Personal Care
Soaps, Gels and Body Washes
Suspending actives and other functional ingredients, as well as providing products that have good pumpability, flowability and foam generation all improve a product’s consumer attractiveness. Creating a system with consumer friendly appeal that reliably suspends and uniformly distributes these components, as well as provide the appropriate in-use properties can prove difficult, so the most appropriate rheology modifier system and/or suspension aid is vital to the products expected performance.
Rheology Versatility
KELTROL CG is an excellent stabilizer; it pumps and flows well and is very temperature tolerant. Due to its high extensional viscosity, when used in body washing and lotions, this product exhibits a stringy flow and long break.
For formulations that need quick ‘snap’ or break (i.e., lower extensional viscosity), KELTROL CG-SFT is a modified form of KELTROL CG that has a lower extensional viscosity, thereby providing reduced stringiness and a quick break.
Click here for more information on KELTROL CG products.
The Fluid Gel – an Innovative Suspension System
The uniqueness of KELCOGEL® Gellan Gum is the ability to suspend while contributing minimal viscosity via the formation of a uniquely functioning fluid gel network. This network, consisting of a low concentration of weakly associated molecules, is extremely pseudoplastic.
At rest, the fluid gel has a very high apparent viscosity resulting in excellent suspension of insoluble ingredients such as insoluble actives, exfoliants, vitamins and minerals, and a multitude of decorative materials such as glitter. Because of the weak molecular associations, the network is easily disrupted upon agitation, resulting in a low viscosity, smooth pour and pump.
Newest Developments: Suspension by a Different Mechanism
Some bath and shower gel formulations can be difficult to formulate for suspenion due to high surfactant levels or high micelle development (i.e. high surfactant-based viscosity). These more extreme environments can lead to polymer compatibility issues, particularly with soluble rheology modifiers. Synthetic rheology modifiers deemed “compatible” in these conditions tend to have pH limitations, hazing issues, and require high use levels (also known as high cost).
CP Kelco’s AxCel® CG-PX microfibrous cellulose technology has been created to overcome technical hurdles associated with more extreme environments allowing reliable suspension of actives, entrained air or a variety of decorative materials.
Rather than relying on structuring the surfactant or liquid phases of the formula, or increasing overall product viscosity, AxCel CG-PX forms an invisible, translucent three-dimensional network in the fluid.
This suspension happens independently of viscosity, ionic strength, surfactant type and level. It also happens without adversely affecting the final viscosity of the finished product. This ‘decoupling’ of viscosity and suspension gives the formulator new flexibility without hindering the consumer experience. All in a biodegradable product.
Click here for more information on our latest development in suspension: AxCel CG-PX.
Please contact a CP Kelco representative for more details.