Gentle liquid hand soap with Coco Glucoside

Formula objective. A liquid hand soap designed with Coco Glucoside as the main surfactant. The aim is a formula for frequent washing with gentle foam, easy rinsing and a less dry feel than a traditional alkaline soap.

Why these ingredients were chosen.

Coco Glucoside provides the cleansing base and allows formulation at a cosmetic pH, away from the typical alkalinity of saponified soap.
Coco Betaine improves foam quality and adds mildness to the system.
Glycerine partly compensates for the loss of comfort associated with repeated washing.
The preservative is essential because the formula contains water and is handled frequently.
pH adjustment helps bring the product into a range kinder to the skin of the hands.

Intended users. Users seeking a gentle liquid hand soap for the washbasin, kitchen or daily use, especially when excessively lipid-stripping cleansing is to be avoided.

Skill level. Easy level: the key is to mix slowly, avoid aerating the product, measure pH and allow it to rest before deciding whether viscosity adjustment is needed.

Validation required. Validate final pH, acceptable transparency or opalescence, foam, smell, stability over several weeks and preservation. It must not be presented as a disinfectant product.

Base formula

Include	Product	%	Quantity	Price / pack size
Gelled aqueous phase
	Distilled or deionised water	69.8 %	698 g	Manual addition
	Liquid vegetable glycerine	3 %	30 g	€0.70 used (1 x 125 g · purchase €2.90) Approx. leftover 95 g
	Clear Xanthan Gum	0.4 %	4 g	€0.47 used (1 x 30 g · purchase €3.50) Approx. leftover 26 g
Surfactants
	Coco Glucoside	18 %	180 g	€3.56 used (1 x 250 ml · purchase €4.95) Approx. leftover 70 ml
	Coco Betaine	8 %	80 g	€1.57 used (1 x 125 ml · purchase €2.45) Approx. leftover 45 ml
Preservation and pH adjustment
	Geogard 221 / Cosgard	0.8 %	8 g	€1.64 used (1 x 10 ml · purchase €2.05) Approx. leftover 2 ml
	Citric acid in a 20% solution	0 %	0 c.n.	Manual addition

Step by step

1 Room temperature

Prepare a lump-free aqueous phase

Start with a clean, disinfected mixing beaker, spatula and final container. Water-based formulas are not a place to improvise: weigh everything before you start and work calmly.

If the formula contains xanthan gum, mix it with the glycerine or humectants first. This wets the gum evenly and makes lumps much less likely to form.

Add the water gradually, in several additions, mixing gently after each one. If you see small lumps, do not whisk vigorously: leave it to rest for a few minutes and stir again until the base looks uniform.

2 Room temperature

Add the surfactants gently

Once the aqueous phase is uniform, slowly add the Coco Glucoside. Use slow movements, as though folding the mixture, to avoid filling the product with foam.

Then add the remaining surfactants one at a time. Wait until each ingredient is evenly distributed before adding the next; this gives you better control over the texture and avoids concentrated areas.

In gels and liquid soaps, foam during production can be very misleading. Mix slowly and let the product rest before deciding whether it is too runny.

3 Room temperature

Preserve and adjust the pH

Add the preservative when the mixture is uniform and stir for at least one minute using slow movements. The preservative must be distributed throughout the formula, not left in one area.

Measure the pH and compare it with this recipe's target range: 5,0 - 5,8. If it is high, adjust with a 20% citric acid solution, drop by drop.

After each drop, mix and measure again. The pH does not always change immediately, so it is better to proceed slowly than to overshoot and have to correct in the opposite direction.

Final

Allow to rest, check and package

Cover the beaker and leave the formula to rest for 24 hours. This allows the foam to subside, the gum to finish hydrating and the true viscosity to be assessed.

The next day, check the smell, colour, separation, lumps, clarity or opalescence, and texture. If anything changes unexpectedly, do not package it yet: first understand what has happened.

If everything is correct, transfer it to a clean container and label it with the name, date, final pH and any observations useful for repeating or improving the formula.

Preservation, shelf life and validation

Questions, improvements and possible corrections

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