Table 1.

Independent Factors (at Their 2 Levels) and Dependent Variables in the Experimental 2³ Factorial Design

Factors	Levels
Independent factors	Level 1	Level 2
Guar gum (% w/v)	0.1	0.2
Boric acid (% w/v)	0.4	0.5
Carbopol® 940 (% w/v)	0.1	0.4
Dependent variables	Constraints
Gelling time	Minimum
Gel depot collapse time	Maximum
Rheology	Optimum (shear-thinning rheology)
Firmness	Maximum
Work of adhesion	Maximum