Sepiclear G7 (INCI: Heptyl Glucoside)
If you are a natural skincare formulator, you will know that it is challenging to source for natural base solubilisers amongst other natural ingredients.
One of my favourite solubiliser to work with is the Symbio®solv Clear Plus by Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH. It is particularly challenging to get an accurate weight measurement as it is quite viscous. Conducting experiments in small weight quantity can be patience testing especially when only 0.02% more is required and a drop can weigh about 0.05% or more as an example.
I have recently discovered another natural solubiliser which is the Sepiclear G7 that is under Seppic which is 100% biobased and sustainable solubiliser. The INCI is Heptyl Glucoside. It is derived from sugar and castor seeds with 100% vegetable origin. Sepiclear G7 solubilises lipophilic compounds such as vitamins, essential oils and fragrances in aqueous media.
Sepiclear G7 can be used anywhere between 0.1% – 15% in a formula at one time.
Sepiclear G7 can be used in cold processed formulations for toners and aqueous gels. It is COSMOS and Ecocert approved. The brochure stated that it is non-foaming and it does not have any soapy feel on skin. That caught my attention right away!
I tested Sepiclar G7 with a silly simple formula for a toner using distilled water, essential oil and Sepiclar G7 with a few different ratios. Lemongrass essential oil was used in these experiments.
Ratio 1:2 (Essential oil : Sepiclear G7)
The solution turned out opaque and droplets of essential oil could be seen floating on top.
Ratio 1:7
The colour of the solution was greyish white opaque looking. No droplets of essential oil were seen floating so I tested it on my skin. There was no soapy feel on the skin indeed! However I didn’t like the look of it
Ratio 1:12
The solution turned out translucent clear and no soapy feel.
Sepiclear G7 has a faint scent which can easily be camourflage by essential oils in this experiment. There is some foam formed when the bottle was shaken but it only lasted for a minute or so and it dissipates. Sepiclear G7 is less viscous than Symbio®solv Clear Plus which makes it easier to weight it accurately. Comparatively, it will require more % from Sepiclear G7 to Symbio®solv Clear Plus.
This may be my next best choice of natural solubiliser in toners and aqueous gels. When this blog is being written, I couldn’t find any suppliers that would sell retail except if it was purchased in bulk with a high minimum quantity order. If you are reading this and you know where to purchase in small quantities, please comment below and it would help other formulators who may want to experiment with Sepiclear G7.
Thank you for spending time with me!
Eliza
