Lauryl glucoside

Lauryl glucoside is a cleansing agent from the alkyl polyglucoside (APG) family. It is made by reacting a fatty alcohol, usually from coconut or palm kernel oil, with glucose from starch. It has no charge on the molecule (non-ionic), which is one reason it is used in milder cleansers.

• CAS number: 110615-47-9
• Idealised formula: C18H36O6 (dodecyl glucoside); the commercial product is a mixture of chain lengths
• Typical form: viscous, cloudy, pale yellow liquid, often around 50% active in water
• pH as supplied: often strongly alkaline

It can turn thick or pasty in cold weather. Warming it gently in a water bath brings it back.

Azlok lists Lauryl Glucoside in its cosmetic raw ingredients range. The name doesn't give a pack size or the active percentage, so check both on the product page before calculating your recipe. See today's price per kg.

• Face washes and gentle facial cleansers
• Sulphate-free shampoos and body washes, usually with other surfactants such as cocamidopropyl betaine
• Baby washes and mild hand washes
• Makeup removers and cleansing gels

On its own it foams well but isn't easy to thicken with salt. Formulators pair it with other surfactants or a gum thickener to get body.

Lauryl glucoside is commonly used at about 5–20% of the formula as supplied, depending on how much cleansing you need and what else is in the blend. Treat this as a typical range and test your own batch.

1. Warm the lauryl glucoside slightly if it has thickened.
2. Add it to the water phase with gentle stirring. Fast mixing whips in air and makes a foamy mess.
3. Add your other surfactants, then thickener, fragrance and preservative.
4. Check pH at the end. Because the raw material is alkaline, you'll usually need citric acid solution to bring a face wash or shampoo down to a skin-friendly range of about 5–6.5.

The concentrated liquid is alkaline and irritates eyes. Wear goggles and gloves when handling it neat, and rinse any splash with plenty of water.

• Store tightly closed at room temperature, out of direct sun.
• Don't let it freeze; very cold storage can make it separate.
• Keep away from children.
• Small spills are slippery; wipe with a damp cloth and rinse.

Patch test any homemade product on a small area of the inner arm for 24–48 hours before wider use. If you plan to sell finished cosmetics in India, they need to meet BIS standards and CDSCO cosmetic rules, so check those before you launch.

Start with a small pack while you balance foam, thickness and pH. Once a recipe is fixed and you're making regular batches, a larger pack works out better per kg; just keep it sealed and warm enough to stay pourable. For 25 kg and above, use bulk inquiry.