Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Skin formulation

  • belassi

    Member
    October 26, 2016 at 5:36 pm

    What ingredients? Where are you?

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    October 26, 2016 at 6:00 pm

    I’m in Florida.   I want to work with black seed oil including green tea extract  sweet almond oil etc 

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    October 26, 2016 at 6:01 pm

    I’m also interested in pearl powder or pearl extract not sure the difference ? 

  • belassi

    Member
    October 26, 2016 at 6:02 pm

    Pearl powder has no therapeutic value.

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    October 26, 2016 at 9:57 pm

    How’s that possible as far as pearl powder ? 
    How about black seed oil green tree extract rose esential oil and sweet almond oil.  Your thoughts on those ingredients please ?  

  • belassi

    Member
    October 26, 2016 at 10:21 pm

    Pearl powder is merely a fancy form of calcium carbonate or chalk. Black seed oil? Which particular seed? Green tea extract is good but anything more than 0.2% gives a very deep colour and the colour depends on pH and oxidation. Sweet almond oil is just a carrier oil.
    It would be much more useful to know what you hope to achieve and leave the formulator to come up with ingredients that will get the result. In fact, what exactly is it that you want to achieve?

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    October 27, 2016 at 12:32 am

    Well black seed oil is one of ingredients I’d like to incorporate.  I’m leaving looking for an overall skin serum or cream that can hydrate lighten dark spots tighten and help with fighting free radicals 

  • belassi

    Member
    October 27, 2016 at 3:50 am

    But, what is “black seed oil”? There are many seeds that are black. Onion seed for example. Anyway what you want is:
    1. Hydration
    2. Lighten (anti melanocyte)
    3. antioxidant
    If this is what you need, then providing you don’t need a local supplier, message me. I might be able to provide that.

  • Chemist77

    Member
    October 27, 2016 at 4:29 am

    Nigella sativa is black seed @Belassi 

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    October 27, 2016 at 3:22 pm

    Yes Nigelia sativa is what I mean 
    sweet almond oil 
    aloe Vera 
    rose essential oil 
    green tea 
    sodium hyalaronate     These are what I’m wanting to work with but non chemical forms of these and cold pressed of course but too many formulating labs on line and I’m looking for a reputable one that can deliver quality and not just take my money.   

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    October 27, 2016 at 3:26 pm

    What do you do ?  @Belassi 

  • belassi

    Member
    October 27, 2016 at 4:10 pm

    What I do is formulate … you’re going to scare any formulator away if you use terms like “non chemical” - everything is a chemical other than a vacuum and even then there are virtual particles. What you describe is a hydration cream, there are many people here who can formulate that. Nothing difficult. If you were looking to use unstable, hard to preserve ingredients, that would be more of a problem.

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    October 27, 2016 at 4:18 pm

    Lol.   I guess I meant the cleanest form of that ingredient is what I was trying to say 
    where do I go bcz I’ve seen tons of formulators here and on line.   Bcz I want my ingredients to work synergetistically with one another 

  • belassi

    Member
    October 27, 2016 at 4:23 pm

    See if you can find a local person because sensorials are key and you don’t want to be sending products back and forth by courier. Check the list on this site, first. Obviously what you want is the kind of thing I design all the time but I’m across the border so not a logical choice.

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    October 27, 2016 at 4:31 pm

    Well I live in a small city in central Florida 

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    October 27, 2016 at 4:32 pm

    Not sure who I can get that can help me out 
    I can mix up the ingredients myself but I still need guidance and professional assistance 
    bcz I’ll need preservatives as well I’m sure 

  • Microformulation

    Member
    October 27, 2016 at 5:46 pm

    Time to hire a Consultant.

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    October 27, 2016 at 6:00 pm

    Well please fill me in @Microformulation 

  • Microformulation

    Member
    October 27, 2016 at 6:11 pm

    Knowing specific ingredients is just a sliver of designing a Formula. If you freely admit you are ignorant in preservation, you are easily 2 years of practical experience away from producing a safer, consistent, elegant and effective Formulation.

    As others will surely weigh-in, you are overly simplifying the total process. Don’t discount the Dunning-Kruger effect and it’s impact in Formulating.

    As @Belassi most properly pointed out, the term Chemical-free is an indicator. Also, it would be helpful to sharpen your Marketing on what “natural” would mean. Also, craft attainable and clear marketing bench marks. They are currently diffuse and disconnected.

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    October 27, 2016 at 6:25 pm

    Please leave me your contact info    I have worked in skin care but no I don’t know a whole lot on formulation and I do need guidance bcz I want a quality effective product @Microformulation 

  • belassi

    Member
    October 27, 2016 at 6:55 pm

     Dunning-Kruger effect - yes that was definitely me, 5 years ago. I’ve learned enough to know there are areas I need to avoid. Such as sun protection or peels or colour cosmetics.

  • Microformulation

    Member
    October 27, 2016 at 7:06 pm

    I am glad you see the value in the message. Many novice Cosmetics people will underestimate the difficulty of the process and see any reminder as threatening. It is not.

    First, refine what “natural” means. If you leave it undefined you will not have a clear benchmark by which to vet raw materials. You will either be too lenient and “greenwash” or more likely you will adopt such a strict fear based non-science based definition that you will hobble yourself in attaining the performance which you need.

    Ultimately if you wanted to be most credible, you would follow a Natural standard and get your Product Certified under this standard. Perry has done several great posts and presentations on these standards I would refer you to. However, for many line the added cost and administration of attaining this certification is too great at first. In these cases I will urge my clients to adopt a “Raw Material Statement.” This statement will address some of the avoided raw materials based upon Marketing and rarely on hard Science. For example, parabens. The Scientific bias against parabens has been dis-proven but the Marketing bias exists and needs to be addressed. For example “XYZ Cosmetics avoids parabens, Formaldehyde donors,…….and uses plant based materials to deliver effective and safe skincare.” Notice I didn’t use toxic. Fear doesn’t quite sell as well as many believe.

    Next, google the FDA Definition of a Cosmetic and make it a poster. This is your guidance in marketing and when making claims for a Cosmetic, refer back to this poster. If your claims are unrealistic or over-reaching you will have associated issues. Too unrealistic and you are selling snake oil. Too over-reaching and you will face FDA censure.  Select realistic buzzwords such as “moisturizing, lightening, etc.” THEN ACHIEVE THESE GOALS WITH INTELLIGENT RAW MATERIAL SELECTION! A cool sounding or intriguing ingredient may not always be the best when you look at the overall product.

    These steps are key to the Product Development. The Product Development summary will give the Chemist the “work order” for what he needs to Formulate and will also give the Marketer the start of your “story.” Keep in mind that rarely can you be effective both as your Formulator and your Sales/Marketing team. Be realistic about your strengths. If you are like me and love the Technical side, get a partner. In that case you will do 90% Technical and 10% Sales/Marketing. If you are properly a Sales/Businessperson, you will do 10% Technical (participating in the Product Development) and 90% Sales, Invoices, Marketing, etc. A successful line can’t realistically do both and must delegtae out their weak side to an appropriate party.

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    October 28, 2016 at 1:37 am

    Thanks for your input @Microformulation 

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    October 28, 2016 at 1:37 am

    Any suggestions as far as a reliable skin formulating lab ?  

  • Microformulation

    Member
    October 28, 2016 at 1:45 am

    Look in the pinned post “Looking for Formulation Services.” We do exactly that, but their are numerous other clients as well. Talk to several (I do an hour free initial call) and feel them out. In the end select whomever best works with your Business model.

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