Miracare Soft 313
INCI: water (and) cocamidopropyl hydroxysultane (and) sodium cocoyl glycinate (and) sodium lauroaphoacetate (and) lauric acid
What: cleansing surfactant
Important: It must be neutralized to a pH of around 6 (6.3 at lotioncrafter) for best results
Solubility: Disperse in water or surfactant phase;
It can solubilize 5% oils, meaning you can add up to 5% oils to your mix to make a more moisturizing cleanser (lotioncrafter.com)
Usage rate suggestions: 20% – 30% (typical)
Charge: Zwitteronic
Miracare Soft 313 itself is a blend of surfactants used to create gentle shampoos and facial cleansers. Zwitteronic surfactants are said to be milder than the negatively charged surfactants.
The components that make up Miracare are sodium cocoyl glycinate, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, sodium lauroaphoacetate and lauric acid. Together, the three act to make for a much less harsh cleanser than traditional surfactants like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Lauric acid is used as a thicken.
Sodium cocoyl glycinate comes from coconut and amino acids and is known for it’s “delicate de-greasing action” (1). It get a 1 on the EWG.org’s scale. (The lower the number the better).
By the way, sodium cocoyl glycinate is the 1st ingredient in the Hada Labo Gentle Hydrating Cleanser that advertises itself as leaving the skin soft and “silky-smooth” (2). Before I decided to spend more money on ingredients (lol), I was planning to try this cleaner. But as all DIY-girls do, I decided to continue down that road of experimenting to make my own.
Sodium Cocoyl glycinate is also an ingredient in the following (as of this writing):
- L’Occitane Immortelle Divine Foaming Cleansing Cream (3)
- Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser (4)
- Bring Green Artemisia Ph Balance Cleansing Foam (5)
Cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine is used to improve the foaming ability of the shampoo or cleanser. The lather it creates is described as “creamy”. Both it and Sodium lauroaphoacetate helps lessen irritation on the skin and hair once you formulate it so that the pH is below 7.
Products that use Cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine as an ingredient (as of this writing) include:
- CeraVe SA Body Wash (6)
- Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remove (7)
- Ouidad VitalCurl+ Clear and Gentle Shampoo (8)
Supposedly, Miracare can take (solubilize) up to 5% oils without separating out (I haven’t tested that as of this writing). Adding a little oil to your shampoo would help ensure that your hair doesn’t feel stripped or have that squeaky feeling.
However, the main focus when making a shampoo is to get the hair clean. So while the surfactant choices may be based on the mildness of the ingredients, always keep in mind what your purpose is. If it’s to get the hair clean, adding oil to your shampoo (for example) may not be the best thing to worry about.
For a facial cleanser, on the other hand, you may want to add a little oil just to be on the safe side. Skin, sensitive skin especially, can be very prone to dryness which in turn can cause irritation and redness. Just be careful about the type of oil you use. I don’t recommend using Castor oil or something heavy like that in a facial cleanser.
It’s more likely you’ll get better results if you use Miracare along with other surfactants or with an additional foam booster (if you want that lather feel without the harsh stripping).
Related
1 Lotioncrafter – Miracare Soft 313
2 Hadalabo Tokyo Hydrating Facial Cleanser
3 Loccitane – Immortelle Divine Foaming Cleansing Cream
4 Kiehls Skincare Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser
5 Skincarisma Bring Green Artemisia ph balance Cleansing Foam
6 Cerave SA Body Wash
7 Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing Makeup Remover
8 Vitalcurl Clear Gentle Shampoo
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