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Thickening liquid soap with Hydroxyethel Cellulose (HEC) - Method 1
Thickening liquid soap with Hydroxyethel Cellulose (HEC) - Method 1
Oct. 17, 2023
Thickening liquid soap with Hydroxyethel Cellulose
(HEC) - Method 1
The product that I have found to work extremely well and consistently for every soap
formulation is Hydroxyethel Cellulose or HEC. This product is sold by both
The most important thing to keep in mind when using this product is that the "gelling"
process is accelerated by both heat and Ph of the liquid. If it is added to warm or hot
liquid or as it heats up, it will start to gel very quickly and not give you enough time to
get it fully incorporated into your soap. The last thing you want is your HEC to be in a
gelled state before you add it to your liquid soap - it is much easier to use when your
solution of HEC/glycerin/water is in a liquid state.
What you will need:
Fully diluted liquid soap
Glycerin
Distilled Water (boiled and cooled to room temperature)
Hydroxyethel Cellulose (HEC)
Stainless Steel Whisk
Mixing cup or bowl
Crock Pot
Thermometer
Stick Blender
1. Pour your liquid soap into the crock pot. Make sure that there is a few inches space
between your soap and the top of the crock pot for mixing without overflowing. Do not
turn on the crock pot.
2. Determine how much HEC you need for your desired thickness. Typically this
product is used at 1 - 1.5% of your diluted soap weight. This is where you will need to
experiment to determine your preferences. I use 1.3% for liquid shampoos and 1.5%
for body washes. I like the products thick enough so that they do not run down your
hand or nylon scrubby when dispensed but not too thick that they are difficult to
dispense or clog the bottle cap openings. I make the shampoos slightly thinner so that
they are easier to distribute throughout one's hair.
So, ounces of soap X percent HEC = ounces of HEC needed to thicken your soap.
For this tutorial, I am thickening 83 ounces of my liquid goat's milk soap at 1.5%.
83 x .015 = 1.25 ounces HEC or 35 grams.
Measure out the HEC and set aside.
3. Determine amount of glycerin for initial wetting of HEC. I use vegetable glycerin
since it is a solvent and makes it easier to dissolve the HEC. I use glycerin in an amount
3 times the amount of HEC. For this tutorial, I will need 3.5 ounces glycerin. Measure
out the glycerin into your mixing bowl or container.
4. Add the HEC to the glycerin and whisk or mix it in. Because the glycerin is a thick
viscous liquid, your mixture will be very thick. You can use it like this, but it is difficult
to get it all out of your mixing bowl. This is why I add a bit of distilled water (boiled and
brought back to room temperature) to the glycerin/HEC so that it is more fluid so as
much of the HEC mixture gets into my soap and not left on the sides of the mixing bowl.
You don't want to add too much water or you will throw off the thickness percentage
you had previously calculated based on your diluted soap weight.
6. Add your previously boiled room temperature distilled water, 3.5 - 4 ounces here, to
your HEC mixture and whisk it in. Continue to whisk this mixture continually for at least
5 minutes to make sure that all HEC is dissolved. Since this mixture is not clear, it is not
easy to tell, so extended whisking helps to ensure that all HEC is dissolved. As long as
your mixture is room temperature you do not have to worry about it starting to "gel" on
your before adding it to your soap. NOTE: you do not need to add any water or you
can use all water or all glycerin - this is personal preference. Just use an
amount of liquid at least 3 times the amount of HEC. Also, adding too much
liquid will dilute your calculated percentage of thickening since it is calculated
based on your diluted liquid soap.
7. Slowly pour the HEC mixture into your liquid soap and mix throughly with a whisk
WHILE you are pouring it in. Keep slowly whisking this mixture. You will notice that
the
soap will start to slowly thicken as the HEC further hydrates as it is exposed to the
higher Ph of the soap. Starting the soap at room temperature keeps this thickening
slow and controlled for the initial distribution. If your soap is warmed up beforehand,
the combination of the higher temperature soap and the higher Ph will cause you to get
clumps of gelled HEC mixture. This does not ruin your soap as you will still be able to
use your stick blender to fully distribute it, but it does make for a messier and less
controlled process.
8. Once your have added all your HEC mixture and mixed it thoroughly, turn the heat
on to heat up your soap. In order to get as smooth a finished product as possible (no
"fish eyes"), we will mix it thoroughly every so often as it heats up or stick blend the
soap. If you start at room temperature, whisk the HEC mixture as you add it to the
soap and mix occasionally as it heats up, you will not have to stick blend it.
9. Once your soap reaches 163 - 170 degrees F (this is the recommended temperature
for full hydration from the vendor), check the smoothness of your soap. Stick blend
on
the lowest setting for about a few minutes to fully smooth out your soap if necessary.
Your soap is going to foam up so make sure you have that extra space in your
crock pot. This one foamed up a bit more than normal probably due to my
testing of stick blending at various temperatures with this batch. You can
scoop off some of the excess foam too. But don't worry, as your soap settles,
the foam will clear. I find the lower the temperature of the soap, the more
foam you will get.
You may also choose not to stick blend but to whisk the mixture every so often
as it heats up. This will also work if you slowly heat your soap back up and do
not find chunks of gelled soap in it.
The thickness you have at this point while hot will not be your final thickness. The soap
will seem a bit thinner or more fluid while it is not. Once it cools, it will be back to the
thickness you had at the lower temperatures.
10. If you are going to fragrance your whole batch, you can add your fragrance or
essential oil now or as the soap cools down. Do not use the stick blender to add your
fragrance/essential oil - just gently mix or fold it in to distribute it thoroughly.
Fragrance and Essential Oils can affect your finished soap so make sure you use those
you have already tested to see how they work in your liquid soap. You can also store
your soap unscented and fragrance it at a later date for customized scents. I am
scenting this with a combination of Lavender, Lime and Peppermint Essential Oils which I
added when the soap cooled to below 140 degrees.
12. Pour your thickened soap into a clear container so that it can settle and cool down.
Pour while still warm and more fluid so that the embedded bubbles can rise up and
dissipate out easier. Once all bubbles/foam have cleared you can pour into individual
bottles (use a funnel) or store as is until needed.
Just poured warm thickened soap
After sitting for 1 hour (see how the bubbles are rising up to the surface)
After 12 hours (still a thin layer of foam/bubbles on top)
The finished and packaged thickened liquid soap.
This is my preferred method to consistently thicken liquid soap. Hope that you find this
method easy and successful. Just remember, both heat and Ph will accelerate the
thickening process so keep everything at room temperature until after you add the HEC
mixture to the diluted liquid soap.
~ Faith
Alaiyna B. Bath and Body
Resources:
BrambleBerry
- Base Oils, Fragrance and Essential Oils, Potassium Hydroxide, Lye Calculator and a
whole ton of great information on their blog.
The Science Company -
Phenolphthalein
Copyright 2006 - 2014 Alaiyna B. Designs. All rights reserved. All text and images are
the property of Alaiyna B. Designs. No part of this document or webpage may be
reproduced by any means without prior written consent of Alaiyna B. Designs.
Thickening liquid soap is a challenge faced by many soapmakers. Most liquid soaps will
be water thin after fully diluted. Still a high quality soap, but not always as easy to use.
Foamer bottles are great for hand soap, face soap - any soap that will sit next to a sink.
When formulating body washes/gels and shampoos, thin soap can be more difficult to
use and wasteful as the soap will run down one's hand and arm. Some formulations
(100% olive oil soaps) can thickened with a simple 20% salt solution that works well.
Other formulations have proven more challenging in finding a consistent thickening
product or method. Some ingredients/products I have seen mentioned with varying
results are Borax, Glycerin and Crothix. I don't use Borax, have never found glycerin to
thicken any of my soaps and have never tried Crothix.The product that I have found to
work extremely well and consistently for every soap formulation is Hydroxyethel
Cellulose or HEC. This product is sold by both Lotioncrafters and The Herbarie . I use the
one from the Herbarie so I cannot verify that these instructions will work with the
Lotioncrafters HEC.The most important thing to keep in mind when using this product is
that the "gelling" process is accelerated by both heat and Ph of the liquid. If it is added
to warm or hot liquid or as it heats up, it will start to gel very quickly and not give you
enough time to get it fully incorporated into your soap. The last thing you want is your
HEC to be in a gelled state before you add it to your liquid soap - it is much easier to
use when your solution of HEC/glycerin/water is in a liquid state.What you will need:
Fully diluted liquid soapGlycerinDistilled Water (boiled and cooled to room
temperature)Hydroxyethel Cellulose (HEC)Stainless Steel WhiskMixing cup or bowlCrock
PotThermometerStick BlenderPour your liquid soap into the crock pot. Make sure that
there is a few inches space between your soap and the top of the crock pot for mixing
without overflowing. Do not turn on the crock pot.Determine how much HEC you need
for your desired thickness. Typically this product is used at 1 - 1.5% of your diluted soap
weight. This is where you will need to experiment to determine your preferences. I use
1.3% for liquid shampoos and 1.5% for body washes. I like the products thick enough
so that they do not run down your hand or nylon scrubby when dispensed but not too
thick that they are difficult to dispense or clog the bottle cap openings. I make the
shampoos slightly thinner so that they are easier to distribute throughout one's hair.So,.
For this tutorial, I am thickening 83 ounces of my liquid goat's milk soap at
1.5%.Measure out the HEC and set aside.Determine amount of glycerin for initial
wetting of HEC. I use vegetable glycerin since it is a solvent and makes it easier to
dissolve the HEC. I use glycerin in an amount 3 times the amount of HEC. For this
tutorial, I will need 3.5 ounces glycerin. Measure out the glycerin into your mixing bowl
or container.Add the HEC to the glycerin and whisk or mix it in. Because the glycerin is a
thick viscous liquid, your mixture will be very thick. You can use it like this, but it is
difficult to get it all out of your mixing bowl. This is why I add a bit of distilled water
(boiled and brought back to room temperature) to the glycerin/HEC so that it is more
fluid so as much of the HEC mixture gets into my soap and not left on the sides of the
mixing bowl. You don't want to add too much water or you will throw off the thickness
percentage you had previously calculated based on your diluted soap weight.Add your
previously boiled room temperature distilled water, 3.5 - 4 ounces here, to your HEC
mixture and whisk it in. Continue to whisk this mixture continually for at least 5 minutes
to make sure that all HEC is dissolved. Since this mixture is not clear, it is not easy to
tell, so extended whisking helps to ensure that all HEC is dissolved. As long as your
mixture is room temperature you do not have to worry about it starting to "gel" on your
before adding it to your soap.Slowly pour the HEC mixture into your liquid soap and mix
throughly with a whisk WHILE you are pouring it in. Keep slowly whisking this mixture.
You will notice that the soap will start to slowly thicken as the HEC further hydrates as it
is exposed to the higher Ph of the soap. Starting the soap at room temperature keeps
this thickening slow and controlled for the initial distribution. If your soap is warmed up
soap and the higher Ph will
beforehand, the combination of the higher temperature
cause you to get clumps of gelled HEC mixture. This does not ruin your soap as you will
still be able to use your stick blender to fully distribute it, but it does make for a messier
and less controlled process.Once your have added all your HEC mixture and mixed it
thoroughly, turn the heat on to heat up your soap. In order to get as smooth a finished
product as possible (no "fish eyes"), we will mix it thoroughly every so often as it heats
up or stick blend the soap. If you start at room temperature, whisk the HEC mixture as
you add it to the soap and mix occasionally as it heats up, you will not have to stick
blend it.Once your soap reaches 163 - 170 degrees F (this is the recommended
temperature for full hydration from the vendor), check the smoothness of your soap.
Stick blend on the lowest setting for about a few minutes to fully smooth out your soap
if necessary.The thickness you have at this point while hot will not be your final
thickness. The soap will seem a bit thinner or more fluid while it is not. Once it cools, it
will be back to the thickness you had at the lower temperatures.If you are going to
fragrance your whole batch, you can add your fragrance or essential oil now or as the
soap cools down. Do not use the stick blender to add your fragrance/essential oil - just
gently mix or fold it in to distribute it thoroughly.Fragrance and Essential Oils can affect
your finished soap so make sure you use those you have already tested to see how they
work in your liquid soap. You can also store your soap unscented and fragrance it at
a
later date for customized scents. I am scenting this with a combination of Lavender,
Lime and Peppermint Essential Oils which I added when the soap cooled to below 140
degrees.12. Pour your thickened soap into a clear container so that it can settle and cool
down. Pour while still warm and more fluid so that the embedded bubbles can rise up
and dissipate out easier. Once all bubbles/foam have cleared you can pour into individual
bottles (use a funnel) or store as is until needed.This is my preferred method to
consistently thicken liquid soap. Hope that you find this method easy and successful.
Just remember, both heat and Ph will accelerate the thickening process so keep
everything at room temperature until after you add the HEC mixture to the diluted liquid
soap.~ FaithAlaiyna B. Bath and Body
Recipes HEC Edward
This page has Edward's HEC-based recipes. Some versions of HEC (which include our
recommended versions) are capable of creating world-class bubble juice. Despite what
some might think, HEC is not an also-ran ingredient. The best HEC juice works as well or
better than the best PEO juice.
2012 11 recipe
[
]
As of May 2013, this is my preferred recipe for making giant bubbles (at least under cool
humid conditions). Under cool, humid conditions (let's say 50-65F and 70% or better
humidity), I have created huge bubbles that last a long time for their size (some 6 foot
diameter bubbles have longer than 30 seconds in my not
semi-urban conditions). I have
yet had a chance to try it under warm or less than ideal conditions alongside PEO or
guar-based solutions. I will not be surprised if those solutions will work better in those
conditions, but only actual testing will determine if that is the case.
2013 01 05 HEC montage
I generally mix this up as a concentrate that is diluted with 3 parts water. I add the citric
acid when diluting the juice rather than when making the concentrate as this seems to
result in better performance.
Recipe - Concentrate
[
]
Yield - two quarts of concentrated solution
This recipe is for a concentrate that, when diluted 3:1 (water:concentrate) yields about
21:1 water:detergent, and about 2.3 grams HEC per liter of water. When using less
detergent, the bubbles have not worked out as well as with detergent in this range.
This version of the recipe makes 2 quarts of concentrate (just under 2 liters), which in
turn makes 2 gallons of bubble juice. (The reason for it making 2 quarts of concentrate
is that my containers are 1 and 2 quart containers.) For 1 quart of concentrate, halve
the recipe.
16 grams HEC (QP100MH or Natrosol 250HHR -- if using a lower viscosity type, you
might need slightly more HEC)
1474 grams [52 oz (wt)] water
8 grams baking soda
340 grams [12 oz (wt)] Dawn Pro
When 1 part concentrate is diluted with 3 parts water, this juice has a 20.6:1
water:detergent ratio and 2.28 grams HEC/liter water. [16 grams HEC / (1474 grams
water + 5526 grams water)]
Mixing Instructions
[
]
These instructions assume that you have a cold-water dispersible HEC (which is most of
them). If your HEC clumps, when added to cold/room temperature water, mix it with
enough glycerine, propylene glycol, or dry alcohol to make a slurry that is not too thick.
Add the HEC to about 500 grams (ml) of the water at room temperature (not warm or
hot)
Heat up the rest of the water to near boiling
Add the warmed up water to your HEC/cold water mix while rapidly stirring
Stir for a minute or so
While stirring, add in the baking soda and stir for another minute or two
IMPORTANT! Stir the mix for about 1 minute every
5 to 8 minutes for 40 minutes.HEC
will often look like it has fully 'dissolved' and then settle out overnight if you do not
periodically stir
Add the detergent
Bottle and store
You can dilute right away (being sure to add citric acid as instructed below) or store it
for months.
Dilution Instructions and Citric Acid
[
]
Dilute 1 part of concentrate with 3 parts water to which (very important) citric acid
has been added. Add 1 gram of citric acid per 500 grams of concentrate to the water. To
be precise, you would add 1 gram to 459.5 grams concentrate but 1 gram per 500
grams works just as well. If your water is normally acidic, you might want to try a little
less than 1 gram.
Recipe - Fully Diluted (Non-concentrated) Solution
[
]
Yield - one gallon of ready to use solution
This is essentially a half-batch of concentrate with the diluting water and citric acid
added at the end.
8 grams HEC (QP100MH or Natrosol 250HHR -- if using a lower viscosity type, you might
need slightly more HEC)
737 grams [26 oz (wt)] water
4 grams baking soda
170 grams [6 oz) (wt)] Dawn Pro
2763 grams water
2 grams citric acid
Prepare as instructed in the concentrate section, but you may want to add all of the
water before adding the detergent to minimize foaming. Do not forget the citric acid!
So far, it seems that HEC solutions like a somewhat higher detergent concentrations
than PEO or guar-based juice. While 25:1 or 32:1 works well with guar and PEO, slightly
above 20:1 is about as dilute as I have been able to make this juice without giving up
performance and friendliness.
The Original recipe
[
]
This is a great recipe. Very reliable for bubbles of any size. While I really like this recipe,
I prefer the 2012 11 Recipe (found above) even better. This recipe has a 16:1
above 20:1 which results in
water:detergent dilution. The 2012 11 Recipe is a hair richer
colors.
This is a super-friendly recipe, and you can't go wrong with it as long as you mix it
correctly (which is easy).
This recipe uses no PEO (the active ingredient in J-Lube) and yet can create giant
bubbles that rival PEO-based solutions.
HEC (the key ingredient in KY Jelly) is very easy to work with and this recipe can be
mixed up shortly before it is used.
You don't need to mix this up as concentrate. The amount of QP100MH is about 0.2% by
weight.
Recipe:
16 parts very warm tap water
1 part Dawn Pro dishwashing liquid
8 grams of Dow Cellosize QP100MH (HEC) per gallon of water (not per gallon of juice)
3.2 grams of baking soda per gallon of water
1.6 grams of citric acid per gallon of water
Stir the warm water with a spoon and slowly add the dry ingredients until they are
mixed. Gently stir in the detergent. The solution can be used right away but seems to
improve over 15 minutes or so. This solution seems to work well in dry conditions when
other mixes don't work -- probably due to the large proportion of water.
Other types of HEC can be used but you will probably need to use a bit more of other
types than when using QP100MH. This solution is not terribly viscous but is more viscous
than Jumbo Juice. It isn't clear how important the baking soda and citric acid is. My tap
water has a pH between 8.5 and 9.1. It remains to be seen whether the solution
behaves differently if the dry ingredients are added directly to the water or if they
should be added to the water detergent mix. It has been suggested that the baking soda
be added to the water and the citric acid added after all other ingredients have been
mixed. But this has not yet been tested.
This is a new recipe. Please let us know about your results with it.
Read more here.
NOTE (April 3, 2011): Thommy is reporting that Natrosol 250HR is working nicely at 8
grams per gallon (actually 2 grams per liter) with 1 gram baking soda and .5 grams
citric acid per liter. Since I don't have Natrosol 250HR, I can't say how this compares to
the results that I am getting with the Cellosize QP100MH. I will update this entry when I
have tested it.
NOTE (April 3, 2011): It is looking like the baking soda and citric acid make a difference
-- at least when the humidity is low. Read more here.
Cost: One pound of the QP100MH makes roughly 60 gallons. So far, I have not found a
source for the Dow Cellosize in reasonably small quantities (around a pound). I have
found a few types of Natrosol available in small quantities. If the price is $30 for a
pound ($20 plus shipping)(including shipping), that is50 cents per gallon of bubblejuice
plus the cost fo the other ingredients (which is fairly nominal). Natrosol of various types
is sometimes found on Ebay for as little as $10 per pound with shipping. Which lowers
the cost to less than 20 cents per gallon. Of course, I am not yet sure how equivalent
the Natrosol varieties are. I will update this as I get better information.
NOTE (October 28, 2012 - Edward Spiegel) My guess is that you would want to use
about 1.25 grams Natrosol 250 H4R for each gram of QP100MH in my recipe. Natrosol
250 HHR can substitute at more or less 1:1 for the QP100MH.
Natrosol 250 H4R is made to be cold water dispersible. So, there is no need to slurry.
You can but there isn't any benefit. It is treated so that it doesn't hydrate until the
temperature or pH (or both) rise. If you leave it too long without stirring it would
hydrate.
The fastest way to mix it up is to do a cold/hot mix. Add the natrosol to 1/3 of your
water at room temperature. Stir to disperse. Add the rest of your water as hot water.
Really hot water will speed things up considerably. If your water is not alkaline, adding
some baking soda will speed things up.
If you don't use a mechanical stirrer, make sure to stir periodically (30 seconds every
five minutes is fine) over a period of about 20 to 40 minutes with Natrosol. Otherwise,
you may end up a day or two later with a layer of gel. You probably won't run into the
problem with a stir-and-go situation. But, you can run into it if the mix sits around. Dow
Cellosize is a lot friendlier in this regard but a lot harder to come by at a reasonable
price.
How to Expedite Hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC)
Hydration
Hey curlyteas! Today I’m going to show you how to use a little shortcut to make it
possible to use hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) immediately in your formulating process!
For my impatient curlies who are skimming, here’s the short version: increase, then
decrease the pH. For subbies who want the full details of how to do this, keep reading!
I must have overlooked this tip about HEC repeatedly because I didn’t notice any
simple, free advice saying “do this if you want to use HEC immediately…”. It can take 25
minutes to an hour (or so) to hydrate depending on the type of HEC you have.
This was annoying for me because when I’m ready to make formulas, I’m ready to go
forward and see what the results will be! My workaround was to make a 1% or 2% HEC
solution the night before and add it at a certain percentage to a formula I’m testing.
However, because of this I’ve skipped using hydroxyethylcellulose and chosen to use
other polymers like Xanthan Gum CLEAR, or one of the Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate
Crosspolymer versions instead.
NOTE: The wait time for Sepimax Zen (at least 8 hours) was always a pet peeve of
mine but I got over it quickly because the end result was a full-blown, store quality gel
that was more tolerant to electrolytes than plain carbomer
(for ex, sodium carbomer).
But I digress!
What the HEC is this?
Hydroxyethylcellulose is a non-ionic cellulose based polymer that has many applications.
It’s used in cosmetics to create serums, to create slippery gels, and to thicken some
cleansing surfactant systems.
The version of HEC I have is important to know because the grade of HEC you have will
determine how you use it. The version I have is R-grade HEC, can be poured directly
into water without forming clumps.
The “R” designation means it’s been altered to delay it’s hydration, which allows the
powder to be added directly into water without needing to be mixed with glycerin or
propanediol first. It will have a designation like “250HHR-CS” or “250 HHR “. I think the
brand name is Natrosol 250 HEC. I purchased my version from makeyourown.buzz.
You’ll find HEC in everything from conditioners and serums to sheet masks and styling
gels. I’ve added 10% of a 2% HEC solution to a fenugreek based hair gel and made
the
best gel I’ve made thus far (as far as performance and feel goes).
Fenugreek Herbal Curl Gel
https://www.curlytea.com/0827/fenugreek-herbal-curl-gel-msm.html
HEC has a thick, syrupy like consistency with tons and tons of slip. The “slip” is similar
to guar gum. But HEC’s performance is much better because it doesn’t easily flake up on
the hair or “pill” (“ball up”) on the skin during rub-in.
Because of it’s nonionic nature, Hydroxyethylcellulose is compatible with so many more
ingredients than some of the other workhorse ingredients we know. For example,
Xanthan gurm is extremely versatile but it’s anionic. That means it can’t be used with
cationic ingredients like our beloved BTMS.
How the HEC do I use it right away?
HEC is especially sensitive to two things: pH and temperature. Unfortunately, when I
read this information online, I saw it as a precaution, not as a tip. What it means is that
you can DECREASE the amount of time it takes to form a gel by INCREASING pH and/or
temperature.
There’s an inverse relationship between hydration time and pH, or a direct relationship
between viscosity and pH.
In other words, to DECREASE the hydration time, you can INCREASE the pH. (inverse)
Another way to say this is, in the short term, to INCREASE the viscosity, you can
INCREASE the pH. (direct)
I have not tested how increasing the temperature decreases the hydration time. Since
heating also takes time and forces you to have to worry about temperature, I’m solely
focused on the cold-process method trick.
What the HEC do you mean? What’s the process?
version of HEC. Remember,
The process itself is simple as long as you have the right the
“R” grade version can go directly into water. You don’t have to worry about having the
right stirring equipment or having the right solvent.
It’s important to note that a 1% HEC mix will not look like a jiggly gel. It won’t look like
Eco Styler or Wetline. It will look more like a syrup. So if you see a super slippery serum
or syrupy viscosity, you’re on the right path.
Below are the steps I used for the 50 gram version including a pH friendly preservative
and polysorbate 20 to keep the gel as clear as possible.
Whether you are a subscriber or not, you should see the video. HOWEVER, the full
write up is for Subscribers. If you’re not a member, you will see some blank pace
below. Subscribers can see all of the information including a test formula for version 7 of
an Azelaic and Niacinamide Serum I’m currently using which contains the 1% HEC
solution as well!
So become a Subscriber today!
(Video posted to ODYSEE first)
✍(◔◡◔)
—
—
Continue…
Non-subbies, welcome back!
Create a 50/50 Citric acid solution that contains 50% citric acid, 50% distilled water. You
can do 25 grams citric acid and 25 grams distilled water. Or 10 grams citric acid and 10
grams water. Just make the amounts even. Stir it well and it’s ready to go.
Add 2-3 drops of this 50/50 Citric Acid solution into the Batch
Use a frother or other mechanical mixer to mix the 50/50 Citric Acid solution for about
30 sec – 2 minutes
Test the pH. It should be around 4.5 – 5 That’s it. Now you can go forth with your
formulation.
You can also try to add the preservative+polysorbate 20 AFTER you raise and lower the
pH. I wanted to make sure they would be integrated instead of hoping to integrate a
preservative+polysorbate20 into a gel.
If you choose to add the preservative+polysorbate 20 AFTER the raising and lowering of
the pH, you can use whichever preservative that works best for you.
I wanted a 1% HEC solution as part of the ingredient list in another formula. To process
HEC itself as an ingredient in your full formula, follow the steps but use your chosen
percentage of HEC to quick-process it at the very beginning before you add anything
else to the water.
Remember, you’ll have to raise the pH high, let it thicken, then bring it back down.
Some ingredients in your formula won’t like that at all. Please do this HEC quick-process
method before you add anything else besides a preservative that also works at a sky
high pH and Polysorbate 20.
Once you begin formulating directly with HEC in your formula (instead of making a 1%
or 2% HEC solution), you can skip the preservative at the early stages.
Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope I’ve explained it well enough for you guys who,
like me, loves the feel of HEC but have shied away from it because it seems to take half
an hour or longer to hydrate.
Happy DIYing!
Want to use Patreon instead? Ok! Take a second to support curlytea on Patreon and get
even more recipes that are only available to Patrons!
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