A substantially boron-free method for making a cationic guar comprises reacting particles of polysaccharide with a derivatizing agent to produce derivatized polysaccharide particles, washing the derivatized polysaccharide particles, and contacting, prior to or after the washing step, the particles with a glyoxal compound in order to crosslink the derivatized polysaccharide particles. Also disclosed are methods for making crosslinked derivatized polysaccharides, comprising (a) contacting particles of a polysaccharide with a titanium compound in an aqueous medium having an alkaline pH under conditions appropriate to intra-particulately crosslink the particles (b) reacting, prior to or after the step of contacting the particles of polysaccharide with the titanium compound, the particles of polysaccharide with a derivatizing agent under conditions appropriate to produce derivatized polysaccharide particles (c) washing the titanium crosslinked and derivatized particles (d) contacting, concurrently with or after the step of washing the titanium crosslinked and derivatized particles, such particles with an aqueous medium having an acidic pH under conditions appropriate to substantially de-crosslink the particles and (e) contacting, concurrently with or after step (d), the de-crosslinked particles with a glyoxal compound under conditions appropriate to intra-particulately crosslink the particles. The crosslinked cationic guar of the present invention is especially useful in home and personal care formulations, especially formulations comprising silicone since it improves silicone deposition.
