| What is it? |
Poly Suga®Mulse D9 is a natural, biodegradable solubilizer made by Colonial Chem. It’s a great alternative to synthetic solubilizers like PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil and Polysorbate 20. It has an HLB of 12–14 and can also be used as a co-emulsifier in lotions and creams. |
| INCI |
Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer |
| Appearance |
Clear liquid |
| Usage rate |
2 – 8% in rinse-off products; 1 – 3% in leave-on products. How much you’ll need for your formulation will depend on what you’re trying to solubilize; you’ll always need more solubilizer than the ingredient(s) you’re solubilizing. |
| Scent |
Nothing terribly noticeable |
| Approximate Melting Point |
Liquid at room temperature. |
| pH |
6–8 (10% solution) |
| Charge |
Non ionic; “compatible with nonionic, cationic, and anionic surfactants“. |
| Solubility |
Freely water soluble |
| Why do we use it in formulations? |
Poly Suga®Mulse D9 will mix oil soluble ingredients like essential oils and fragrance oils into watery products like toners, liquid cleansers, and room sprays. My friend Ariane uses it in her bath bombs as a natural alternative to polysorbate 80. While Poly Suga®Mulse D9 does contain some water, it seems that it’s a small enough amount not to cause bath bombs to active prematurely. |
| Do you need it? |
No, but as of this writing it’s my preferred natural solubilizer. |
| Refined or unrefined? |
Poly Suga®Mulse D9 only exists as a refined product. |
| Strengths |
Great natural solubilizer with a low enough water content that it can be used in bath bombs without triggering the fizz reaction early. |
| Weaknesses |
It’s not as widely available as synthetic options. Depending on where you shop, it can be quite a bit more expensive than synthetic options. As of early 2025, Formulator Sample Shop sells 60g (2 oz) of Poly Suga®Mulse D9 for $15 USD vs. $8.20 USD for 125g (4.4oz) of PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil at Making Cosmetics, making Poly Suga®Mulse D9 roughly 4x the price of PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil. However, Muddy Soap Co. sells 10oz (280g) of Poly Suga®Mulse D9 for $12USD, and that’s cheaper than Making Cosmetics’ PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil. So, it’s definitely worth shopping around. Documentation from Colonial Chem (page 3) shows Poly Suga®Mulse D9 is a more effective solubilizer than PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil for at least four different essential oils by a fairly wide margin, though, so your mileage/costs may vary. |
| Alternatives & Substitutions |
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polysorbate 80, and Polysorbate 20 are good synthetic options. There are quite a few natural alternatives as well, including Tego® Solve 61, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, and FSS SuperSolv. Remember that solubilizer performance varies quite a lot; do not assume a 1-for-1 swap will work. Test to ensure you get good, clear results! |
| How to Work with It |
Pre-disperse your essential oil/fragrance oil in Poly Suga®Mulse D9, and then mix with water. Colonial Chem describes their solubilizer testing process as “Premixes of [essential] oil and solubilizer were added to DI water and mixed at 40°C for 5-10 minutes until a clear mixture was obtained.” |
| Storage & Shelf Life |
Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, Colonial Chem states “typical shelf life is 24 months from date of manufacture”. |
| Tips, Tricks, and Quirks |
Colonial Chem also makes Poly Suga®Mulse D6 (INCI: Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer). The INCI is identical, but the HLB is 8–10 (vs. 12–14), making it more of an emulsifier than solubilizer. Be wary when shopping for this ingredient on INCI alone as these two ingredients won’t perform identically. |
| Recommended starter amount |
60g (2 oz) |
| Where to Buy it |
Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier. I’ve found it at:
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Poly Suga®Mulse D9
Originally published on January 24, 2025