-
Formulation advice desperately needed
I would be ENORMOUSLY grateful for some help. I am not a formulator or someone looking to sell cosmetics. Just a home consumer who desperately needs to DIY a very simple product to aid me with a skin issue. I need to get hydration into my skin and have found the best way of doing is to spray a very simply soothing hydrating mist onto my skin and then apply moisturiser on top. A dermatologist has been making me such a tonic but I can no longer afford her astronomical prices for very simple products (which I don’t believe are even preserved!)
I wish to make a hydration spray and my proposed recipe is:
74% Deionized water
7% Vegemoist (glycine betaine)
10% glycerine
5% licorice root extract
(preservative system: 2% Leucidal SF/2% Coconut Amticide)(My licorice root extract is a liquid from Lotioncrafters: http://www.lotioncrafter.com/licorice-root-extract.html)
I have got sterile tools and a clean area to do this but understand it is best to do this by weight rather than volume. Would someone be so very kind as to explain how this would be best done? I am utterly mathematically challenged. Also, any issues with this formula?
I know forum members are far more advanced than me and I apologise for my sheer ignorance, I’m pretty desperate! Huge thanks in advance!
-
33 Replies
-
It would be very useful if they had quoted the % glycrrhizic acid in the licorice extract, because licorice can be quite tricky in a variety of applications. However, they say “pale brown liquid” which is somewhat dilute, perhaps 0.5% (powder extract at 12% is a dark mustard, dark brown and gluey in water) so, ok, 5% of that will be fine.
Making this is simple. It is just proportional to 100. So, if you don’t already have a decent set of scales, go on EBay where you can find a small scale capable of say 2Kg in increments of 0.1g for around $15.
Say you want to make 100 grams of your spray. (2 x 50mL spray bottles)
It’s simply
74g water
7g Vegemoist
10g glycerine
5g root extract
2g/2g preservativeJust mix everything together at room temperature and put in spray bottles.
-
If you want to go one step further, you could add 2% of Proteasyl. Our customers love the cream we make with this.
-
One of these scales should work well for what you need to do:
http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/my-weigh-triton-t2-xl-1000.html -
I can’t even begin to thank you guys! If I could buy you a beer I would! Really nice of you to take the time to help. This makes it a great deal more clear to me! THANK YOU!
-
Making larger batches than 100g is equally simple - for 200 grams multiply quantities by 2, for 400 multiply by 4, etc.
-
Thank you Bob! It all seems rather obvious now, I’m relieved and have purchased the scales you suggsted.
Proteasyl looks interesting, I am in the U.K so buy my goodies online. Can anyone recommend a source?
-
Hi ……., I really need advise on this formula that I’ve created. Is there anything that can be take off from this formula? This is actually a multipurpose Cleaner. Or else please modify the % for me? Thanks.
Purifed Water 54%
Soda ash 4%
STPP 10%
Sodium Metasilicate 10%
LABS 20%
Isopropyl Alcohol 0.4%
DMDM 0.1%
Perfume 0.5%
PDV Salt 1% -
@nhag77 - What do you want to modify about the formula? What are you trying to accomplish by “taking something off from the formula”?
-
@nhag77 This needs to be a new thread. It is not remotely associated with the original.
-
Agree with @johnb and that’s why I refrained from commenting.
-
Obviously @nhag77‘s needs aren’t as urgent as claimed!
-
Yikes, hijacked!
I’ll whip it back onto topic by saying that I just received all the factors needed for this recipe, including a set of shiny new scales as per your recommendation. I just wanted to say thank you to you kind gentlemen once again for so very graciously helping me out. I am now ready to proceed with full confidence thanks to you all! -
Hi Guys,
I am having a bit of a nightmare! My Triton scales keep turning off after about 30 odd seconds or so. Is this a normal battery saving function as it’s driving me utterly nuts! I’m trying to do some of the smaller liquid measurements by the drop for accuracy and its a ridiculous race against time! The instructions say they turn off after 2 minutes of inactivity but I’m actively using them when they shut off and it doesn’t seem like 2 minutes!
Ahhh, there is a damn fine reason we should leave these things to the cosmetic chemists!
Kind thanks!
-
No switch to defeat that function?
-
Unfortunately not. None that I can see. Can anyone recommend a set of scales that specifically doesn’t do this? I’m in the uk but seem to be able to find most stuff online.
-
Did you ask the folks over at Triton?
-
I bought it on Amazon. I will shoot them off a message.
-
The last one I bought has a defeat switch and also a power adaptor for ac operation. Always check specs before buying.
-
They are allowing me to return the scales and I have bought a nice new set complete with power adapter. Problem solved.
Anyway, I made the recipe and it came out pretty much as planned, my skin loves it.
However, upon further reading I feel I should probably abandon my preservative system and get hold of something a bit more trustworthy? I have found a preservative here in the uk which is basically Phenoxyethanol in a base of Caprylyl Glycol. Suggested usage rate is 0.5 - 1.5% Any thoughts on this?
Would it be overkill to to add an EDTA to this recipe? As I understand it there is a very low degree of heavy metals present in the Vegemoist (Betaine.) It will be kept in the fridge and used up in around three months max, so not sitting on a shelf in a store for months on end or anything! However I want to make sure I create something a safe and stable for myself as possible.
I have been mixing this all up cold. Would it also be advisable to heat and hold the water vegemoist and glycerine to 75 degrees for 20 minutes or would this, again, be overkill? Perhaps I could just give the deionised water a thorough boiling?
I wish there was such a thing as an electric bain marie with a thermostat to make the heat and hold phase simpler and I can’t find a simple device of this type online. I’m unsure of how to get my stove to accurately heat and hold! Any tips would be much appreciated.
I’m making much of this tiny recipe aren’t I! I like to get things right!! Thanks guys.
-
Well, what kind of budget do you have for a heated water bath?
http://www.globalscientificsupply.com/product/polyscience-wb02a11b-general-purpose-water-bath-2-liter?gclid=CjwKEAiA6OnFBRDcgt7YmPKI33ESJACJoTJYNdsnOw31dYY51E_lBuXncnBV2djRbph0tDMIMi9T-RoCkLvw_wcB -
It’s easy to find hotplates with thermostats. I have one. You don’t really have to use a water bath. I use a heat resistant mat between the hotplate and whatever I am heating. I find the thermostat allows me to heat it slowly and can also maintain the temperature where I want it.
-
Excellent suggestions from you both! You are both a wealth of knowledge. I would rather spend a bit of money on a set up which will make life easier for me in the long term than mess around over the kitchen stove! That never feels hygienic. I have set aside a room to act as a little lab.
How about my proposed preservative? Phenoxyethanol in a base of caprylyl glycol at 0.5%? Is this acceptable on its own? And finally should I just bite the bullet and add a chelator due to the heavy metals in the veg moist or unnecessary?
Kindest thanks!
-
Right! I have purchased myself a lab hotplate and heatproof mat, absolutely perfect!
Bob, Belassi, would either of you guys be for hire to write me absolute idiot proof step-by-step instructions? I still have some questions in regards to a few things now I am adding heat. I also want to settle on an excellent preservative system that remains gentle to the skin.
-
Preservatives depend on what you can get. I use KEM NAT but it’s $80/kilo.
-
Thanks Belassi. I have access to any of these:
- A blend of phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol and chlorophenesin
- Phenoxyethanol in an emollient base of Caprylyl Glycol
- phonexythanol and Ethylhexlglycerin
Log in to reply.