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Why arent the lake dyes completely blending?
I am creating liquid to matte lipstick. The formula is fine but when I take the want out the bottle you see clumps of blue & yellow dye (the colors i used) like it is not completely blending in the formula. Do I need to make the lake dyes in oil first? I am mixing the color in with isodedane and dimethicone…..
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5 Replies
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Lakes and dyes are NOT the same thing. First, a lake is a dye that has been turned into an insoluble pigment. It won’t dissolve. Not in water, or in oil. Ever.
Second, dyes are a usually a Bad Thing in lipsticks. It is difficult/impossible to control their color intensity on the lips, and if the lips themselves actually get dyed? IT WON”T COME OFF!Third, dry pigments come already clumped/agglomerated. They need to be wetted AND de-agglomerated. You can buy pigment dispersions that are have been already wetted and de-agglomerated for you, or you can do it yourself.If you do it yourself, there are more things you have to be aware of. To begin with, it takes a LOT of shear force to do this properly - you’re going to need either a roller mill, a ball mill, or an Omni-mixer. Possibly a Cowles Dissolver. But otherwise, not even a Silverson homogenizer is strong enough.Next, even if you have successfully wetted and de-agglomerated your pigments, if your carrier fluid isn’t viscous/suspending enough, the pigments will settle and re-agglomerate. And yes, that will mean that you have to mill them all over again before you can use them.Lastly, even completely wetted and milled dispersions need to be mixed thoroughly, or you will not have uniform color.Without more data about your formulation and process, I can’t say for sure what’s going wrong with your particular formula, though. -
I think I have just decided to never try designing lipstick.
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@Belassi I am sure this sounds a bit too much but once you have mastered the art, color cosmetics is a very creative field. But yeah @Bobzchemist explains it wonderfully and I absolutely enjoy his insight on color cosmetics and his perfectly balanced approach.
I did it for 6 years and honestly it is challenging and taxing at the same time. -
My primary point is that if you’re going to try making colored lip products, and you’re not planning on formulating for years to come, just buy the pre-made dispersions. It’s way too much work to make them yourself.
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Great article on general concepts of Lip Stick Formulation in this months Cosmetics and Toiletries. You may need to be registered to get the full text but that is pretty easy; http://www.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/research/chemistry/premiumLipsticks-How-They-Have-Changed-and-Where-They-Are-Going-239944541.html
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