Foaming AgentsUpdated 4 months ago

A foaming agent is a material/detergent that facilitates the formation of foam/lather such as a surfactant. Surfactants are a primary component of cleaning detergents and are meant to help clean and/or emulsify. The word surfactant means surface active agent.  As the name implies, surfactants stir up activity on the surface to either help bind molecules and emulsify and/or to help trap dirt and remove it from the surface.   To understand more about surfactants please read the seperate article in this knowledge base titled "All about Surfactants."

The following chart provides common  primary and secondary foaming agents.

Bubble Up

Bubble Up (AKA) Cocamidopropyl Betaine - is a mild surfactant that comes from coconut oil, and is commonly used as a secondary foaming agent in liquid washes. Contains slight viscosity building properties and can be used to foam boost body washes and bubble bath.

• Sold as Bubble Up on WSP or Cocomidopropyl Betaine on WSP & MYOB
• Use in liquids
• Slightly helps to increase viscosity
• Used as a primary and secondary foaming agent to add or increase lather
• Mild surfactant - a surfactant reduces surface tension of liquids. Helps water, oil, & dirt mix to cleanse.  Molecule has water loving and water hating ends.
• Coconut oil
• Not a natural product
• Color is golden to clear
• If added to Detergent Free MP base, the soap cannot be labelled Detergent Free.
• Body washes, liquid soap,and bubble bath, shampoo bars, scrubs, bubble cakes, shaving cream, fizzy powder.
• Can cause fizzies to react prematurely. Better to add lathanol powder to any dry fizzie mix.
  • Easy Kit Recipes/Suggestions-
    • Clarifying Shampoo Bars
    • Creamy Goat Milk Body Wash Recipe
    • Mardi Gras Bubble Bath Beads

Lathanol LAL Coarse –aka SLSa (Crafters Choice)

Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate puts foam in bath formulations. Works well in soft and hard water. Although the powder is considered course it is an airborne product. You will need a mask and a contained space when making your finished product. Also called SLSa.  Sold as course on WSP, EBB & Rustic but MYOB carries 3 forms- Standard, Course & Flake form.

• Sold as Crafters Choice Lanthanol LAL Course Powder on WSP, EBB & Rustic and sold as Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate Powder Course  (SLSa) on MYOB
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate Powder (SLSa)  finer powder is avaialbe on MYOB only
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate Flake (SLSa)  flake powder is avaialbe on MYOB only
• Dispersible in Oil and Water
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
• Derived from Palm
• Puts foam in bath formulations
• Crafters Choice (CC) Works in hard and soft water but MYOB only works in hard water
• Can be used in conjunction with Bubble Up.
• Liquid foaming products: 3-8%
•  Bath Bombs: 1-1.5% 
• Other Powder foaming products: 15-25%
• Commonly used in fizzies, bath bombs, toilet tabs, shampoo bars, bubble cakes, exfoliating soaps, foot soaks, shave soaps, bubble wands, bubble scoops, bubble marbles
  
  • Easy Kit Recipes/Suggestions-
    • Fizzy Bubble Bear
    • Sweet Orange Chilli Pepper Bubble Cake
    • Sparkle Star Bubble Wand

Sodium Coco Sulfate Noodles –SCS

Sodium Coco Sulfate is a non-irritating, gentle surfactant that is derived from natural coconut oil giving it natural conditioning properties.  Its an anionic surfactant that is excellet for lifting and suspending dirt or soil and produces a heavy foam. Great for shampoo bars, body wash, liquid shampoo, shaving cream and more! Sodium coco sulfate will make your cleansers have a typically denser and creamier foam and may be translucent rather than clear.

• Sold as Sodium Coco Sulfate Noodles (AKA) SCS Noodles on WSP & MYOB
• Also sold as Sodium Coco Sulfate Powder (AKA) SCS Powder on MYOB
• Natural conditioning properties. 
• Considered more gentle than Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
• Derived from coconut oil 
• Sold in noodle/needle form
• May take 15+ minutes to dissolve
• Recommeded usage 1-20%
• Mix with SCI noodles for best results (40% SCI : 20% SCS)
• Melt noodles in water. May take 10-15 minutes to completely dissolve.
• Can grind noodles into a powder and melt in very warm water
• Not suitable for Cold Process Soap
• Ample, rich lather and strong cleansing/de-greasing.
• SCS noodles disperse into water. If you want to melt them and incorporate into Melt & Pour Soap then , you would need to get your MP soap hot and then add the SCS into that to melt. Or, you can add them directly to your clear MP soap for a unique look.
• You can melt down or keep in noodle/needle form.  
  • Dissolve it into the heated water phase for liquid concoctions,
  • or stir/mash the powder into blends of butters and/or other surfactants to create syndet bars.
  • It can also be added to the powder phase of bath bombs and other bath products.
• Surfactant portion of this ingredient is 95%
• pH 9.5 - 10
• Great for shampoo bars, body wash, liquid shampoo, shaving cream
  • Easy Kit Recipes/Suggestions-
    • Shampoo Bars with SCS Noodles
    • Gardner Scrub Bars

Sodium Cocyl Isethionate Noodles - SCI

Sodium Cocoyl isethionate is a gentle anionic surfactant based fatty acid derived from coconut oil. It acts as a foaming and cleansing agent. Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate cleans the skin and hair by helping water to mix with oil and dirt so that they can be rinsed away. Commonly used in made from scratch shampoos, shower gels and more! Sulfate-free and biodegradable.  

• Sold as Sodium Coco Isethionate Noodles (AKA) SCI Noodles on WSP & MYOB
• Add to formula at 3-40%
  •  For solid bars I usually start with at least 30% Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI); for liquid formulations 5–15% is a decent starting point.
•  Melt SCI noodles in a carrier oil, Bubble Up or Cocamidopropyl Betaine at a 1:3 ratio SCI to liquid base, using a double boiler before mixing into water phase. 
• Recommended to melt in a liquid mixture using a double boiler. Do not use a microwave, as slow and steady heat is required to melt this product evenly.  Can easily take 20+ minutes to melt.
• Prior to melting you may want to grind noodles or cut down into small pieces to help melt easier.
• Made from scratch shampoos, shower gels, shampoo bars
• Surfactant portion of this ingredient is 78%
• Find pH after its melted in your carrier
• Easy Kit Recipes/Suggestions-
  • Clarifying Shampoo Bars
  • Moisturizing Shampoo Bars
  • Rose Hip Foaming Facial Scrub
  
  
  

Below is a chart featuring 19 additional foaming surfactants found solely on MYOB.  For more information on each surfactant below, please click the name to be directed back to the MYOB website. 

If customers are looking to sub a surfactant that is out of stock, you will want to replace any surfactant with one that is the same format (liquid or powder) and has the same charge (anionic, non-ionic, amphoteric, or cationic).   Also look for A similar pH and similar active surfactant matter (ASM—the concentration of the surfactant).  Lastly look at website description for a comparion for lather and feel to be sure that you have a match.  The formulator should ensure that they are testing for to ensure they are getting the desired results.