Saman Ahmad Nasrollahi, Hesam Alibakhshi, Alireza Firooz,
Volume 4, Issue 4 (12-2013)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Shampoos are surfactant systems to clean hair and body. Two kinds of surfactants are generally used in shampoo formulations: anionic and amphoteric. These agents, especially anionic ones may cause skin irritation and dryness after bathing. So, using a simple and fast method to determine the types and concentrations of surfactants can help to choose a product with high efficacy and low side effects. This study was aimed to determine surfactant concentrations using potentiometric titration method.
Methods: Ten hair and body shampoos were selected from Iran's market to determine concentration of anionic and amphoteric surfactants using potentiometric titration method with prepared standard solution.
Results: All formulations contain both surfactants, but one formulation did not have the amphoteric one.
Conclusion: When we want to choose a shampoo for irritated and dry skin, formulations with more amphoteric surfactant should be chosen because they are much milder on the skin in comparison with anionic surfactants. Potentiometric method which was described in this study is one of the easiest ways to find out which shampoo is suitable for each patient.
