Crothix Liquid

Product Description:

INCI Name: PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate (and) Aqua (and) PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides

Appearance: Clear to slightly hazy viscous liquid, depending on the grade.

Odour: Mild characteristic odour.

Crothix Liquid is a high-performance, ready-to-use liquid thickening agent designed for aqueous surfactant-based formulations. It is particularly useful for increasing viscosity in shampoos, body washes, shower gels, facial cleansers, liquid soaps and other cleansing products.

Unlike solid Crothix, the liquid form can be incorporated easily into formulations and is especially convenient for cold-process or low-temperature formulations. It is compatible with a broad range of anionic, amphoteric and nonionic surfactant systems and is useful when conventional salt thickening does not provide the desired viscosity. 

Key Benefits

• Highly effective thickener: Increases viscosity in aqueous surfactant systems.
• Easy to use: Supplied as a liquid, making incorporation convenient.
• Cold-process friendly: Can be used without requiring a heating or neutralisation step in many formulations.
• Excellent for difficult-to-thicken systems: Particularly useful where salt or other conventional viscosity modifiers are ineffective.
• Wide surfactant compatibility: Suitable for anionic, amphoteric and nonionic surfactant systems.
• Good sensory properties: Helps create a smooth, rich and glossy product texture.
• Foam-friendly: Can thicken cleansing formulations without being used as the primary cleansing surfactant.
• Helps improve mildness: The PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides component can contribute to improved skin feel in rinse-off systems.
• Suitable for clear and opaque products: Can be used in a variety of cleansing formulations.

Applications

Crothix Liquid is commonly used in:

• Shampoos
• Sulphate-free shampoos
• Body washes
• Shower gels
• Facial cleansers
• Liquid hand washes
• Liquid soaps
• Bath gels
• Bath foams
• Cleansing gels
• Other aqueous surfactant-based formulations

Recommended Usage

Typical usage: 0.5–5%

The required quantity depends significantly on the surfactant system, active surfactant matter, electrolyte level, fragrance/essential oils and desired viscosity. 

For formulation trials, it is generally better to start low and increase gradually until the desired viscosity is achieved rather than adding the entire quantity at once.

How to Use

Crothix Liquid can be incorporated into the completed surfactant base.

Recommended practical method:

1. Prepare the complete surfactant base.
2. Add other water-soluble ingredients, preservative and other formulation components.
3. Adjust the formulation to the required pH.
4. Add Crothix Liquid gradually, preferably in small increments.
5. Mix gently after each addition.
6. Allow the formulation to settle and check the viscosity again before making the final adjustment.

Gentle mixing is recommended because excessive agitation can create unnecessary foam.

For formulations where clarity is important, evaluate the final clarity after addition of fragrance, essential oils, actives and Crothix Liquid, as these can all affect the final appearance.

Solubility

Designed for use in aqueous surfactant systems and is readily incorporated into surfactant-based formulations.

Storage

Store in a cool, dry and well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight and excessive heat.

• Keep the container tightly closed.
• Protect from contamination and moisture.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
• Store according to the supplier's TDS/SDS recommendations.

Important Formulation Note

Crothix Liquid is a viscosity modifier, not a cleansing surfactant. The final viscosity depends heavily on the surfactant combination. Therefore, the same 1% Crothix Liquid can produce very different viscosity in an SLES/CAPB system versus a glucoside-based or amino-acid surfactant system.

For your sulphate-free shampoo/body wash bases, I would recommend doing a small viscosity ladder such as 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2% and 3% rather than assuming one fixed percentage will work across every formulation.