Xanthan gum and glycerin slurry sinking to the bottom of shower gels

[Shirley Samtani]

Hi everyone, I need urgent help! Please read fully then please help me out.
So I tried making shower gels using strictly natural ingredients, turned out well except thick substances and powder sinking sinking to the bottom. Also, no matter how much I melt the Olivem 1000 or heat the surfactants mix, the olivem 1000 flakes are swimming in my slower gels.
To solve the powders settling at the bottom problem, I did away with preservative powders and used only a liquid preservative - geogard ect.
Now i think the thicker liquid sinking to the bottom is xanthan gum and glycerin slurry! It’s jelly like!! I hydrate it for 30 mins till properly done and then add slowly to the slightly heated surfactants mixture while it’s blending in kitchen aid stand mixture. No amount of blending really helps. Just when I think the problem is solved, after 2-3 days again thick separating from thin liquids!

When I shake the bottles the problems gets temporarily solved.

Please help me with these 2 problems - (1) thicker liquid sinking to the bottom /separating! (2) olivem 1000 flakes swimming in the bottles!

Pic attached

Thanks in advance

 

[AliOop]

Without knowing your full recipe, it's very hard to diagnose why this is happening. I do understand that if this is a purchased recipe, you will not be able to share it here per the terms of purchase (in which case you should check with the recipe seller for help). I can share a few possibilities that you can check out, but again, I really can't say whether any of these apply to your recipe.

1. Perhaps you aren't using enough emulsifier.

2. Perhaps you are not blending the mix long enough or with enough shear to create a stable emulsion. You mentioned using a kitchenaid stand mixer, which won't have enough shear, especially if you keep it on low to avoid splashing. I always use a stickblender for this reason.

3. Your preservative or your emulsifier, or both, will not work with the surfactant(s) in the recipe.

4. You may be combining surfactants that will not work together.

5. You may be using an EO, FO, or colorant that is causing the separation. Try making it without any of those things.

Good luck figuring out the issues and obtaining a product you like!