Access GLUCO DOE-120

High-Efficiency Surfactant Thickener and Irritation Reducer

INCI Name: PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate

Access GLUCO DOE-120 is a high-performance thickener derived from natural glucose that enables crystal-clear gels with a rich, luxurious feel. It efficiently builds viscosity in surfactant-based products like shampoos, body washes, and facial cleansers while significantly reducing the irritation potential of common cleansing agents—resulting in gentler formulas for skin and scalp.

Perfect For These Applications

Other cosmetic uses possible—contact us for formulation guidance.

Sulfate-Free Shampoos

Effectively thickens challenging sulfate-free surfactant systems to create a rich, premium texture without depressing foam volume or clarity.
Gentle Facial Cleansers

Builds viscosity to create stable, honey-like gel cleansers while actively reducing the irritation potential of the surfactant system—ideal for sensitive skin.
Luxury Body Washes

Creates a rich, dense lather and luxurious feel, transforming a simple body wash into a premium spa-like experience with enhanced mildness.
Baby Shampoos & Washes

Provides gentle thickening for tear-free, mild baby care formulations—delivering a pleasant texture without compromising safety or gentleness.
Hand Soaps

Thickens liquid hand soaps to the ideal viscosity for easy dispensing, while helping mitigate the drying effects of frequent washing.
Clarifying Shampoos

Builds viscosity in high-cleansing formulas, improving product feel and reducing potential harshness on the scalp and hair.

How to Use Access GLUCO DOE-120 in Your Formulations

What Access GLUCO DOE-120 Does

Access GLUCO DOE-120 is a problem-solver for anyone making cleansers. Its main job is to thicken water-based formulas that contain surfactants (the ingredients that create lather and clean). If your shampoo or body wash is too thin and watery, this ingredient will give it a premium gel-like consistency. It’s derived from natural glucose (corn sugar), making it a popular choice for formulators seeking high-performance, naturally derived ingredients.

But it does more than just thicken. Many common surfactants, while effective at cleaning, can sometimes be irritating to the skin. Access GLUCO DOE-120 has a unique ability to reduce this irritation, making your entire formula milder and gentler. It’s like adding a cushion of comfort to your cleanser. For the technical formulator, this ingredient is a non-ionic thickener (PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate) that efficiently builds viscosity in anionic and amphoteric systems, including notoriously difficult sulfate-free blends, without altering foam quality or clarity.

Formulation Tips

This ingredient is very efficient, so a little goes a long way. Use 0.2% to 2% for most shampoos, body washes, and facial cleansers; go up to 5% for very thick, gel-like products.

Access GLUCO DOE-120 typically comes as solid flakes or pastilles and needs to be melted to work correctly. The easiest method is to add it to the water phase and heat gently to around 60–65°C (140–149°F) until fully dissolved and clear. Alternatively, you can add it directly into your primary surfactant blend with gentle heating and mixing until uniform. Once dissolved, proceed with your formula as usual.

It is compatible with virtually all common surfactants, including sulfates (e.g., SLES) and sulfate-free systems (e.g., glucosides, amphoacetates, and amino-acid surfactants). As a non-ionic material, it plays well with other ingredients and is effective over a broad pH range, typically between 4 and 8.

Key Performance Benefits:

High-Efficiency Thickening: Small additions produce significant viscosity increases, enabling cost-effective, premium textures.
Reduces Irritation: Mitigates the irritation potential of common cleansing surfactants for milder, gentler formulas.
Crystal-Clear Gels: Creates beautiful, transparent systems without haze—ideal for premium aesthetics.
Excellent Sensory: Produces rich, honey-like flow and a luxurious in-use feel without stickiness.
Maintains Foam: Builds viscosity without depressing lather volume or quality.
Naturally Derived: Sourced from glucose to support clean and gentle positioning.

Heading #1
Benefits	Clean & Natural, Formulation Versatility, Rich & Luxurious, Texture & Sensory
INCI Name	PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Usage Rate	0.1%-5%
Functional Type	Polymer Thickeners, Sensory Modifiers, Texture Enhancers, Thickeners & Rheology Modifiers
Phase Compatibility	Water Phase
Application Area	Body, Face, Hair, Scalp
Product Type Suitability	Bath Products, Cleansers, Conditioners, Gels, Shampoos
Certifications	Naturally Derived
Physical Form	Flake

Frequently Asked Questions About Access GLUCO DOE-120

It’s a thickener for surfactant systems. It turns thin, watery shampoos, body washes, and face cleansers into rich, professional-feeling gels—and it helps make formulas gentler by reducing surfactant irritation.

Start at 0.5–2% for most cleansers. For very thick, gel-like products, go up to 5%. It is highly efficient, so small amounts go a long way.

Yes. It typically arrives as flakes/pastilles and must be melted. Heat in the water phase or in the surfactant blend to about 60–65°C (140–149°F) until fully dissolved and clear.

No. One of its best features is that it builds viscosity without suppressing lather. You’ll get a rich texture and a great foam profile.

It is naturally derived. The starting material is glucose (from corn), making it an excellent choice for gentle and clean-positioned formulations.

Absolutely. It is excellent for sulfate-free systems, which are often difficult to thicken, providing a rich, stable viscosity and clear appearance.

Salt can work in some systems but may increase irritation, destabilize formulas, and fails in many sulfate-free blends. Access GLUCO DOE-120 is more reliable across diverse systems and actually reduces irritation instead of increasing it.

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