1. Thickening Agents In
Cosmetics
By
Anay.Nilesh.Kacharia

3. Role
Of
Thickening
Agent
in
Cosmetic

4. Principles involved in Thickening
• Stokes's law - is the basis of the falling-sphere
viscometer, in which the fluid is stationary in a vertical
glass tube. A sphere descends through the liquid. it
reaches terminal velocity, which can be measured by the
time it takes to pass two marks on the tube.
• Thixiotropy - It is a property of certain gels which tend
to flow on the account of stress applied on it.

5. Classification Of Thickening Agents
• Lipid Thickeners- (Beeswax, Cetyl alcohol,
Steryl alcohol )
• Naturally Derived thickeners- (Modified Cellulose,
Guar gum, Xanthan Gum, Gelatin )
•Synthetic Thickeners- (Carbomers, Polyethylene
Glycol)
• Ionic Thickeners- (Salt)

6. Carbomer’s
• A family of Cross-Linked Acid Polymers
• They are essential ingredients in Cosmetics and
Pharmaceuticals
• They are Excellent Rheology Modifiers

7. Carbopol Polymers
• They are High Mol.Wt Polyacrylic acids,
Cross-Linked with polyalkenylether
• They provide Thickening with a wide range of flow
properties

8. Thickening
Mechanism

19. Hair Styling Gel
Formulation
Ingredient Weight % Function
Deionized Water 61.2 Diluent
PVP 2.5 Hair Settling Resin
Aminomethyl Propanol 0.30 Neutralizing Agent
CARBOPOL 0.5 Rheology Modifier
Wheat Protein 0.5 Conditioner
Methyl Paraben 0.5 Preservative
Ethanol 34.5 Solvent

20. Hydroxy Ethyl Cellulose
• It is derived from cellulose
• It is a non-ionic water soluble Polymer
• It can –
1) Thicken
2) Bind
3) Emulsify
4) Form Films
5) Retains Water

21. Salient Features Of
H.E.C
• Provides a smooth and silky feel to product
• It has high ionic tolerance
• It gives an extremely high clarity in gels
• It offers good compatibility with surfactants
• Wide range of viscosities can be achived with
HEC

22. • A purified cellulose is treated with NaOH to form a
swollen alkali cellulose
• This swollen alkali cellulose is treated with
ethylene oxide to get a long chains of hydroxy ethyl
cellulose

23. Physical Properties

24. Problems with HEC
• CLOUDINESS tends to appear in clear solution in
a short span of time
• It gives a sticky feeling on the hand over a period
of time.
• It consists of 5% of volitile matter which is not
accepted worldwide.

25. Toothpaste Formulation
With HEC
Ingredienta % weight
Gelling agent (HEC) 1
Humectant(Glycerine) 10-30
Abrasive(CaCO3) 15-40
Sweetner(Saccharin) 0.1-0.2
Flavour 1-1.5
Surface active agent 1-2
Presevative ,colour & Water qs

26. References-
• Harrys cosmeticology
• Noveon website
• ISP Product handbook
• Lubrizol website

27. Thank you