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Amino acid facial cleanser OEM/ODM manufacturing
Amino Acid Facial Cleanser · OEM/ODM
“Amino acid cleanser” is the market name for a facial cleanser that uses acyl amino acid surfactants (glutamates, glycinates, sarcosinates) instead of alkyl sulfates. Here, “amino acid” is the water-loving head of the surfactant molecule: glutamic acid, glycine or sarcosine joined to coconut fatty acids by chemical synthesis. It is not a skin-conditioning amino acid, and a rinse-off product should not promise to “supply amino acids to the skin”. What this group does deliver is cleansing and lather, and it allows “sulfate-free” on the label as a description of the formula. What has to be said plainly: ingredient-specific mildness data are limited (the CIR Expert Panel concluded the group is safe “when formulated to be nonirritating”), so “gentle”, “skin-like pH” and “no tight feeling” go on the label only after they are measured on the finished product. Technically, the carboxylate head makes these surfactants pH-sensitive: lowering the pH can turn the system cloudy, cause precipitation or thicken it into a gel, and the system cannot be thickened with salt the way a sulfate cleanser can. This page focuses on that cleansing system; the general principles of facial cleansers, gel cleansers and ready-foam cleansers are covered on their own pages. Butter-C offers turnkey OEM/ODM manufacturing, from formula development and testing to labeled finished goods and the notification dossier.
Formula base
Choosing the right acyl amino acid and partners
The three primary surfactants below belong to one family but differ in pH-dependent solubility, response to hard water and safety notes. A formula usually combines one or two primary surfactants with an amphoteric or nonionic partner; every level is calculated as % active from the certificate of analysis, not as % raw material.
Glutamate: sodium or disodium cocoyl glutamate
Glutamic acid has two carboxyl groups, so Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate and Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate are two different salts and two different INCI names; the label must state the salt on the certificate of analysis, never one for the other. In the CIR report survey (2012–2013, reported use levels, not recommendations): sodium cocoyl glutamate 0.004–10%, disodium cocoyl glutamate 0.02–3%. Butter-C's current ingredient list carries the disodium salt; one supplier's sodium salt contains propylene glycol, sodium chloride and free coconut fatty acid, which must be counted in the formula.
Glycinate: sodium cocoyl glycinate
Fine lather; CIR records rinse-off use at 0.2–20% (survey, not a recommendation). Clearly pH-sensitive: a 10% solution shows two apparent pKa steps at pH 6.9 and 4.5, and at about pH 5 it forms a gel network on its own (Chinelli et al., 2026). Glycinate precipitates more readily than sarcosinate when acid is added (Bordes et al., 2010), so a sarcosinate formula's pH range cannot be copied over.
Sarcosinate: sodium lauroyl sarcosinate
Less affected by hard water than soap. CIR (2021): safe when formulated to be non-irritating, but not to be used in products where N-nitroso compounds can form (avoid bronopol, 5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane, sodium nitrite); the group may enhance penetration of other ingredients. In the in vitro zein test, sarcosinate scored lower than SLS but higher than SLES (Bujak et al., 2020), so switching to sarcosinate does not automatically make a formula milder.
Co-surfactants
Cocamidopropyl betaine boosts foam and helps thickening (in a model solution, glycinate with betaine at 2 : 1 foamed faster; Li et al., 2025); require impurity data for amidoamine and DMAPA on the certificate of analysis, as these drive contact allergy. Decyl glucoside and lauryl glucoside are nonionic secondary surfactants (C12 lauryl glucoside gives more stable foam than C10); alkyl glucosides are documented contact allergens and often cross-react.
Humectants and chelators
Glycerin, betaine (trimethylglycine, not cocamidopropyl betaine) and panthenol for after-wash feel, judged by sensory testing. Glycinate is sensitive to Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺: a chelator (tetrasodium glutamate diacetate or disodium EDTA) protects foam and clarity in hard water.
Key technical points
pH, clarity and viscosity must be fixed together
This is where an amino acid cleanser differs from a sulfate cleanser: the water-loving head is a carboxylate group, so pH decides whether the surfactant stays dissolved, and the familiar trick of thickening with salt no longer works.
Why the system is pH-sensitive
As pH falls, the carboxylate group picks up a proton and shifts toward the poorly soluble acid form; glutamates precipitate when acid is added (Bordes et al., 2009, model compounds). No published pH–clarity curve exists for sodium cocoyl glutamate itself, and the software-calculated pKa (about 3.5) does not reflect a concentrated micellar system. Each formula therefore gets its own pH–clarity–viscosity curve, including at low temperature; free fatty acid in the raw material can also cloud the product at low pH (inference, to be checked on small batches).
“Skin pH” is not automatically milder
In a controlled forearm application study, systems based mainly on anionic surfactants at “skin pH” could cause more dryness and irritation than the same system at neutral pH (Hawkins et al., 2021; two of three authors from one company). On the other hand, a pH 10 solution swells the stratum corneum (Ananthapadmanabhan et al., 2004). The pH is therefore set by system stability and tolerance results, not by a default 5.5.
Thickening differently from sulfate systems
Amino acid–based systems do not thicken with salt the way sulfate systems do (Vu et al., 2021). Supported routes: nonionic or amphoteric co-surfactants that grow wormlike micelles (Shrestha et al., 2008; Vu et al., 2021, where sarcosinate viscosity peaks in a narrow pH window), polymer thickeners (acrylates copolymer, xanthan gum) or PEG-120 methyl glucose dioleate. Acrylates copolymer needs neutralizing, so the polymer's pH range must overlap the surfactant's.
Hard water, low temperature and preservation
Glycinate is sensitive to calcium and magnesium ions; glutamate tolerated calcium better than aminomalonate and aspartate in a laboratory series (Bordes et al., 2009). Test for crystallization and haze at low temperature and through freeze–thaw cycling. Near neutral pH, sodium benzoate/potassium sorbate lose efficacy, so phenoxyethanol/ethylhexylglycerin is chosen (phenoxyethanol ≤ 1%, ASEAN Annex VI) with a preservative efficacy (challenge) test to ISO 11930.
Three formulation directions
Three kinds of amino acid cleanser
Clear gel cleanser
Glutamate or sarcosinate with betaine and glucoside, thickened with polymer; clarity is the key parameter, including when cold. For normal, combination and oily skin.
Opaque cream cleanser with rich lather
Glycinate as the primary surfactant, glycol distearate for a pearlescent look; it can use the way glycinate thickens at lower pH, but must show no separation or precipitation through accelerated aging.
Low-foam cleanser with low total surfactant
Less surfactant, more glycerin and betaine, thickened with xanthan; a light clean feel. A dry-skin positioning can only say “gentle” or “no tight feeling” once the finished product has been tested.
Packaging is designed with the formula
A tube needs enough viscosity not to run when squeezed, a pump bottle less; a ready-foam pump needs a near-water-thin solution (see the foaming cleanser page). A clear bottle shows every trace of haze, so choose one only after the system passes low-temperature testing.
Parameters we monitor
What our R&D team measures on every sample
Below are the parameters Butter-C tracks during formula development and scale-up to production. Specific limits are agreed with you on the approved sample, then written into the product's in-house specification.
- Appearance & clarity
- Color, odor, clarity or even opacity; checked at room temperature and at low temperature against a reference sample kept in R&D.
- pH–clarity–viscosity curve
- Built for each formula during development; used to choose the target pH and the allowed pH range in the in-house specification.
- pH
- Measured neat or on a 10% solution at 25°C; pH drift tracked across stability time points, as clarity and viscosity follow pH.
- Viscosity
- Rotational viscometer, spindle and speed recorded; tied to the tube or pump bottle.
- Foam height & stability
- Ross–Miles or a fixed in-house method, including hard water; a “fine lather” claim relies on these figures.
- Stability
- Accelerated aging at 40°C, freeze–thaw cycling, cold storage; watch for crystallization, haze, separation and pH drift.
- Impurities per raw-material certificate of analysis
- Sodium chloride, free fatty acid, propylene glycol (glutamate); amidoamine and DMAPA (betaine); for sarcosinate, ask the supplier for free sarcosine and nitrosamine data.
- Microbiology & challenge test
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; preservative efficacy (challenge) test to ISO 11930.
- Tolerance & eye irritation testing
- Tested on volunteers before claiming “gentle” or “no tight feeling”. Sodium cocoyl glutamate at 5% scored as a strong irritant in the HET-CAM test (per CIR), so a face cleanser that can reach the eyes needs eye irritation assessment on the finished product.
Claims
Claims for an amino acid–based cleanser
A facial cleanser is a rinse-off product; “amino acid” names the surfactant base, not a conditioning ingredient. Ingredient-specific mildness data are mostly supplier figures in the CIR report or studies on multi-ingredient products, so mildness wording rests on tests of the finished product. Annex 03-MP of Circular 06/2011/TT-BYT lists claims that go beyond cosmetic scope and are not accepted. Butter-C reviews label and marketing wording when preparing the notification dossier.
Cleanses dirt and excess sebum from the skin
Instead of: detoxifies skin, deep pore cleansing, acts on bacteria.
Amino acid–based cleansing agents, sulfate-free (a description of the formula)
Instead of: supplies amino acids to the skin, sulfates are toxic. “Sulfate-free” only when the formula contains no alkyl sulfates or alkyl ether sulfates.
Gentle cleansing, no tight feeling after washing (once tested on the finished product)
Instead of: non-irritating, the gentlest, safe for every skin, for sensitive skin before testing.
Product pH (state the figure when measured on the finished product)
Instead of: skin-balancing pH, perfect physiological pH; “skin-like pH” does not mean milder.
Fatty acids of plant (coconut) origin, when the supplier provides documentation
Instead of: natural, coconut extract; the final molecule is a synthesis product.
Warnings and directions
Avoid contact with eyes; stop use if irritation occurs. No case reports were found for sodium cocoyl glutamate or sodium cocoyl glycinate specifically, but there are cases with a related compound (sodium stearoyl glutamate) and rare ones with sarcosinate; betaine and glucosides have documented contact allergy, so anyone allergic to surfactants should read the ingredient list.
Manufacturing specifications
Our capabilities
- Product forms
- Clear gel, opaque cream cleanser, low-foam cleanser; glutamate, glycinate or sarcosinate systems.
- Pack formats
- Tube, pump bottle. Volume agreed when choosing packaging.
- Minimum order quantity
- Agreed per order, depending on the surfactant system and pack format chosen.
- Testing
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory, with a certificate of analysis delivered with every batch.
- Documentation
- Product Information File (PIF) and cosmetic product notification dossier prepared by Butter-C, with certificates of analysis for the surfactants stating % active.
- Packaging
- Label design, printing and packing run in parallel with formula development.
Suggested product concept
Clear amino acid gel cleanser for normal and combination skin
A concept to help you picture the product, not a ready-made product for sale. The actual formula is developed around your brand's positioning and price point.
Glutamate–betaine–glucoside system
Disodium cocoyl glutamate with cocamidopropyl betaine and decyl glucoside; fine medium lather, “sulfate-free” on the label.
Polymer-thickened
Acrylates copolymer neutralized within the pH range fixed by the pH–clarity–viscosity curve; salt is not the main thickening tool.
Glycerin, betaine, panthenol
Humectants for after-wash feel; “no tight feeling” only with sensory testing on volunteers.
150 ml pump bottle, fragrance-free
A pump suits gel viscosity; leaving out fragrance removes one source of allergens from the ingredient list.
Customization options
What you can specify
The same product type can target very different customers. Tell us your requirements in the areas below and our pharmacists will develop the formula accordingly.
Primary surfactant
Glutamate, glycinate or sarcosinate: decides lather, clarity, pH range and the name on the ingredient list.
Texture
Clear gel, pearlescent cream or low-foam; tied to the thickening system.
Co-surfactants
With or without glucosides and betaine; worth weighing for users with known allergy to them.
Added actives
Actives that need low pH (exfoliating acids) are tested separately, as carboxylate systems may cloud or precipitate at low pH.
Fragrance and color
Fragrance-free or lightly scented; fragrance often shifts clarity and viscosity and must be retested.
Ingredient positioning
Sulfate-free, vegan, paraben-free: please tell us at the start so we can choose ingredients and supplier documentation to match.
Further reading
Related reading
Sodium cocoyl glutamate in cosmetics
Sodium vs disodium salts, pH-dependent solubility, thickening, mildness data and the CIR conclusion (in Vietnamese).
Sodium cocoyl glycinate in cosmetics
Why glycinate cleansers are often not at pH 5.5, and the mildness data available (in Vietnamese).
Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate in cosmetics
Viscosity versus pH, the CIR nitrosamine caveat and ASEAN rules (in Vietnamese).
Types of foaming agents
The four surfactant classes and why “sulfate-free” or “pH 5.5” is not automatically mild (in Vietnamese).
Facial cleanser manufacturing
General principles of surfactant systems, conditioning phase and pH in facial cleansers.
Gel cleanser manufacturing
Thickening while keeping clarity, the common challenge of gel cleansers.
How we work
From idea to finished batch
Eight steps and three milestones signed off by both sides: approved sample, notification number, finished batch. Step-by-step details (in Vietnamese) →
Get started
Tell us about the product you plan to launch
Send us your product direction and expected volume. Our team will get back to you during business hours (Vietnam time, GMT+7).
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