🧪👀What is a Surfactant? “Surface Active Agent” They help oil & water get along, lift dirt, create foam & lather, & keep formulas stable.
What Surfactants do ✨Cleanse ✨Foam ✨Emulsify (mix oil & water) ✨Solubilize ✨Evenly Spread Products ✨Thicken formulas ✨Condition
🧼Anionic Surfactants ✨Negatively charged & strong cleanser. ✨Big foam & lather ✨Great at removing dirt + oils Common in: face wash, body wash, bubble bath, shampoo ➡️ Note: often paired with other surfactants.
☁️Amphoteric Surfactants ✨Charge changes with pH ✨Acidic solutions - positive charge ✨Alkaline solutions - negative charge ✨Mild + gentle ✨Boosts foam ✨Reduces irritation from anionics Common in: face wash, body wash, bubble bath, shampoo
🫧Non-ionic Surfactants ✨No charge ✨Emulsify & Solubilize ✨Help keep oil + water mixed ✨Cleanse, but gently Common in: Face Washes, Micellar Waters, & Lotions. But can also be found in body washes & Shampoos.
👩🔬Formulator’s Tip Play around w/ blending different surfactans. 🧴🫧For a body wash try combining an anionic, amphoteric and non-ionic instead of just using an anionic. You will be surprised by the outcome. ➡️ Example: SCI, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, & Decyl Glucoside
💦🫙When making a toner try adding in a surfactant for better spreadability ➡️ Example: Polysorbate 20, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, or Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
‼️🔔one more thing... There is so much nuance w/ formulating. Just because I say things are one way, it isn’t necessarily always true. 🚨For example, earlier I said Cationic ingredinets aren’t compatbile w/ Anionic Ingredints, BUT SOME Cationic ingredients are okay to use with Anionic ingredients. This is why you should always study & learn about each ingredient before using it.
TaraLee
🧪👀What is a Surfactant?
“Surface Active Agent”
They help oil & water get along, lift dirt, create foam & lather, & keep formulas stable.
What Surfactants do
✨Cleanse
✨Foam
✨Emulsify (mix oil & water)
✨Solubilize
✨Evenly Spread Products
✨Thicken formulas
✨Condition
🧼Anionic Surfactants
✨Negatively charged & strong cleanser.
✨Big foam & lather
✨Great at removing dirt + oils
Common in: face wash, body wash, bubble bath, shampoo
➡️ Note: often paired with other surfactants.
☁️Amphoteric Surfactants
✨Charge changes with pH
✨Acidic solutions - positive charge
✨Alkaline solutions - negative charge
✨Mild + gentle
✨Boosts foam
✨Reduces irritation from anionics
Common in: face wash, body wash, bubble bath, shampoo
🫧Non-ionic Surfactants
✨No charge
✨Emulsify & Solubilize
✨Help keep oil + water mixed
✨Cleanse, but gently
Common in: Face Washes, Micellar Waters, & Lotions. But can also be found in body washes & Shampoos.
💆♀️Cationic Surfactants
✨Positively Charges
✨Amazing Conditioner & Detangling
✨Provides softness & slip
Common in: Conditioners, Hair Masks, & Creams
⚠️Can’t be combined w/ Anionics
👩🔬Formulator’s Tip
Play around w/ blending different surfactans.
🧴🫧For a body wash try combining an anionic, amphoteric and non-ionic instead of just using an anionic. You will be surprised by the outcome.
➡️ Example: SCI, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, & Decyl Glucoside
💦🫙When making a toner try adding in a surfactant for better spreadability
➡️ Example: Polysorbate 20, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, or Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
‼️🔔one more thing...
There is so much nuance w/ formulating. Just because I say things are one way, it isn’t necessarily always true.
🚨For example, earlier I said Cationic ingredinets aren’t compatbile w/ Anionic Ingredints, BUT SOME Cationic ingredients are okay to use with Anionic ingredients. This is why you should always study & learn about each ingredient before using it.
4 days ago | [YT] | 158