Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Hydroquinone in Soap

  • Hydroquinone in Soap

    Posted by Ellatorias on May 11, 2016 at 10:54 pm

    Hello, I am Isabella. I’ve been producing cosmetics for 3 years now- soaps especially.
    When formulating bathing soap with Hydroquinone, of course it oxidizes and turns the bright coloured soap dark brown due to pH issues, etc. My questions:
    1. How do I stabilize this, or what do I do so that this discolouration will cease?
    2. Which other effective skin lightener could be used in this formulation au lieu de Hydroquinone?

    My formulation:
    35% Olive Oil
    27% Palm Oil
    20% Coconut oil
    5%   Castor Oil
    5%   Avocado Oil
    8%   Shea Butter

    38% Water
    Lye (5% discount)
    5% Fragrance Oil
    2% Hydroquinone

    Thank you 

    Ellatorias replied 7 years, 10 months ago 5 Members · 9 Replies
  • 9 Replies
  • belassi

    Member
    May 12, 2016 at 2:39 am

    No chance. Won’t work ever. Sorry.

  • Ellatorias

    Member
    May 12, 2016 at 5:49 am

    Thank you Belassi. Please what would work? Any other effective ingredient?

  • ashish

    Member
    May 12, 2016 at 9:25 am

    Antioxidants like Sodium sulfate & sodium metabisulphite can try and combination of Ascorbic acid with Hydroquinone is also a good option to try. In emulsion, acrylate copolymers work well with Hydroquinone to stop it’s oxidation but acrylates would not work here.

  • Ellatorias

    Member
    May 12, 2016 at 10:33 am

    Thank you Ashish. Even with 1% Sodium Sulphite & Sodium Metabisulphite it is still changing colour. Probably i’m doing something wrong.

  • bill_toge

    Member
    May 12, 2016 at 10:51 am

    the hydroquinone is polymerising due to the high pH and the high alkalinity of your product; the only way to stop that is either reformulate your product as a syndet bar (so it has a lower pH), or change the laws of thermodynamics

  • bobzchemist

    Member
    May 12, 2016 at 2:25 pm

    I agree with Bill. You won’t ever get this to work. Either go to a synthetic detergent (syndet) bar or make soap without skin lighteners. There is zero evidence that skin lighteners will work in soap anyway - I’m reasonably certain that they have to be applied to skin in a lotion and left on for a considerable length of time in order to work at all.

  • Ellatorias

    Member
    May 21, 2016 at 9:18 pm

    Thank you immensely Bill_Toge and Bobzchemist. I appreciate your responses. @ Bill_Toge i’m just at the verge of changing the law of thermodynamics :) 🙂 Just watch out.

  • belassi

    Member
    May 21, 2016 at 9:57 pm

    Another member of our test panel just reported good fading of melasma spots due to the vitamin C / glycrhizzic acid test formula. As Bob said, you need a product that is absorbed into the skin. Rinse off products are almost useless.

  • Ellatorias

    Member
    May 22, 2016 at 6:58 am

    Yes you are right, rinse off products are not as effective when it comes to skin lightening. Thank you Belassi.

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