Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Aluminium Oxide/Corundum - Micro crystal alternative

  • Aluminium Oxide/Corundum - Micro crystal alternative

    Posted by cossci21 on May 12, 2014 at 1:40 am

    Hello,

    I am looking for any creative ideas on a suitable exfoliant to use other than Aluminium Oxide. 
    Have been using Aluminium oxide in a product for many years, changed to a different contract manufacturer and the crystals managed to damage the tube filler (scratching internally, I assume based on the hardness).
    My client would still like to claim that the product has micro crystals. I was thinking of using Magnesium Oxide however it doesnt seem to be possible to import it into Australia even though it is listed.
    Any other ideas of exfoliants which are or can be called micro crystals?
    Thanks!
    cossci21 replied 10 years, 6 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
  • 2 Replies
  • Bobzchemist

    Member
    May 12, 2014 at 9:48 am
    Depends on how aggressively you are trying to exfoliate.

    One option would be to use toothpaste-grade silicates: http://www.hubermaterials.com/products/silica-and-silicates/dental-silicas.aspx. It is at least debatable whether precipitated silicates are in amorphous or crystalline forms.

    A more gentle option would be to form wax microcrystals in-situ, using something like polyethylene, for example.
    An intermediate option might be to use ground mica - but while mica platelets are clearly crystalline structures, you would need to decide yourself if grinding those crystals down to micron size made them “micro-crystals”
  • cossci21

    Member
    May 12, 2014 at 11:59 pm

    Hi Bobzchemist,

    Thankyou for that, it is a exfoliator used for the face so it is fairly gentle. I like the idea of the mica I will have a look around for that and see if its suitable.

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