AccessGUAR HP-012

Natural Cationic Conditioning Agent and Thickener for Hair Care

INCI Name: Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

AccessGUAR HP-012 is a multi-functional, plant-derived powder that serves as an excellent conditioning agent and thickener in hair care and cleansing formulations. Derived from natural guar beans, its cationic charge allows it to smooth and soften hair, providing superior detangling and frizz control. It efficiently builds viscosity in shampoos and conditioners, creating a rich, luxurious texture while being suitable for clear product formulations.

Perfect For These Applications

Other cosmetic uses possible—contact us for formulation guidance.

Sulfate-Free & Clear Shampoos

Provides effective conditioning and viscosity in clear and sulfate-free shampoo systems, improving wet/dry combability without build-up.
Rinse-Off Conditioners

Delivers excellent detangling and a silky, smooth feel to all hair types, leaving hair soft and manageable after rinsing.
Deep Conditioning Hair Masks

Builds a rich, creamy texture in treatment masks while providing substantive conditioning to repair and soften damaged hair.
Leave-In Detangling Sprays

Offers lightweight conditioning and slip in leave-in sprays, making hair easier to comb through and reducing breakage from brushing.
Body Washes & Cleansers

Imparts a smooth, conditioned after-feel to the skin in body washes and facial cleansers, mitigating the stripping effect of surfactants.
2-in-1 Conditioning Shampoos

Effectively combines cleansing and conditioning properties in a single step, providing noticeable softness and viscosity.

How to Use AccessGUAR HP-012 in Your Formulations

Understanding AccessGUAR HP-012

AccessGUAR HP-012 is a true workhorse ingredient in hair care, derived from the seeds of the guar bean. Think of it as a natural, multi-tasking problem solver. Its primary job is to condition the hair. Hair is naturally negatively charged, especially when damaged, and this ingredient has a positive (cationic) charge. Because opposites attract, it clings to the hair shaft, depositing a lightweight, smoothing layer that makes hair feel soft and incredibly easy to comb through.

But it doesn’t stop there. AccessGUAR HP-012 is also an excellent thickener. When you add this fine powder to water, it swells and creates a gel-like consistency. This is perfect for turning a thin, watery shampoo or conditioner into a product with a rich, luxurious texture that feels substantial and high-quality. Because this high-purity grade is optimized for clarity, it can achieve all this without making your final product cloudy, making it ideal for beautiful, clear shampoos and gels.

Formulation Tips

The most critical part of working with AccessGUAR HP-012 is adding it to your formula correctly to avoid clumping. Because it’s a gum, it wants to hydrate instantly, which can form clumps known as “fish eyes.”

Vortex Method: While stirring your water phase rapidly to create a vortex, sprinkle the powder in slowly. This allows each particle to wet out individually before it has a chance to clump.
Glycerin Slurry: First, mix the AccessGUAR HP-012 powder with a non-aqueous liquid like glycerin or propanediol to form a smooth, lump-free paste (a slurry). Then add this slurry to your water phase with simple stirring. The powder is coated and disperses easily.

Use a concentration of 0.2–0.5% for most shampoos and conditioners. For thicker formulas or deep conditioning masks, you can increase this up to 1.0%. It works well across a broad pH range (typically 4–9) and is compatible with most common surfactants, including anionic, non-ionic, and amphoteric types.

Key Formulation Benefits:

Superior Detangling and Conditioning: Its cationic nature smooths the hair cuticle, improving wet and dry combing and reducing friction to help prevent breakage.
Natural and Biodegradable: Derived from renewable guar beans; an environmentally friendly choice and a strong alternative to synthetic conditioning polymers.
Efficient Thickening: Builds viscosity in surfactant systems to create rich, creamy textures in shampoos, conditioners, and body washes.
Excellent for Clear Formulas: High-purity grade enables crystal-clear shampoos and gels without sacrificing conditioning performance.
Improves Foam Quality: Helps stabilize and enhance lather, creating denser, creamier foam in cleansing products.
Versatile and Cost-Effective: Broad compatibility and low use levels make it an easy, economical addition across hair care and cleansing formats.

Heading #1
Benefits	Biodegradable, Clean & Natural, Detangling, Formulation Versatility, Frizz Control, Hair Care Benefits, Multi-Functional, Natural Derived, Rich & Luxurious, Texture & Sensory
INCI Name	Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Usage Rate	0.2%-1%
Functional Type	Cationic Conditioning Agents, Conditioning Agents, Natural Gums & Polysaccharides, Thickeners & Rheology Modifiers
Phase Compatibility	Water Phase
Application Area	Body, Hair, Scalp
Product Type Suitability	Cleansers, Conditioners, Gels, Masks & Treatments, Shampoos
Certifications	Biodegradable, Cruelty-Free, Naturally Derived, Vegan
Physical Form	Powder

Frequently Asked Questions About AccessGUAR HP-012

It does two main things: it acts as a conditioner to make your hair feel soft and easy to comb, and it works as a thickener to give your shampoo a rich, gel-like texture instead of being thin and watery.

For easiest handling, first mix the powder into a small amount of glycerin to form a smooth slurry, then add that slurry to the water phase with mixing. Alternatively, sprinkle the powder slowly into a strong vortex.

Use 0.2–0.5% for most shampoos and conditioners. For very thick masks or maximum conditioning, you can go up to 1.0%.

Yes. It is derived from natural guar beans and is biodegradable, making it suitable for natural, clean, silicone-free, and sulfate-free hair care products.

No. It is a cationic, plant-derived conditioning polymer often used as a high-performance alternative to silicones for softness, slip, and shine.

All hair types. It is especially helpful for hair prone to tangling, frizz, or damage due to its excellent slip and smoothing properties.

Yes. The high-purity HP grade is designed to minimize haze, enabling crystal-clear shampoos, gels, and body washes.

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