Men's products: Body wash

If you've read this blog for more than 5 minutes, you'll know how much I love body washes! I have a number of different recipes (which you'll see as a list below) and I think it's safe to say this is my favourite product to tweak! The only real difference I've been able to find between men's and women's body washes is the fragrance! They both contain surfactants, moisturizers, humectants, preservatives, and fragrance. There's really nothing special about that "hydrating" body wash when it's compared to a "moisturizing" body wash.

Your basic body wash is a mix of gentle surfactants (about 40% to 50% of the total recipe), water, preservative, and fragrance. (Click on the link to find out more about why I'm using the various ingredients I've used.)

BASIC BODY WASH RECIPE
HEATED PHASE
37.5% water
15% cocamidopropyl betaine
15% second surfactant
15% third surfactant
5% aloe vera
3% glycerin
2% cromoist or other hydrolyzed protein

COOL DOWN PHASE
2% panthenol
3% cationic polymer
1% fragrance or essential oil
1% liquid Crothix
0.5% preservative
Colouring, if wanted

Here's the surfactant chart to choose your surfactants or you can check out the various posts in the surfactants section of the blog. 

In a container, mix the surfactants together well, then add the water. (You can heat the water slightly to make it easier to mix). When the surfactants are mixed together, add the rest of the ingredients - EXCEPT THE CROTHIX - and blend well. Try not to get a ton of bubbles at the top. Let it rest until the mixture is clear of the bubbles and check the viscosity. If you are happy with it, bottle it! If you want it thicker, start at 0.5% liquid Crothix and stir well, ensuring you have blended it completely. If you still want it thicker, add another 0.5% Crothix. You can go up to 2% Crothix if you wish.

If you want to tweak the body wash, here's a list of the various versions I've made so far...

• Formulating for different skin types (with tons of suggestions for ingredients)
• Body wash for dry skin
• Modified body wash with oils
• Formulating with white willow bark (great exfoliant!)
• Body wash with SCI
• Using water soluble esters in body washes
• Clear body wash with esters
• Cloudy body wash with esters (my most moisturizing version yet!) 

So let's say you want to make a product that will work as a body wash and 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner, something you can take to the gym or beach in one handy bottle. Can we do that? Yes, we can! Join me tomorrow to tweak our body wash to become a moisturizing, conditioning, shampooing power house of fun! 

As a bit of fun, I thought I'd link this great Old Spice Body Wash commercial to this post. Watch it, then this one, then this one with Grover, my favourite monster! He's so cute!