Common problems and solutions for making shampoo

1. Particles or clumps:

a. Transparent small particles: Emulsified silicone oil or guar gum is not well dispersed.;♥ Solution: Prolong the stirring time.

b. White opaque particles: The diester remains undissolved.; ♥ Solution: Reheat the system to above 75°C to dissolve.

c. Large white translucent clumps: SLES remains undissolved.; ♥ Solution: Prolong stirring time or heat stirring.

d. Large opaque clumps: Guar gum remains undissolved.; ♥ Solution: Filter out the clumps.

2. The system viscosity is too high or too low:

a. Formula issue.; ♥ Solution: Reduce the amount of thickener.

b. Non-formulation issues.; Possible causes include batch variations in raw materials, quality inconsistencies (e.g., content discrepancies, residual surfactants in salt content), excessive foam formation during discharge (increased viscosity due to moisture loss), or insufficient citric acid addition. The system's pH level can be measured to confirm the cause.

3. The product has layers:

Product stratification is caused by unreasonable formula design, and the reasons are as follows:

a. The product viscosity is too low, and the quality of emulsified silicone oil used is unstable.

b. Incompatible oils in the formulation.

c. Poor quality of pearl luster paste used (Different from the product system).

d. Products containing (ZPT, water-soluble titanium dioxide, or light-blocking agents) do not use appropriate suspension stabilizers.

e. The formulation contains surfactants that significantly affect system stability.

4. Jelly phenomenon occurs in the product:

There are several reasons why the product is jelly-like at low temperature:

a. The total amount of surfactants is too small, which is common in low-cost formulations.

b. Too much salt in the product.; ♥ Solution: Reduce salt usage, use thickening agents like cocamide dea or Cocamide MEA, and incorporate specialized gelatin-enhancing ingredients.

Product stability assessment:

Shampoo is a physical mixture of various components with different densities. After long-term rest, various components settle in the system, resulting in stratification and other problems.

There are two testing methods: Heat resistance and cold resistance.

For heat resistance, the material should not show stratification, thinning, or coarsening after continuous exposure to 48°C for one month.

For cold resistance, the material should not exhibit these issues after one week of continuous exposure to-15°C, followed by a return to room temperature.