version to version of a surfactant, so consult
your suppliers’ page if you want to know about the speci c product you’re buying.
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7. Foam, lather, and bubbles: This is an important consideration when formulating as

certain products need certain qualities. A bubble bath should have ash foam and great
bubbles, while a body wash needs to have great lather.
8. Cleansing: There are generally four designations for how something cleans our skin:
Very mild, mild, gentle, or harsh. The only harsh one I know is sodium lauryl sulfate
(SLS), which I have never tried, so it won’t be found in this e-zine. There are ways to
increase mildness of a surfactant, which we’ll touch upon in this e-zine.
9. Resistance to soap or sebum: Surfactants generally don’t play nicely with oils as they
suppress the bubbles and lather, which means any products intended for oily hair or skin
need to be formulated with this idea in mind as even us greasy types like lots of foam,
bubbles, and lather!
10. Ways to thicken the surfactants: Our conventional surfactants, like sodium laureth
sulfate (SLeS), sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (SLSa), or C14-16 ole n sulfonate (found as
Bioterge AS-40 or AS-90 at Voyageur Soap & Candle) thicken easily with salt or Crothix,
but try those methods with a non-ionic like decyl glucoside, and you’ll see nothing. We’ll
be going over quite a few thickeners in this e-zine and in the ones to follow as there are
just so many choices these days!
11. pH: This is vital, and something I don’t see discussed very often. Our hair and skin are
negatively charged and acidic with a pH as low as 3.7 for virgin hair to over 6 for more
damaged hair, and 4.7 to 5.9 for skin, depending on the exposure to various skin care
products.
12. Compatibilities and incompatibilities: This just gives you a few ideas of what you can
use and what might not work.
13. Skin type: As I mentioned above, there may be some surfactants better suited for
di erent skin types. If one is great for sebum removal, it may be better for someone who
has oily skin or hair. If another is great for gentle to mild cleansing, it may be better for
someone with dry skin and hair.
14. Is the product ECOcert, green, biodegradable? Is it made from renewable resources? Is it
certi ed vegan or derived from non-GMO sources?
15. Miscellaneous: Things I think are interesting and notable for this surfactant.
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A N I O N I C ( N E G A T I V E LY C H A R G E D )
SURFACTANTS
DISODIUM L AURETH SULFOSUCCINATE (DLS) - LIQUID
DISODIUM LAURETH SULFOSUCCINATE (DLS)

INCI Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate
Other names DLS mild, Stepan-Mild SL3-BA
Surfactant type Sulfosuccinate
Charge Anionic
Usage rate up to 40% as a primary surfactant
Active surfactant matter 39%
Foam Good
Lather Good
Bubbles Good
Cleansing Very mild
Resistance to soap and Does very well with hard water. Very good with sebum.
sebum
Ways to thicken Crothix, Ritathix DOE, Rheomer 33T, gums, HEC, HPMC,
2% PEG-150 distearate Some versions may thicken with salt.
pH 5.5 to 6.2 - perfect!
Compatibilities and None.
incompatibilities
Skin & hair type Great for normal to oily skin and hair
ECOcert, green, Biodegradable.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous Poor solubilizers for more than 3% oils of any sort. This is
one my favourite ones for products for all hair and skin
types, but especially for oily skin and hair for shampoo and
other cleansers.
DISODIUM L AURETH SULFOSUCCINATE (DLS) - POWDER
DISODIUM LAURETH SULFOSUCCINATE (DLS) - POWDER

INCI Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate
Other names DLS mild, Stepan-Mild SL3-BA (liquid)
Cola®Mate LA-100 MB (powder)
Surfactant type Sulfosuccinate
Charge Anionic
Usage rate up to 40% as a primary surfactant
Foam High
Lather Good, dense lather
Bubbles Good
Cleansing Very mild
Resistance to soap and Does very well with hard water. Very good with sebum.
sebum
pH 6.0
Compatibilities and Not suitable for liquid products. Use in solid bars or
incompatibilities powders only. Use liquid DLS for liquid products.
Skin & hair type Great for normal to oily skin and hair
ECOcert, green, “Derived natural”, natural origin is 0.76 as per ISO 16128,
biodegradable? derived from RSPO palm oil
Shelf life 24 months stored in a cool, dark place.
Miscellaneous This is one my favourite ones for products for all hair and
skin types, but especially for oily skin and hair for shampoo
and other cleansers. 24 month shelf life.
FOAMING PROTEINS (OVERVIEW)
FOAMING PROTEINS
INCI Sodium cocoyl hydrolyzed (name of) protein or sodium
cocoyl (name of) amino acids or you might see sodium
lauroyl hydrolyzed (name of ) protein
Other names Foaming proteins, foaming amino acids
Surfactant type Protein hydrolysate or amino acid surfactants
Charge Anionic
Usage rate Varies with protein. Often 1% to 25%
Active surfactant matter 27% to 32%
Foam Lacy glove foam
Lather Good lather, some are creamier than others.
Bubbles Small bubbles
Cleansing Very mild, good rinseability, skin conditioning
Resistance to soap and sebum Excellent with hard water.
Ways to thicken Siligel, Sepimax ZEN, xanthan gum, Rheomer 33T. Not
Crothix.
pH Range of 6.5 to 8, we want to reduce it to pH 4.5 to 5.5
Compatibilities and Compatible with cationics.
incompatibilities
Skin & hair type All hair or skin types. Works well for dry skin as it's so
mild and oily skin as it delicately de-greases skin.
ECOcert, green, Considered green and biodegradable.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous There are a number of di erent ones you might nd -
amaranth, silk, apple, oat, soy, rice - but they all o er mild
cleansing and good lather. I’ve found the amaranth and oat
have the creamiest lather and foam.
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FOAMING AMARANTH PROTEIN PET OR ECT
Foaming amaranth protein PET (phenoxyethanol) or ECT (Geogard ECT)

INCI Sodium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Amaranth Protein
Charge Anionic
Usage rate 5% to 20%
Lather Creamy, dense, luxurious lather, amaranth is creamier than
the other foaming proteins.
Resistance to soap and Excellent with hard water. Rinses away very cleanly from
sebum hair and skin.
Ways to thicken Siligel, Sepimax ZEN, xanthan gum, Rheomer 33T. (Not
Crothix)
pH PET: 6.5 to 8, ECT: 4.5 to 5
incompatibilities
Skin & hair type All hair or skin types. Works well for dry skin as it's so mild
and oily skin as it delicately de-greases skin. Fantastic in
facial products for all skin types as it rinses away cleanly,
eliminating that feeling of tightness. Great for babies,
children, and those with sensitive skin.
ECOcert, green, Considered green and biodegradable. Made from renewable
biodegradable? resources.
Miscellaneous PET is preserved with phenoxyethanol. ECT is preserved
with Geogard ECT, which would ideally have a nal pH no
higher than 5.5.
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FOAMING APPLE SURFACTANT
Foaming apple surfactant

INCI Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids
Other names Foaming apple surfactant, foaming apple amino acids
Charge Anionic
Usage rate up to 25% in cleansing products for hair or skin.
Active surfactant matter 29% to 35% ASM
Lather Good lather
Resistance to soap and Excellent in hard water. Rinses o cleanly from hair and skin
sebum so you don’t have that tight feeling after washing.
Crothix.
pH 6.5 to 7.5, can be lowered to pH 5.
incompatibilities
ECOcert, green, Considered green and biodegradable. Created from the
biodegradable? proteins found in apple seeds and coconut acid. It’s ready
biodegradable and considered green, which is pretty darned
awesome.
Miscellaneous
Shelf life 3 years in a cool, dark place
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FOAMING OAT PROTEIN
Foaming oats
INCI Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids
Other names Foaming oat protein, Foaming oat PF (PF = paraben free)
Charge Anionic
Usage rate 1% to 10%, can be as high as 100% (neat) in hair and skin
care products.
Lather Creamy, dense, luxurious lather - on par with amaranth
Crothix)
pH 6.5 to 7.5, can be altered to recommended range of 4.0 to 6.5
Compatibilities and Compatible with cationics. Heat no more than 50˚C (122˚F)
incompatibilities
ECOcert, green, Considered green and biodegradable. Vegan compliant. Made
biodegradable? from renewable resources.
Shelf life 3 years in a cool, dark place. (Check with your supplier as
I’ve seen some as low as 12 months.)
Miscellaneous Speci c gravity: 1.085 grams per 1 ml, so almost the same as
water (1 gram = 1ml.)
Molecular weight of 3,000 to 5,000 Daltons means it can be

substantive or conditioning to hair and skin.
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FOAMING RICE
Foaming rice PF
INCI Foaming rice PF: Aqua, Sodium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Rice
Protein. Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Other names Foaming rice PF (PF = paraben free)
Charge Anionic
care products.
Lather Okay lather
Crothix)
pH 6.5 to 8.0
incompatibilities
biodegradable? from renewable resources. ISO 16128 rating: 1
Foaming rice PF is non-GMO, vegan compliant, not tested

on animals.
Shelf life 12 months in a cool dark place if it’s the PF version.
Miscellaneous
FOAMING SILK
Foaming silk
INCI Water (and) Sodium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Silk Protein
Other names Foaming silk PF (PF = paraben free)
Charge Anionic
Usage rate Generally 10%, but can be used in higher amounts, up to
100% (neat) for cleansing products for hair or skin.
Active surfactant matter 31.5% ASM
Lather Okay lather
Resistance to soap and Excellent in hard water. Rinses o cleanly from hair and skin
sebum so you don’t have that tight feeling after washing.
Crothix.
pH 6.5 to 8, can be lowered easily
incompatibilities
Skin & hair type Works well for dry skin as it's so mild and oily skin as it
delicately de-greases skin. Fantastic in facial products for all
skin types as it rinses away cleanly, eliminating that feeling
of tightness. Great for babies, children, and those with
sensitive skin.
biodegradable?
Not vegan, derived from silk.
Shelf life 1 year
Miscellaneous Molecular weight of 3,000 to 5,000 Daltons means it can be
substantive or conditioning to hair and skin.
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F OA M I N G S OY
Foaming soy
INCI Sodium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Foaming soy PF: Aqua, Sodium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Soy

Protein, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Other names Foaming soy protein, Foaming soy PF (PF = paraben free)
Charge Anionic
care products.
Lather Okay lather
Crothix)
pH 6.5 to 8.0
Compatibilities and Compatible with cationics. Heat no more than 50˚C (122˚F)
incompatibilities
biodegradable? from renewable resources.
Speci cally - Foaming soy PF is non-GMO, vegan compliant,

not tested on animals.
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Shelf life 12 months in a cool dark place if it’s the PF version. Up to 3

years for those with stronger preservatives.
S O D I U M C 14 - 16 O L E F I N S U L F O N AT E ( L I Q U I D )
SODIUM C14-16 OLEFIN SULFONATE (liquid)

INCI Sodium C14-16 ole n sulfonate
Other names Bioterge AS-40 (liquid)
Surfactant type Sulfonate
Charge Anionic
Usage rate up to 25%
Active surfactant matter 39.1%
Foam Great ash foam
Lather Good lather
Bubbles Good bubbles
Cleansing Mild
Resistance to soap and sebum Good
Ways to thicken Hard to thicken with salt, Ritathix DOE, can be used
with Crothix when used with other surfactants
pH 8.5
Compatibilities and None, really
incompatibilities
Skin & hair type All skin types, although it is preferred for oily skin and
hair as it gently removes sebum.
ECOcert, green, biodegradable? Biodegradable
Miscellaneous This is one of my favourite surfactants for making bubble
baths as it has such amazing ash foam and bubbles. I
use it in all the products I make for my husband and I as
well as the youth program kids as it’s so wonderful with
oily hair and skin.
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S O D I U M C 14 - 16 O L E F I N S U L F O N AT E ( P OW D E R )
SODIUM C14-16 OLEFIN SULFONATE (powder)

INCI Sodium C14-16 ole n sulfonate
Other names Bioterge AS-90 (powder)
Surfactant type Sulfonate
Charge Anionic
Active surfactant matter 88% (The other 12% is sodium xylene sulfonate, an
anionic surfactant used as a solubilizer.)
Foam Great ash foam
Lather Good lather
Cleansing Mild
Resistance to soap and sebum Good
Ways to thicken Hard to thicken with salt, Ritathix DOE, can be used
with Crothix when used with other surfactants
pH 9.0
Compatibilities and None
incompatibilities
Skin & hair type Best for normal to oily hair and skin types
ECOcert, green, biodegradable? Biodegradable, may be kosher
Miscellaneous Works as a good emulsi er. Less sensitive to hard water.
Melting point I have found around 60˚C is ideal. The ash point is
94˚C, so keep it well below that.
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SODIUM COCO SULFATE (POWDER)

SODIUM COCO SULFATE (powder)
INCI Sodium coco sulfate
Other names SCS
Surfactant type Sulfate
Charge Anionic (negatively charged)
Usage rate Can be used up to 100%, but generally wouldn’t be used at
more than 50%
Active surfactant matter 91% active in noodle form
Foam Creamy, rich foam
Lather Good lather
Cleansing Mild with some conditioning
Resistance to soap and Good in hard water
sebum
Ways to thicken It’s a powder, so it doesn’t need thickening, but if you were
to use it in a liquid product, it’s easily thickened with salt.
pH 9 to 11, must be altered to 6 or lower
Compatibilities and Combine with amphoterics to increase mildness, boost
incompatibilities foam, and reduce irritancy.
Skin type All types, but it should be combined with irritation
mitigators as it can be considered irritating at low levels.
ECOcert, green, Considered green and biodegradable
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous Related to sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), but this is derived
from coconut with a few more fatty acids, which makes it
milder.
People are using this a lot in solid shampoo bars instead of

sodium cocoyl isethionate, and the pH must be altered or it
is damaging to hair. It’s a nice inclusion in bubble bars and
jelly soaps.
S O D I U M C O C OY L G LU TA M AT E
SODIUM COCOYL GLUTAMATE

INCI Sodium cocoyl glutamate
Surfactant type Glutamate, amino acid derived
Charge Anionic
Usage rate up to 25% in a cleanser, up to 35% in shampoo
Active surfactant matter up to 40% active
Foam Good, better below pH 6
Lather Good lather
Bubbles Good
Cleansing Very mild
Resistance to soap and Resistant to hard water
sebum
Ways to thicken It’s a hard one to thicken. Cocamide DEA works well;
Rheomer 33T and Ritathix DOE were okay. Lauryl glucoside
is recommended, but it didn’t work. I usually use this in a
foamer bottle to create lovely facial and hand cleansers
rather than struggling to thicken it.
pH 7 to 9
Compatibilities and Works well with sarcosinates and foaming proteins. (Used a
incompatibilities lot in Asian skin care this way.) Works well with
amphoterics and SCI.
Skin & hair type Great for dry hair and skin as it doesn’t defat the skin. Also
sensitive skin as it has low irritation potential and may
mitigate irritation from other things.
ECOcert, green, Yes, but I can’t nd con rmation of the designations now.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous Reduce to pH 6 or lower for foam enhancement. It’s said to
have a “comfortable and soft feeling” during and after use.
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S O D I U M C O C OY L G LYC I N A T E
SODIUM COCOYL GLYCINATE

INCI Sodium cocoyl glycinate
Surfactant type Glycinate, amino acid surfactant
Charge Anionic
Usage rate 20% to 40% as primary surfactant, 1% to 10% as secondary
surfactant
Foam Creamy and airy foam. Foam increases at pH 5.5 to 9
Lather Rich, creamy lather
Bubbles Small and large bubbles
Cleansing Very mild, good rinseability
Resistance to soap and Delicate de-greasing action
sebum
Ways to thicken Easier to thicken than glutamates and sarcosinates. I’ve done
well using Rheomer 33T and Ritathix DOE. It’s really lovely
unthickened in a foaming bottle for face and hand cleansers.
pH 10 to 11 - very high! Must be lowered in our products.
Compatibilities and Combine with non-ionics, like decyl glucoside, to increase
incompatibilities the quality of foam and lather.
and oily skin as it delicately de-greases skin.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous It may help thicken other surfactants, and works well with
fatty acids.
S O D I U M C O C OY L I S E T H I O N AT E ( S O L I D )
SODIUM COCOYL ISETHIONATE ( akes, prills, noodles, needles, or powder)

INCI Sodium cocoyl isethionate (solid)
Other names SCI
Surfactant type Isethionate, related to the taurates
Charge Anionic
Usage rate 47.5% active matter in a rinse o product, like shampoo
Active surfactant matter 50% to 60%, depending on the manufacturer
Foam Rich, creamy, elegant foam
Lather Excellent, thick lather
Cleansing Mild to gentle, leaves a conditioned skin feel
Resistance to soap and Great in hard water.
sebum
Ways to thicken As it’s a powder, this isn’t an issue.
pH Around 6. The nal pH should be 4.5 to 8.5 to avoid
hydrolysis or deterioration of the surfactant.
Compatibilities and None. Works well with cationic polymers for conditioning
incompatibilities products.
Skin & hair type Good for all hair and skin types.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous Found as powder, prills, akes, and pastilles. Each will have
a di erent fatty acid make-up with powder having the least
extra fatty acids.
To melt, combine with anionic surfactants like

sulfosuccinates, taurates, glutamates, sarcosinates, or
amphoterics, like betaines. Also works with decyl glucoside.
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S O D I U M C O C OY L M E T H Y L I S E T H I O N AT E ( S O L I D ,
FLAKES)
SODIUM COCOYL METHYL ISETHIONATE (solid)

INCI Sodium cocoyl methyl isethionate (SCMI)
Other names SCMI
Surfactant type Isethionate, ester based, related to the taurates
Charge Anionic
Usage rate 20% to 30% in hair and skin care products. Can be used in
solid or liquid products.
Active surfactant matter 80% ASM
Foam Dense, rich, creamy, elegant foam - absolutely decadent
Cleansing Gentle, leaves a conditioned or “elegant” skin feel skin feel
Resistance to soap and Great at dispersing and inhibiting formation of soap scum
sebum and work well in hard water, o ering good rinseability.
Ways to thicken In liquid products, it works well with salt and Crothix as
well as gums and such.
pH 5.5 to 7.0, so generally awesome for all hair & skin products
Compatibilities and Soluble in water at up to 34.7%. To incorporate it, you’ll
incompatibilities want to heat the water – along with a chelating ingredient at
0.3% to 60˚C (140˚F) to help it melt, then add the rest of
the ingredients. Can be used to make clear products at lower
than 30% usage.
Skin & hair type It’s great for all skin types, especially sensitive skin and
baby/toddler’s skin given how mild it is. Its skin irritation
rating is lower than that for even SCI, which is pretty
excellent.
biodegradable?
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Miscellaneous The nal pH should be 4.5 to 8.5 to avoid hydrolysis or

deterioration of the surfactant.
It’s recommended to use a chelating ingredient, like

tetrasodium EDTA, disodium EDTA, or sodium phytate
when making a liquid or solid product. In a liquid product,
add a chelating ingredient at up to 0.3% or combine it with
an amphoteric surfactant, like sodium cocoamphoacetate or
disodium cocoamphodiacetate, to help with rinseability.
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S O D I U M C O C OY L I S E T H I O N AT E ( S C I ) A N D D I S O D I U M
C O C OY L G LU TA M AT E ( P OW D E R )
INCI: Sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI) and disodium cocoyl glutamate
Other names Sodium cocoyl isethionate DCG (Making Cosmetics),
Galsoft GLI 21 ℗
Surfactant type Isethionate, related to the taurates; glutamate, derived from
proteins
Charge Anionic
Usage rate Up to 10%, but still safe at levels up to 53%
Active surfactant matter At least 80% active surfactant by mass (may contain up to
14% salt (NaCl) and up to 12% free fatty acids)
Foam Excellent foam density and stability, high foaming ability;
rich, creamy, elegant foam
Lather Rich, creamy lather
Cleansing Exceptionally mild, low irritation potential and may mitigate
irritation from other, leaves skin feeling conditioned after
rinsing
Resistance to soap and Very good lime soap dispersion, good surface activity. Easy
sebum rinse-o with a conditioned, “squeaky clean” feeling, not dry
or tight.
Ways to thicken in a liquid Ritathix DOE, anionic gums and polymers
product
pH 7.5 to 8.5 (5% in water at 25˚C). At pH 6, o ers foam
enhancement with reduced irritation potential
Speci c gravity 1.05 to 1.20 grams per millilitre (Water, 1 gram = 1 ml)
Salt content 10 to 14% sodium chloride
Free fatty acid content 12.25%
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Compatibilities and Very compatible with amphoteric surfactants as well as

incompatibilities foaming proteins and protein derived surfactants, like
sodium cocoyl sarcosinate.
In liquids, it can create pearly formulations as the primary

surfactant; clear formulations as a secondary surfactant
Skin & hair type Good for all hair and skin types. Considered ideal for
sensitive, irritated, and “blemished” skin.
ECOcert, green, GMO-free, doesn’t contain any animal products. Derived
biodegradable? from coconut and palm RSPO, highly renewable resources.
Readily biodegradable. 97% RCI
Shelf life 12 months in a cool, dark place in a container stored at 20˚C
to 40˚C
Miscellaneous Found as powder, prills, akes, and pastilles. Each will have
a di erent fatty acid make-up with powder having the least
extra fatty acids.
To melt, combine with anionic surfactants like

sulfosuccinates, taurates, glutamates, sarcosinates, or
amphoterics, like betaines. Also works with decyl glucoside.
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S O D I U M C O C OY L SA RC O S I N AT E
SODIUM COCOYL SARCOSINATE

INCI Sodium cocoyl sarcosinate
Other names You may nd sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, which is derived
from lauric acid, not the entire range of coconut fatty acids.
Surfactant type Sarcosinate, amino acid derived
Charge Anionic
Usage rate up to 30%, usually used as a secondary surfactant
Active surfactant matter 30% active
Foam Lovely, rich creamy foam
Lather Very creamy lather
Cleansing Very mild and substantive, so it conditions skin.
Resistance to soap and It goes as thin as water when exposed to oils, including
sebum fragrance and essential oils.
Ways to thicken It’s a hard one to thicken. Cocamide DEA works well.
Crothix, HEC, and ZEN were failures. May work with
xanthan gum. Lauryl glucoside is recommended, but it
didn’t work for me. HEC and HPMC work very well. I
generally just use it in a foamer bottle
pH 7.5 to 8.5, adjust to below 5.5 for thickening
Compatibilities and Works well with glutamates and foaming proteins. Works
incompatibilities well with amphoterics and SCI and cationic polymers.
Skin & hair type Great for all skin types as it is very gentle; may be better for
sensitive, oily skin types as it foams well in the presence of
sebum. Decreases irritation from other surfactants.
ECOcert, green, I can’t nd a lot on this surfactant, but it is considered
biodegradable? biodegradable.
Miscellaneous When the pH is lowered, it thickens on its own. Used at
lower percentages in toothpaste.
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SODIUM L AURETH SULFATE (SLES)
SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLeS)

INCI Sodium laureth sulfate
Other names Steol CS-230,
Surfactant type Sulfate
Usage rate Up to 40% (stay below 10% active)
Active surfactant matter 26% for Steol CS-230, 25% for Steol CS-230 PK
Foam Good foam stability, but loose, lacy foam
Lather Good
Bubbles Good
Cleansing Mild, could be made milder by combining surfactants
Resistance to soap and Good foam stability in hard water.
sebum
Ways to thicken Salt, Crothix, gums, gels, glycol distearate, betaines
pH 6 to 7.5
Compatibilities and Betaines and amides boost foam and thicken SLeS very well.
incompatibilities
Skin type All types
ECOcert, green, Readily biodegradable
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous This is one of the easiest surfactants to use as it mixes well
and thickens with so many things.
Critical micelle 119 mg/L
concentration
SODIUM L AURYL GLUC OSE C ARBOXYL ATE
SODIUM LAURYL GLUCOSE CARBOXYLATE

INCI Sodium lauryl glucose carboxylate
Other names Found in Plantapon SF or Coco Glucose
Surfactant type Alkyl polyglucoside carboxylate
Charge Anionic
Active surfactant matter 28% to 34% active
Foam Excellent foaming
Cleansing Very mild with a conditioned skin feel
Resistance to soap and Soluble in water, less sensitive to hard water.
sebum
Ways to thicken It’s a hard one to thicken. Cocamide DEA works well.
Crothix, HEC, and ZEN were failures. May work with
xanthan gum. Lauryl glucoside is recommended, but it
didn’t work for me. HEC and HPMC work very well. I
generally just use it in a foamer bottle
pH 5.5 to 6.5, no alterations necessary
Compatibilities and Works well with disodium cocoamphodiacetate
incompatibilities
Skin & hair type Great for all skin types as it is gentle.
ECOcert, green, I can’t nd this information.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous Traditional soap is a form of carboxylate.
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SODIUM L AURYL GLUC OSIDES HYDROXYPROPYL

SULFONATE
SODIUM LAURYL GLUCOSIDES HYDROXYPROPYL SULFONATE

INCI Sodium lauryl glucosides hydroxylpropyl sulfonate
Other names Found in Suga®Det Mild
Surfactant type Sulfonated alkyl polyglucosides (SAPGs) (related to the alkyl
polyglucosides)
Charge Anionic
Active surfactant matter 28% to 34% active
Foam High, wet, dense stable foam that remains stable
Lather Good, creamy lather
Bubbles Lots of small bubbles
Cleansing Very mild, low in irritation
sebum
Ways to thicken Hard to thicken - may do well with Crothix and Ritathix
DOE. It helps to thicken other surfactants. And does very
well when combined with betaines.
pH 5.5 to 6.5, no alterations necessary
Compatibilities and Works well with disodium cocoamphodiacetate
incompatibilities
ECOcert, green, Readily biodegradable, renewable as its made from corn and
biodegradable? coconut.
Miscellaneous This surfactant is great for micellar water, baby wipes, make-
up removers, and wet wipes.
SODIUM L AURYL SULFOACETATE (SLSA) - SOLID
SODIUM LAURYL SULFOACETATE (SLSa) - solid, powder

INCI Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (SLSa)
Other names Lathanol LAL, Lathanol LAL coarse,
Surfactant type Sulfoacetate, related to the sulfates
Charge Anionic
Active surfactant matter 65% ASM
Foam Excellent, excellent ash foam
Bubbles Excellent, huge bubbles. (Amazing in bubble bath bars!)
Cleansing Mild, but can be a bit much for dry skin or hair types.
Resistance to soap and Great in hard water, good rinseability.
sebum
pH 6.3
Compatibilities and None.
incompatibilities
Skin & hair type Good for all hair and skin types.
ECOcert, green, The version from Stepan, Lathanol LAL, is ECOcert, green,
biodegradable? and readily biodegradable.
Miscellaneous This is my rst choice for solid bubble bars or bubble bath
bombs as SLSa produces massive, u y bubbles! It’s also
great as an all-around surfactant for solid cleansing bars, like
shampoo bars, body cleansing bars, and facial bars.
You may nd a liquid version of SLSa in blends, like Stepan’s LSB. You can’t use the solid in
a liquid bubble bath without it turning to concrete, so look for this ingredient instead.
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S O D I U M M E T H Y L C O C OY L TAU R AT E ( PA S T E )
SODIUM METHYL COCOYL TAURATE (paste)

INCI Sodium methyl cocoyl taurate
Other names SM cocoyl taurate, SMC taurate
Surfactant type Amino acid surfactant, related to the isethionates
Charge Anionic
Foam High foaming
Lather High lathering
Cleansing Gentle, nice skin feel, conditioned
Resistance to soap and sebum Delicate de-greasing action. Hard water tolerant.
Ways to thicken Combine with betaines to thicken. They thicken with
Ritathix DOE, gums, and Rheomer 33T.
pH 7 to 8
incompatibilities the quality of foam and lather. Compatible with cationic
ingredients.
Skin & hair type Good for dry and normal skin due to mild cleansing and
gentle oil removal. Those with oily skin or hair may nd it
too mild.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous It may help thicken other surfactants.
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Surfactants: A reference guide (revised 2022) 10 4
S O D I U M M E T H Y L C O C OY L TAU R AT E ( P OW D E R )
SODIUM METHYL COCOYL TAURATE (powder)

INCI Sodium methyl cocoyl taurate
Other names SM cocoyl taurate, SMC taurate
Surfactant type Amino acid surfactant, related to the isethionates
Charge Anionic
Foam Excellent foaming and foam boosting
Lather Excellent lathering
Cleansing Gentle, nice skin feel, conditioned
Resistance to soap and sebum Delicate de-greasing action. Hard water tolerant.
pH 7 to 8.5
incompatibilities the quality of foam and lather. Compatible with cationic
ingredients. Works really well with sodium cocoyl
isethionate (powder) in shampoo bars.
Skin & hair type Good for dry and normal skin due to mild cleansing and
gentle oil removal. Those with oily skin or hair may nd it
too mild.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous A very mild cleanser that works very well in shampoo bars
for those with dry or normal hair types.
As a note, you may see sodium methyl oleoyl taurate, which is a version of these
taurates made from olive oil instead of coconut oil.
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SODIUM TRIDECETH SULFATE

SODIUM TRIDECETH SULFATE
INCI Sodium trideceth sulfate
Other names Sodium tridecyl ether sulfate. Cedepal TD-403 MFLD
(Stepan), or Cedepal TD-403 MKLD. Found in Miracare Soft
313 and BSB
Surfactant type Alkyl ether sulfate
Usage rate up to 40% active, primary surfactant
Active surfactant matter 30% active
Foam Excellent foaming, loose lacy foam
Lather Good
Bubbles Good
Cleansing Mild
Resistance to soap and Good, excellent wetting
sebum
Ways to thicken Salt, Crothix, gums, gels, glycol distearate, betaines
pH MFLD: 8.3, must be altered to use in products
MKLD: 5.8, just perfect!

Compatibilities and Betaines and amides boost foam and increase viscosity.
incompatibilities
Skin type All types
ECOcert, green, Biodegradable
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous This is one of the easiest surfactants to use as it mixes well
and thickens with so many things.
S U GA® N AT E 16 0 D RY ( I N C I : S O D I U M
L AURYLGLUC OSIDES HYDROXYPROPYL SULFONATE AND
SILICA)
SUGA®NATE 160 DRY - POWDER
INCI Sodium laurylglucosides hydroxypropylsulfonate and silica
Surfactant type Sulfated alkyl polyglucosides (SAPGs_
Usage rate As high as 25% in powdered products
Active surfactant matter 40% to 70%, the rest being silica
Foam High, wet, dense, creamy foam with good stability.
Cleansing Very mild with low irritation. On the eye irritation scale, it
rates 0, no irritation.
Resistance to soap and Less sensitive to hard water
sebum
pH 7 to 9, reduce to 5 to 7
Compatibilities and Combine with amphoterics to increase mildness, boost
incompatibilities foam, and reduce irritancy.
Skin type Good for all skin types,
ECOcert, green, 100% bio-based (derived from corn and coconut), RSPO
biodegradable? Greenstar™ Number = 10
Can be used in USDA Biopreferred products, NPA certi ed,

Whole Foods Market Premium Body Care ingredient, NSF/
ANSI, Standard 305 certi ed products, Nordic Swan.
Readily biodegradable (80% in 7 days)

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Miscellaneous Can be found in liquid form in Suga Det Mild (Sodium

Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate and Sodium
Methyl Cocoyl Taurate and Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
and Sodium Bis-Hydroxyethylgl cinate Coco-Glucosides
Crosspolymer and Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate)
May have “reasonably good” anti-microbial activity when

used at 16% or higher.
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NON-IONIC SURFACTANTS
COCO GLUCOSIDE
Coco glucoside
INCI Coco glucoside
Surfactant type Glucoside, alkyl polyglucoside, secondary surfactant
Charge Non-ionic
Usage rate 1% to 50%, but normal usage up to 20% in hair or skin care
products.
Foam Satisfactory level of foam with good stability
Lather Good
Bubbles Good, stable, ne bubbles
Cleansing Mild, non-irritating
sebum
Ways to thicken This one doesn’t thicken with salt, so you need to use
Ritathix DOE, Sepimax ZEN and other gels, and gums. It
thickens with Siligel, but it takes on a weird odour over
time.
pH 11 to 12, so you need to reduce it to 6 or below for usage in
our hair and skin care products.
Compatibilities and Enhances cationic conditioning. Increases mildness in
incompatibilities surfactant systems when combined with anionics to make it
less irritating overall. Compatible with non-ionic, anionic,
cationic, and amphoteric surfactants.
Skin & hair type All types can use this surfactant, especially good for
sensitive skin as it’s so mild.
ECOcert, green, ECOcert, derived from lauric acid and sugars. Biodegradable.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous It is imperative you reduce the pH for this product as it is
very alkaline and can irritate skin and damage hair if left at 8
or higher.
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DECYL GLUCOSIDE
DECYL GLUCOSIDE
INCI Decyl glucoside
Charge Non-ionic
Usage rate 1% to 15%, although I’ve seen much higher
Foam Exceptional foaming properties with foam stabilization,
good ash foam
Lather Good
Bubbles Good
Cleansing Mild, non-irritating
sebum
Ways to thicken This one doesn’t thicken with salt, so you need to use
Ritathix DOE, Sepimax ZEN and other gels, and gums. It
thickens with Siligel, but it takes on a weird odour over
time, so you need to include 0.2% chelating ingredient and
0.05% to 0.1% T-50 mixed tocopherols.
pH 7.5 to 12, so you need to test the pH and adjust it to 6 or
lower. (The version I have from Voyageur has a pH of 12)
cationic, and amphoteric surfactants.
Skin & hair type All types can use this surfactant.
ECOcert, green, ECOcert
biodegradable?
or higher. It’s a good emulsi er.
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D E C Y L G LU C O S I D E & S O D I U M L AU ROY L L AC T Y L AT E
(LIQUID)
Decyl glucoside and sodium lauroyl lactylate
Other names Ritafactant 138 AN, polyglucose/lactylate, Innospec's
Pureact 138, and Chemconx Decyl glucoside Sodium Lauroyl
Lactylate Blend 831.
Surfactant type Blend - Alkyl polyglucoside and sodium lactylate ester
Charge Non-ionic, a bit anionic
Usage rate 20% to 40% as primary surfactant - 2% to 15% or secondary
surfactant
Foam Stable, rich, dense foam - very stable at pH 4 to 7
Lather Good
Bubbles Good
Cleansing Mild, feels very moisturized as it refattens the skin while
cleansing
sebum
Ways to thicken in a liquid Ritathix DOE, anionic gums and polymers. Not with salt or
product Crothix.
pH 5 to 9 - might need altering for hair and skin products
Speci c gravity 1.1 grams per millilitre (Water, 1 gram = 1 ml)
Flash point Over 200˚C (392˚F)
Compatibilities and Isn’t compatible with cationic or positively charged
incompatibilities ingredients, like conditioners because of the anionic sodium
lauroyl lactylate. Compatible with non-ionic, anionic, and
amphoteric surfactants. Increases mildness in surfactant
systems when combined with anionics to make it less
irritating overall.
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Skin & hair type More suitable for dry to normal, irritated, sensitive skin. Can
be used for oily hair or skin, but it doesn’t remove sebum
well. It’s really great for sensitive skin or skin that needs
more moisturizing.
ECOcert, green, Considered natural and naturally derived. Coconut,
biodegradable? cornstarch, and sodium salt of lactic acid derived. GMO free,
vegan (not certi ed). Some versions are ECOCERT raw
material, COSMOS approved. Preservative free
Shelf life 24 months
Miscellaneous No heat required for mixing
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L AURYL GLUCOSIDE
LAURYL GLUCOSIDE
INCI Lauryl glucoside
Charge Non-ionic
Foam Low, supports ash foam in other surfactants
Lather Okay, boosts lather
Bubbles Okay
Cleansing Mild, non-irritating, increases rinseability
sebum
Ways to thicken This comes as a paste, and is supposed to thicken other
surfactants. I have not had success using this with a wide
range of surfactants.
pH up to 12, so you must test and adjust the pH to make it work
for hair and skin
cationic, and amphoteric surfactants. Good with high
electrolyte concentrations, like salt.
ECOcert, green, Green, biodegradable, may be ECOcert
biodegradable?
or higher. It’s a good emulsi er. Good for deep pore
cleansing at 3%.
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AMPHOTERIC SURFACTANTS
BABASSUAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE
Babassuamidopropyl betaine
INCI Babassuamidopropyl betaine
Other names Mackam BAB
Surfactant type Betaine, secondary surfactant, derived from babassu oil
Charge Amphoteric
Usage rate 5% to 10% for hand soap and cleansers, 10% to 15% for
bubble bath
Foam Excellent, boosts and stabilizes foams
Lather Good
Bubbles Good
Cleansing Very gentle, moisturizes. Has a silky skin feel.
sebum
Ways to thicken It increases the viscosity when using sulfates or sulfonates,
pH 5.5 to 7.5
Compatibilities and This is a great addition to any surfactant mix as it reduces
incompatibilities irritation - increasing mildness - thickens some surfactants,
and stabilizes bubbles.
ECOcert, green, Biodegradable, derived from babassu oil, not coconuts.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous Great for low surfactant products, like baby or wet wipes,
micellar waters, or make-up removers. I always include
amphoterics in my products as they boost foam, decrease
irritation, and thicken products.
As an aside, I really like this surfactant as a secondary one as well as a primary one for making
light cleansers in foamer bottles. If you’re making something like a body wash, you probably won’t
notice the di erence, but on its own, it feels slightly creamier than CAPB.
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COC AMIDOPROPYL BETAINE (C APB)
COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE
INCI Cocamidopropyl betaine
Other names CAPB, Amphosol CG, this is NOT coco betaine
Surfactant type Betaine, secondary surfactant
Charge Amphoteric
Active surfactant matter around 30%
Foam Excellent, boosts and stabilizes foams
Lather Good
Bubbles Okay
Cleansing Very gentle, moisturizes. Has a favourable, silky skin feel.
sebum
pH 5 to 7, so no adjustment necessary
incompatibilities irritation, thickens some surfactants, and stabilizes bubbles.
biodegradable?
micellar waters, or make-up removers. I never make a
product that doesn’t contain an amphoteric like
cocamidopropyl betaine as they boost foam, decrease
irritation, and thickens.
C OC AMIDOPROPYL HYDROXYSULTAINE
COCAMIDOPROPYL HYDROXYSULTAINE
INCI Cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine
Surfactant type Sulfobetaine, secondary surfactant, derived from coconut oil
Charge Amphoteric
Foam Excellent, boosts and stabilizes foams, produces a rich
creamy foam
Lather Good
Bubbles Good
Cleansing Very gentle, moisturizes, substantive to hair and skin with
anti-static properties
Resistance to soap and Good with hard water. High water solubility
sebum
Ways to thicken It increases the viscosity when using sulfates or sulfonates.
pH 6.5 to 8, lower to below 6 to make this ingredient cationic
biodegradable?
product that doesn’t contain an amphoteric surfactant as
they boost foam, decrease irritation, and thicken those that
can handle salt.
DISODIUM COCOAMPHODIACETATE
DISODIUM COCOAMPHODIACETATE
INCI Disodium cocoamphodiacetate
Other names Amphosol 2C
Surfactant type Amphoacetate, glycine based amphoteric derived from
coconuts
Charge Amphoteric
Usage rate Up to 50% used as a secondary surfactant
Foam Foams readily, good foam stabilizer and booster
Lather Good
Bubbles Good
Cleansing Very gentle, substantive to hair and skin with anti-static
properties, relatively low irritation potential, not irritating to
eyes at 5% or lower
sebum
Compatible with anionic polymers, like Sepimax ZEN,
Sepinov EMT 10, xanthan gum, Siligel.
pH 8.5 to 9.5, must be adjusted to be 6 or lower to be cationic
Compatibilities and Works well with decyl glucoside and other non-ionics. It will
incompatibilities reduce irritation, thus increasing mildness in any anionic
surfactant product.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous Can be used as the primary surfactant for baby care
products, facial products, and those designed for sensitive
skin
L AURAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE
LAURAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE
INCI Lauramidopropyl betaine
Other names Cola®Teric LMB, Amphosol® LB, Mackam DAB (Mackam
makes quite a few versions)
Surfactant type Betaine, secondary surfactant, derived from lauric acid
Charge Amphoteric
Usage rate 5% to 10% for hand soap and cleansers, 10% to 15% for
bubble bath
Active surfactant matter Varies, but generally 28% to 32% ASM
Foam Excellent, boosts and stabilizes foams, creates denser foam
than the other betaines
Lather Good, not as good as CAPB
Bubbles Good
Cleansing Very gentle, moisturizes. Has a silky skin feel.
Resistance to soap and Great in hard water, has lime dispersing properties.
sebum
more than cocamidopropyl betaine. It thickens better with
salt than CAPB.
pH varies with manufacturer, but generally ranges from pH 7 to
9 to as high as 11. Some versions are more acidic, pH 4 to 6.
It works really well with electrolytes, like salts.
biodegradable?
micellar waters, or make-up removers. I always include an
amphoteric ike lauramidopropyl betaine as they boost foam,
decrease irritation, and thicken products.
SHEA BUTTERAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE

SHEA BUTTERAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE (aka Shea butter surfactant)
INCI Shea butteramidopropyl betaine
Other names Shea butter surfactant
Surfactant type Betaine, secondary surfactant
Charge Amphoteric (charge alters with the pH)
Usage rate 1% to 25% for skin care products
2% to 5% (or higher) for hair care products
Active surfactant matter 34% to 38% (so using 10% in a product results in 3.4% to
3.8% active surfactant matter)
Foam Excellent, boosts and stabilizes foams, creates a creamier
foam
Lather Good
Bubbles Okay
Cleansing Very gentle, moisturizes. Has a favourable, silky skin feel,
leaves skin feeling conditioned after rinsing
sebum
can be thickened with Crothix to a certain degree on its own
pH 5 to 7.5
Salt content 0% to 6%
Skin & hair type All types can use this surfactant. May be too mild on its own
for oily hair or skin.
ECOcert, green, Vegan, non-GMO, gluten free. Global Shea Alliance sourced
biodegradable? shea butter. Biodegradability (ISO 9439) = 44%
Free from PEG and ethoxylates.
Shelf life Up to 3 years, store at 4.4˚C to 20˚C (40˚F to 68˚F), don’t
freeze.
product that doesn’t contain an amphoteric like shea
butteramidopropyl betaine as it boosts foam, decreases
irritation, and thickens surfactant blends.
S O D I U M B I S - H Y D R O X Y E T H Y L G LYC I N A T E C O C O
G L U C O S I D E S C R O S S P O LY M E R
SODIUM BIS-HYDROXYETHYLGLYCINATE COCO GLUCOSIDES CROSS

POLYMER
INCI Same as the name
Other names Found in Suga Det Mild. May nd it as lauryl glucosides.
Surfactant type Secondary surfactant
Charge Amphoteric
Usage rate Up to 30%
Foam Dense foam, great stability
Lather Good lather
Cleansing Exceptional mildness with no eye or skin irritation. Very
substantial to skin
Resistance to soap and Not sure.
sebum
Ways to thicken With betaines.
pH 5 to 6
Compatibilities and Replacement for other amphoterics, like betaines. Works
incompatibilities very well with cationic polymers to condition hair and skin.
ECOcert, green, Fully biodegradable
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous Great for shaving creams, mousses, and other high foaming
products. Used to reduce irritation with other surfactants.
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SODIUM COCOAMPHOACETATE
SODIUM COCOAMPHOACETATE
INCI Sodium cocoamphoacetate
coconuts
Charge Amphoteric
Foam Good, foam stabilizer.
Lather Lathers well, light texture. Creates a thick, creamy lather
with sulfates and foaming proteins.
Bubbles Good
anti-static properties
sebum
pH 6.5 to 8, lower to below 6 to make this ingredient cationic
Compatibilities and Works well with carboxyl groups to o er a nicer skin feel,
incompatibilities but can work with any anionic or non-ionic surfactants.
Works well with cationic polymers.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous This o ers a light, non-slippery, moisturizing skin feel with a
light texture and good lather. Good for baby shampoo and
other light cleansers.
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SODIUM L AUROAMPHOACETATE
SODIUM LAUROAMPHOACETATE
INCI Sodium lauroamphoacetate
anything with lauric acid
Charge Amphoteric
Foam Foams readily, good foam stabilizer and booster
Lather Lathers well, light texture. Creates a thick, creamy lather
with sulfates and foaming proteins.
Bubbles Good
anti-static properties, relatively low irritation potential
sebum
pH 8 to 10, must lower to below 6 to have this act as a cationic
Compatibilities and Works well with carboxyl groups to o er a nicer skin feel,
incompatibilities but can work with any anionic or non-ionic surfactants.
Works well with cationic polymers.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous This o ers a light, non-slippery, moisturizing skin feel with
a light texture and good lather. Good for baby shampoo and
other cleansers.
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SURFACTANT BLENDS
CLEANSING BLEND WF
CLEANSING BLEND WF
INCI Decyl glucoside (40% to 65%), cocamidopropyl
hydroxysultaine (25% to 45%), sodium lauryl sarcosinate
(5% to 25%)
Other names Proprietary blend from Making Cosmetics
Surfactant type Blend
Charge Non-ionic, amphoteric, anionic
Usage rate Can be used as is or 2-3 parts water, 1 part Cleansing Blend
WF
Active surfactant matter 40% %
Foam Exceptional foaming properties with foam stabilization,
good ash foam, produces a rich, creamy foam, boosts and
stabilizes foams.
Bubbles Good
Cleansing Mild, good for all skin types
Resistance to soap and Good, foams well in the presence of soap. Good with high
sebum water, good water solubility.
Ways to thicken Ritathix DOE, Rheomer 33T, gums.
pH 10 to 13 - must be altered to 6 or lower.
Compatibilities and Enhances cationic conditioning, stabilizes bubbles. Works
incompatibilities well with glutamates and foaming proteins.
Skin & hair type Good for all skin and hair types as it’s mild when the pH is
adjusted.
ECOcert, green, Biodegradable. This product is apparently approved for
biodegradable? usage at Whole Foods.
Miscellaneous Good for all products in which you’d use surfactants,
including facial products and baby products. This is nice on
its own as a body wash, or even better with some nice
humectants and cationic polymers.
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ISELUX ULTRA MILD
ISELUX ULTRA MILD

INCI Water (and) Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate (and)
Cocamidopropyl Betaine (and) Sodium Methyl Oleoyl
Taurate (and) Lauryl Glucoside (and) Coco Glucoside
Charge Non-ionic, amphoteric, anionic
Usage rate 25% to 30%, can be used with just water and preservative to
make a product, no secondary surfactants needed
Foam Okay, may need a foam booster
Lather Good to excellent, SLMI is known for its awesome lather
Bubbles Good
Cleansing Great, very gentle
Resistance to soap and Couldn’t nd this information. (I’ve used it in medium
sebum water and the foaming, bubbles, and lather were great.)
Ways to thicken Salt, lower the pH, Crothix, Ritathix DOE, various gums,
betaines.
pH 6.0 to 6.5
Compatibilities and Compatible with anionics, non-ionics, and amphoterics.
incompatibilities Works well with cationic polymers.
Skin & hair type All, it’s very mild. Great for “no more tears” children’s
products, lash products, and make-up removers for gentle
cleansing.
ECOcert, green, 80% renewable resources
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous Thickens as the pH becomes more acidic, with the best
thickening at pH 5. It also becomes more clear as the pH is
reduced. This can create “crystal clear products”, but they
may cloud a bit when you add EO/FO. Adding tetrasodium
EDTA can clear it. And it can create “no more tears”
shampoo if you have the pH around 7-7.5.
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M I R AC A R E S O F T 313 ( B L E N D )
MIRACARE SOFT 313

INCI Sodium cocoyl glycinate (and) disodium lauroamphoacetate
(and) cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine (and) lauric acid
Charge Anionic and amphoteric
Usage rate up to 100%, generally up to 35%
Active surfactant matter 33.5% to 35.5%
Foam Good
Lather Rich, dense, creamy lather
Bubbles Good small and large bubbles
Cleansing Gentle to mild
Resistance to soap and Good for oily skin and hair
sebum
Ways to thicken Not Crothix. Works well with gums, Ritathix DOE,
Rheomer 33T, Siligel
pH 9.5 to 10.4. Has increased foaming at pH 5.5 to 9, but
should be adjusted to around 6.3 for thickening and clarity.
Compatibilities and Compatible with cationics and non-ionics. Works well with
incompatibilities the alkyl polyglucosides to increase foaming and provide
creamy lather. Can handle up to 5% oil without the need for
solubilizers.
Skin & hair type All types, although this is a very gentle to mild cleanser.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous Can handle up to 5% oil without a solubilizer. Reduce to pH
6.3 to create clear products.
PL ANTAPON SF OR COCO GLUCOSE
PLANTAPON SF (Les Ames Fleurs) or COCO GLUCOSE (Making Cosmetics)

INCI Water, sodium cocoamphoacetate, glycerin, lauryl glucoside,
sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium lauryl glucose carboxylate
Charge Mixed - anionic and amphoteric
Foam Good ash foam
Lather Rich, dense lather
Cleansing Mild
Resistance to soap and Okay.
sebum
Ways to thicken Crothix, Ritathix DOE, Rheomer 33T, gums. Also thickens
with Lamesoft PO 65.
pH 6.5 to 7.5
Compatibilities and Excellent blend of amphoterics and anionics that will work
incompatibilities well with cationic polymers and non-ionics.
Skin & hair type All may nd this to be a nice surfactant
ECOcert, green, It may be COSMOS and Natrue certi ed. Sulfate free.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous This can be used as a base that only needs to be diluted. It
creates great foaming facial and hand cleansers, including
lash cleansers or make-up removers. It’s gentle enough to be
used for children and babies, but keep away from their eyes.
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PL ANTAPON TF
Plantapon® TF
INCI Decyl Glucoside (and) Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate/Caprate
(and) Coco Glucoside (and) Glyceryl Oleate
Surfactant type Blend of non-ionic surfactants and thickeners
Charge Non-ionic
Usage rate Up to 20%, but can go a bit higher without concern
Active surfactant matter 57.5% to 62.5%
Foam Excellent foam
Lather Lacy glove lather
Bubbles Stable, ne bubbles, lacy glove bubbles
Cleansing Very gentle to mild, rinses o well
Resistance to soap and Good in hard water.
sebum
Ways to thicken Crothix, Ritathix DOE, Rheomer 33T, gums like xanthan or
sclerotium gum. Also thickens with Lamesoft PO 65.
pH 4.5 to 5.5
Compatibilities and Compatible with anionics, non-ionics, and amphoterics.
incompatibilities Works well with cationic polymers.
Skin & hair type Suitable for all hair and skin types, but especially awesome
for sensitive skin along with babies and children.
ECOcert, green, Sulfate free. Very biodegradable, NPA approved
biodegradable?
Shelf life 12 months
Miscellaneous It’s an e ective cleanser with excellent foaming suitable for
all kinds of products, such as facial, hand, and lash cleansers;
make-up removers; tear-free baby products; and gentle body
washes as well as micellar waters. Excellent substitute for
any of the alkyl polyglucosides due to the lower pH.
This can be used on its own as the only surfactant, but it’s
nice with an amphoteric to boost lather and bubbles.
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STEPAN-MILD BSB
STEPAN-MILD BSB
INCI Water, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate,
Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate,
PEG-150 Distearate, Sodium Laureth-13 Carboxylate,
Quaternium-15, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin,
Citric Acid
Other names Baby safe blend, BSB
Charge Mixed - anionic and amphoteric
Active surfactant matter 41.90% ASM
Foam Good ash foam
Cleansing Mild
Resistance to soap and Good
sebum
Ways to thicken Crothix, Ritathix DOE, Rheomer 33T, gums. Also thickens
with Lamesoft PO 65.
pH 7.54, can be left as is or reduced to 6 to 7
Compatibilities and Considered very mild with the perfect combination of
incompatibilities surfactants and pH to create “no more tears” products.
Skin & hair type All hair and skin types, but especially baby products, facial
products, and those for sensitive skin. Great for lash
cleansers, make-up removers, and micellar waters.
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous This can be used as a base that only needs to be diluted. It’s
considered a “no more tears” base for eye or baby products.
Good as a make-up remover. I use this in bubble bath as it
has great ash foam and nice bubbles.
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STEPAN-MILD L SB SURFACTANT
STEPAN-MILD LSB SURFACTANT

INCI Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (and) disodium laureth
sulfosuccinate
Other names LSB
Surfactant type Blend, derived from coconuts, mild primary or secondary
surfactant
Charge Anionic
Active surfactant matter 32.5%
Foam Excellent ash foam
Bubbles Excellent bubbles - my rst choice for bubble baths
Cleansing Mild. Less irritating than lauryl sulfates (SLS, SCS) or lauryl
ether sulfates (SLeS)
Resistance to soap and Good, foams well in the presence of soap.
sebum
Ways to thicken Salt, Crothix, Ritathix DOE, Rheomer 33T, gums. O ers
great viscosity building for other surfactants.
pH 5.2 to 6.2 - perfect! If included in other products, alter to 5.5
to 6.5, if necessary.
Compatibilities and Betaines and other amphoterics work well with this
incompatibilities surfactant.
Skin & hair type All hair and skin types but the inclusion of DLS makes it
nice for oily hair and skin. It’s great in a cleansing bar
because of those enormous bubbles, dense lather, and
amazing bubbles.
biodegradable?
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Miscellaneous This my rst choice for bubble baths! The SLSa is incredibly
bubbly and foamy. I love it in body washes as well as it has
great lather. Fabulous for foamy shampoos with rich, dense
lather. This is a very viscous product, so you may not need
thickening if you use enough of it. Good for baby products,
facial products, and those for sensitive skin.
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SUGA®DET MILD
SUGA®DET MILD
INCI Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate and
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate and Cocamidopropyl
Hydroxysultaine and Sodium Bis-Hydroxyethylgl cinate
Coco-Glucosides Crosspolymer and Sodium Stearoyl
Lactylate
Charge Combined, anionic and amphoteric
Usage rate To at least 40%
Active surfactant matter 33.5% to 36% active
Foam High, wet, dense foam that remains stable
Cleansing Very mild, low irritation
sebum
Ways to thicken Sodium stearoyl lactylate, Didn’t work with ZEN. Thickens
when combined with cocamidopropyl betaine or other
betaines.
pH 6 to 7, so no alteration necessary
Compatibilities and Works well with anionic, amphoteric, and non-ionic
incompatibilities surfactants. Works well with cationic polymers.
Skin & hair type All types, although this is a very gentle to mild cleanser.
ECOcert, green, Green, biodegradable
biodegradable?
Miscellaneous It can make a nice shampoo, face was, or body cleansers with
1 part Suga Det Mild, 2 parts water, and preservative.
y
A FEW EXAMPLES OF HOW WE

MIGHT BLEND SURFACTANTS
When creating a product, there are a few di erent ways to choose your combination of
surfactants. Maybe you’d like to increase mildness, maybe you’re looking for deep cleansing
of oily hair or skin, maybe you’re looking to create the bubbliest bubble bath ever, maybe
you want to create something that doesn’t require a lot of thickening, maybe you don’t want
to mess about with pH, maybe you want surfactants you can easily nd locally - all of these -
and more - are great places to start. You might also consider how easy it is to thicken
In general, we tend to use a combination of one to three surfactants, one of which is usually
an amphoteric to increase mildness and possibly viscosity. The nice thing about the
amphoterics, like cocamidopropyl betaine or cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, is that they
generally thicken well with Crothix or Ritathix DOE, the easiest thickeners to use.
FORMUL ATING A BUBBLE BATH
Let’s say I’m making a bubble bath: My choices will be all

about ash foam, foam stability, and large bubbles. We’re not
worried about pH in a formula like this as it’s being diluted by
an enormous amount of water in the bath. We know
cocamidopropyl betaine and other betaines can stabilize foam
well, so we’ll include one of those. For ash foam, I like
sodium C14-16 ole n sulfonate, Plantapon SF, or decyl glucoside. For bubbles, I love sodium
laureth sulfate (SLeS) or BSB blend. When we combine these - let’s say 10% betaine of
choice, 15% each or more sodium C14-16 ole n sulfate and SLeS - we can create a
combination of properties perfect for a bubble bath. These thicken easily with Crothix or
Ritathix, so we just need to add all the ingredients, add our fragrance oil and colour, and
thicken when we’ve combined it all.
Learn more about making bubble bath in this e-book, Bath time fun!
FORMUL ATING A FOAMING FACIAL CLEANSER
Let’s say I’m making a foaming facial cleanser. My choices will be driven by a need for gentle
to mild cleansing, decent foaming, low to no bubbles and foam, and easy rinse-o . If I can
get a surfactant that makes my skin feel conditioned, all the better. The nal product will
need to have a pH of 4.5 to 6.5-ish, so I’ll need to test and adjust the nal product. I’ll want
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to choose a combination that increases the mildness even more, so I’ll want to choose my
surfactants with this property in mind. And nally, I need to think about the skin type - dry
to normal to oily.
If I were to make a foaming facial cleanser for my oily skin, I

generally start with either disodium laureth sulfosuccinate
(anionic) or sodium C14-16 ole n sulfonate (anionic) as these
both remove sebum gently. I want to increase mildness, so I’ll
add an amphoteric at about 10%. If I’m using sodium C14-16
ole n sulfonate, I’ll need to test and adjust the nal pH; with
DLS, it’s at 5.5 to 6.2, so no testing or adjustment required.
If you wanted to make a foaming facial cleanser for dry skin,

choose a really gentle cleanser, like sodium cocoyl glutamate,
sodium cocoyl sarcosinate, sodium cocoyl glycinate, a foaming protein, or sodium methyl
cocoyl taurate (all anionic) with one of the amphoteric surfactants to increase the mildness.
As each of the anionics have a pH above 7, we’ll need to test and adjust the nal pH when
we’ve done our formulating.
*As a note, sodium cocoyl glutamate and sodium cocoyl sarcosinate are a winning combination you see a
lot in Asian skin care products because they’re just so mild. They’re amazing inclusions in a foaming facial
cleanser in a foamer bottle, and I recommend them for dry to normal skin in almost any formula. They’re
not as easy to nd as the other surfactants, though.
For a formula like this, I’ll generally use 10% amphoteric, 10% to 15% anionic, and 2%
cationic for conditioning. To increase rinse-ability, I’ll add 0.2% EDTA or 0.2% sodium
phytate to work well in harder water. This will reduce that sensation of tightness after
washing.
If you wanted to use one of the non-ionic surfactants, like decyl glucoside, you could
combine it at 15% with 10% amphoteric for a really gentle product. You’d have to test and
adjust the pH as it’s bound to be quite high thanks to the glucoside.
Find out more about making facial cleansers in my e-book, Surfactants: Making foaming facial cleansers
or on my site in the Newbie Tuesday series, making facial cleansers.
FORMUL ATIN G A GENTLE HAND WASH
For a foaming hand wash, we want to create something that gently cleanses our skin and
rinses o well with good lather and foam with some bubbles to let us know the product is
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working. I generally like to use a surfactant that removes

oils and sebum because we might be working with oily
ingredients when we formulate, play in the garden, or
cook in the kitchen, but so I’ll use DLS or sodium
C14-16 ole n sulfonate as the base, then add a gentle
cleanser to the mix - something like foaming apple
surfactant, foaming soy, or another foaming protein -
with an amphoteric to increase mildness and boost foam.
I’ll add a cationic polymer like polyquaternium 7,
Honeyquat, or quaternized rice at 2% to increase
mildness and o er that feeling of conditioning after
rinsing.
We aren’t super worried about the pH of this product as our hands can tolerate a slightly
more alkaline pH - as evidenced by our ongoing use of alkaline soap - but you could lower it
to 5.5 to 6.5, if you wanted.
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CONCLUSION
I hope by now you’ve come to love surfactants as much as
I do! They’re de nitely my favourite category of
ingredients as we can make so many things with them,
from hand cleansers to face washes to shampoos and body
washes/shower gels. Don’t be afraid to play with them, try
new combinations, try some blends or some stand-alone
surfactants - get into your workshop and play! Make sure
you’re making small batches - I’d make 100 grams to 200
grams - and play with di erent fragrance and essential oils
to see how the viscosity changes.
If you have a suggestion for a surfactant you’d like to me

buy or formula you’d like to see, please feel free to write
to me at swiftcraftymonkey@swiftcraftymonkey.blog and
make some suggestions!
MY BLOG, POINT OF INTEREST
I encourage you to check out my blog for information on the ingredients you’ve seen in this
e-book. I’ve tried to link to some of those things, but I know at some point in time the links
will get all wonky and people will get mad at me because they don’t work, and that’ll cause
me a whole lot of stress, so I ask you to take a quick trip to the blog, Point of Interest, found
at http://swiftcraftymonkey.blog and see what you can nd there!
THANK YOU TO MY AMAZING SUBSCRIBERS
Every month I say it and every month I mean it – thank you for subscribing to make this e-
book possible! Please continue to share your thoughts for future e-zines and feedback on
current ones.
IF YOU AREN’T A SUBSCRIBER BUT WANT TO BE ONE?
If you aren’t a subscriber, consider becoming one! Every $10 US a month subscriber received
this e-book as part of their July 2022 reward, plus you unlock the paid posts on the blog
along with coupons from awesome suppliers, like Lotioncrafter, Windy Point Soap Making
Supplies, Voyageur Soap & Candle, Formulator Sample Shop, and Formulator Sample Shop
EU.
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Click here for more information on subscribing to the blog!
Click here to see the suppliers’ coupon section on the site!
Your monthly subscription means I can avoid all those horrible ads, sponsored content,
a liate links, “one weird trick”, and other paid advertising and tracking programs. Not bad
for as little as $1 a month, eh?
HOW TO CONTACT ME
You can reach me at swiftcraftymonkey@swiftcraftymonkey.blog to let me know what you

think. Give me your thoughts, suggestions, criticisms, and more. As I always say, I can only
get better by knowing what you think and what I can write about on the blog.
SUPPLIERS’ INFORMATION
I’m providing information on where to get supplies as a courtesy to you, my lovely readers,
so you can get ingredients you need to make the products in this e-book. I do not bene t in
any way if you purchase supplies from any of the companies listed below - none of these are
ever a liate links, ads, sponsored content, or anything like that. You can nd ingredients
elsewhere, so you please check the FAQ on my blog to see the lists of suppliers wonderful
readers like you from around the world have suggested.
RETAILERS IN CANADA RETAILERS IN THE USA

Voyageur Soap & Candle (BC) Lotioncrafter (Washington)
Windy Point Soap Making Supplies (Alberta) Formulator Sample Shop (North Carolina)
Candora Soap & Soap Supplies (Ontario) Making Cosmetics (Washington)
Les Ames Fleurs (Quebec) - in French Wholesale Supplies Plus (East Coast)
INGREDIENT SUPPLIER
Babassuamidopropyl betaine Les Ames Fleurs, Formulator Sample Shop
Cleansing blend WF Making Cosmetics
Cocamidopropyl betaine (may be Voyageur Soap & Candle, Lotioncrafter, Windy
listed as Amphosol CG or Bubble Up!) Point Soap, Wholesale Supplies Plus, Candora
Cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine Making Cosmetics
Coco glucoside Les Ames Fleurs, Formulator Sample Shop
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INGREDIENT SUPPLIER
Crothix liquid Voyageur Soap & Candle, Windy Point Soap,
Candora Soap (as Bubble Wash Thickener)
Decyl glucoside In loads of locations
Disodium cocoamphodiacetate Personal Formulator
Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate Voyageur Soap & Candle
Foaming amaranth Formulator Sample Shop
Foaming apple Lotioncrafter, Formulator Sample Shop
Foaming oat Lotioncrafter
Foaming rice Formulator Sample Shop
Foaming silk Windy Point, Lotioncrafter, Formulator Sample
Shop
Foaming soy Formulator Sample Shop
Glycol distearate (aka EZ Pearl) Voyageur Soap & Candle, Wholesale Supplies Plus
Hydroxyethylcellulose Lotioncrafter, Making Cosmetics, Windy Point
Soap Making Supplies
Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose Lotioncrafter
Lamesoft® PO 65 Voyageur Soap & Candle, The Chemistry Store
(USA), Gracefruit (UK), The Soap Kitchen (UK),
Trulux (Australia), Pure Nature (New Zealand),
Alexmo (Germany, EU), Shopee (Indonesia)
Lauryl glucoside Les Ames Fleurs
Miracare Soft 313 Lotioncrafter (might not carry it anymore?)
Pearlizer (there may be other names Candora Soap
for this product)
PEG-150 distearate Making Cosmetics
Plantapon SF or Coco Glucose Voyageur Soap & Candle, Making Cosmetics, Les
Ames Fleur
Plantapon TF Voyageur Soap & Candle
Rheomer 33T Sadly, can’t nd a supplier for this any more.
Ritathix DOE or Surfthix™ DOE Making Cosmetics, Lotioncrafter
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INGREDIENT SUPPLIER
Sepimax ZEN Voyageur Soap & Candle, Windy Point Soap,
Lotioncrafter
Sepinov EMT 10 Lotioncrafter
Siligel Lotioncrafter, Formulator Sample Shop
Sodium C14-16 ole n sulfonate - Voyageur Soap & Candle
Bioterge AS-40 and AS-90 (powder)
Sodium coco sulfate (SCS) powder Windy Point Soap
Sodium cocoyl glutamate Les Ames Fleurs
Sodium cocoyl glycinate Les Ames Fleurs
Sodium cocoyl isethionate (powder, Windy Point Soap (powder and ake),
prills, akes) Lotioncrafter, Candora Soap (powder), Wholesale
Supplies Plus (noodles)
Sodium cocoyl sarcosinate Les Ames Fleurs
Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) Many suppliers
Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (SLSa) - Voyageur Soap & Candle, Windy Point Soap,
known as Lathanol LAL Wholesale Supplies Plus
Sodium methyl cocoyl taurate (paste Making Cosmetics
and powder)
Solagum AX Formulator Sample Shop
Stepan Mild BSB Voyageur Soap & Candle
Stepan Mild LSB surfactant Can’t nd one in North America, sadly.
Suga Det Mild Formulator Sample Shop
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Surfactants Part One A Reference Guide Revised

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Surfactants: A reference guide (revised 2022) 1

Susan Barclay Nichols

Introduction to the 2022 revision................................................................................6

ANTI-OXIDANTS & PRESERVATIVES .........................................................................11

WHAT’S A SURFACTANT? ..............................................................................17

WHAT’S SURFACE TENSION? .................................................................................17

DESCRIPTIONS OF FOAMS AND SUCH ..................................................................25

THINGS TO NOTE WHEN WORKING WITH SOLID SURFACTANTS ..................37

A NOTE ON USING BLENDS OF SURFACTANTS .............................................39

WHY IS pH SO IMPORTANT IN THESE KINDS OF PRODUCTS?.......................40

BUILDING VISCOSITY: INCREASING SURFACTANT CONCENTRATION ...................46

ACACIA GUM (GUM ARABIC) - anionic ..................................................................51

GENERAL CHECKLIST FOR EACH SURFACTANT ...............................................74

ANIONIC (NEGATIVELY CHARGED) surfactants .............................................76

DISODIUM LAURETH SULFOSUCCINATE (DLS) - LIQUID ..........................................76

DISODIUM LAURETH SULFOSUCCINATE (DLS) - POWDER ......................................77

COCO GLUCOSIDE ..............................................................................................108

BABASSUAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE ........................................................................113

CLEANSING BLEND WF .......................................................................................123

Formulating a bubble bath .....................................................................................132

SUPPLIERS’ INFORMATION ..................................................................................136

Written by Susan Barclay Nichols, better known as SwiftCraftyMonkey, blogger and

I remember stumbling upon a shampoo for oily hair

INTRODUCTION TO THE 2022 REVISION

Body cleansing bars you will love (making solid cleansing

Foamy, bubbly, lathery powders: Face & body cleansers

Hair care products: Shampoos & conditioners

One shampoo bar, four ways

Shampoo bars you will love

Surfactants: Making foaming facial cleansers

Surfactants, part three: Formulating guidelines and liquid thickeners

Surfactants: Body washes and shower gels

Surfactants: Milder combinations for gentler products

Bath time fun!

My favourite class formulations: Making hair care products

GENERAL NOTES ON MAKING

What’s the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients)? The INCI is

Preservatives are ingredients that prevent contamination of our ingredients by bacteria,

PRESERVATIVE INCI Cationic Anionic pH 5 pH 6 pH 7 Usage

Phenonip Phenoxyethanol (and) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 0.25% to 1%

QUICK NOTE ON ELECTRICAL CHARGES

Anionic, cationic, and non-ionic refer to the

Non-ionic means it has a neutral charge.

Anionic means it has a negative charge.

Cationic means it has a positive charge.

Amphoteric means it has a di erent charge

HOW TO MAKE PRODUCTS MORE ORGANIC OR

LINK TO A SERIES ON MY SITE ABOUT USING

A FEW THOUGHTS ON EQUIPMENT

I mix my products slowly until they’re uniform, which I test by

WHAT’S SURFACE TENSION?

“The cohesive forces between liquid molecules

Reducing surface tension between skin or hair

WHAT ARE MICELLES?

They are de ned as “an aggregate of surfactant

So what’s a colloid? It is a type of mixture in which

BUBBLES, FOAM, AND L ATHER

Di erent surfactants o er di erent qualities to