Hydroquinone in Soap - Chemists Corner

Tagged: cosmetics, formulation, skincare, soap, surfactant

Formulating

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 8 years, 6 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.