-
Brightening serum with NAG, MAP, Arbutin changes colour
Hello everybody!
A brightening serum I made changed its colour to orange. I believe it happened after I added N-Acetyl Glucosamine. I selected these ingredients because they all are water soluble (t-resveratrol is a liquid) and do not have conflicting pHs (all are 6 to 7) I made the same formula without NAG before and it didn’t change colour. The texture and feel did not change. May I kindly ask you to comment on whether the change of colour signalises about an oxidation or it is safe to use? Thank you very much in advance.
Original formula:
Aqua - 78%
Vitamin C (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate) - 2%
Alpha-Arbutin - 2%
N-Acetyl Glucosamine - 3%
Hyaluronic Acid SLMW - 0.5%
Niacinamide - 6%
Hyaluronic acid HML - 0.5%
Allantoin - 0.5%
Propanediol 1,3 - 5%
T-Resveratrol Fluid (by makingcosmetics) - 1%
Dimethyl Isosorbide - 0.5%
Paraben DU (by makingcosmetics) - 0.5%
pH of the formula is 6.
-
26 Replies
-
Please tell me where you got this T resveratrol LIQUID. T-Resveratrol is soluble in water at 3mg/100mL, which is 0.003% soluble… someone is selling you magic water I fear.
-
@Belassi I agree with you, resveratrol is not soluble in water. T-Resveratrol Fluid is sold by makingcosmetics.com. They dissolve it in propylene glycol. I am not sure how much of actual resveratrol is there, I bought it a while ago when I just started formulating and didn’t have much knowledge. I recently ordered resveratrol powder and will be dissolving it in Propanediol (as the supplier recommends). Regarding percentages, The Ordinary has a product that consists of only three ingredients: Resveratrol -3%, Ferulic Acid - 3% and Propanediol, so I believe you can achieve a higher concentration in water if dissolve it in propylene glycol, or propanediol first.
-
I have tried this product in a pinch, but it is not very stable. INCI: PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, propylene glycol, resveratrol -
@Microformulation did you experience any change of colour with it? I am wondering if I should just exclude it at all. My serum works, but since it is loaded with active ingredients, I don’t know what is exactly responsible for the effect.
-
Did you use Kojic Acid or Kojic Acid Dipalmitate? The dipalmitate form is more stable. The Resveratrol did turn carrot orange over time.
-
@Microformulation, I have never used it because I read that it tends to oxidise over time. Also, I can’t find the required pH for in the supplier’s site (makingcosmetics). I use the ingredients with the same required pH for this formula. Please let me know if you have any experience with it.
-
I tried L-Resveratrol (a crystalline solid) but solubility in anything is a nightmare. In the end I just dispersed it in the oil phase of an emulsion. I can’t say I noticed any benefits.
-
@Belassi I recently ordered T-Resveratrol from lotioncrafter. They claim it’s very good quality (fine particles) and sourced naturally. I disperced it in glycerine and added to a lotion (1%). There’s no powdery feel at all, but this method will not work for a clear serum. I will let you know if I manage to dissolve it in Propanediol. Also I have a reason to believe that to achieve 1% concentration with the liquid sold by making cosmetics, you should add 10% of it to your product. I don’t recommend it though because you will compromise the texture of the final product.
-
Also I have a reason to believe that to achieve 1% concentration with the liquid sold by making cosmetics, you should add 10% of it to your product.
- Agreed. It must be a low-concentration product. My own policy is only to buy pure items; if when I test them I find it’s impossible to use them because of issues such as solubility, well, that’s just experience I needed to gather. My best candidate recently, is DMAE. -
I agree regarding pure items. I bought many unnecessary products such as this liquid, algae extract that doesn’t do anything and licorice root extract (that destroys the texture of any lotion) when I just started formulating. I read controversial things about DMAE. To maintain the efficacy and stability of DMAE, the product’s pH level must be at least 10 which obviously isn’t good for skin.
-
Sorry, I meant DMAE tartrate which works fine at pH 7.
-
Do you really need the N-Acetyl Glucosamine, T-Resveratrol Fluid,Dimethyl Isosorbide? Seems like your formulation is fine without it especially if it didn’t turn orange.
-
@GreenFrog I agree that T-Resveratrol Fluid is not required. Regarding N-Acetyl Glucosamine, I believe it should stay. It is a hyaluronic acid precursor and most importantly it works synergetically with Niacinamide (researches prove it). I am not sure about Dimethyl Isosorbide, but I noticed that some producers (for example The Ordinary) add it to the products containing Niacinamide (and some other activities) to pass stratum corneum and deliver Niacinamide deeper. I would appreciate if someone can comment on it. Btw anticipating questions I need hyaluronic acid there too, but not for it’s moisturizing properties. It’s my gelling agent. Because no polymer will hold this concentration of actives.
-
Just an update. I excluded T-Resveratrol from the formula and the color doesn’t change. Observed since August 14.
-
Reading this, I decided to alert u to what I intend to use for my vitamin c serum, I want it to be choke full of antioxidants, pine bark extract, licorice root extract, guava leaves extract, sandalwood powder extract, neem leaf extract, a teeny bit of Matcha and regular green tea extract, ascorbic acid, goji berry 4000mg liquid, Hyaluronic acid, allantoin, niacinamide and I’m thinking should I add ferulic acid but since it dissolves in alcohol and this might be drying, should I just skip it?
I would like to add vitamin e as well and a bit of glycerin but thinking they won’t mix well with water… How do I go about this?
Also do I mix both germall plus and phynoxyethanol as preservatives since it is water based . .is this line of ingredients ideal or would it be a waste of time or what ingredients should I tweak and what should I add… More as a stable antioxidant. thanks.
-
Ferulic acid and vitamin E are great. Vitamin C isn’t stable if it’s L-Ascorbic Acid, use a derivative like magnesium ascorbyl phosphate. To mix oil and water, add an emulsifier.
-
@ngarayeva001 I can only get L’ascorbic acid here in Nigeria hence my adding goji berry liquid.. .I hope goji is stable to work with when preservatives is added?
Also, adding e-wax to a vitamin c serum, is that ideal plus e-wax works at hot phase and I don’t think heating vitamin e oil is good since it could degrade it or what do u think?
Then adding two kinds of preservatives, germall plus and phynoxyethanol, is this okay?
Lastly, mixing ferulic acid with alcohol, can I use rubbing alcohol? And when I add phynoxyethanol, hope it won’t be too much?
-
L-Ascorbic Acid is one of the least stable ingredients. I have no experience with extracts and can not comment on it. If rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol, then it’s not the one that should be used in skincare.
-
Thanks @ngarayeva001 what about goji berry liquid, know anything about it’s stability?
-
Also what alcohol is ideal for skincare and using ewax in a serum, does that make sense? Especially when Hyaluronic acid powder would be added and heating vitamin e oil isn’t cool
-
1) What is ewax? There are hundreds of them. INCI please.
2) As per my observation most commercial brands use alcohol denat. What is a purpose of alcohol in this product?
3) Vitamin E can tolerate 70C for a short period of time. Most of waxes and oils melt at 70C.
4) Post the entire formula. It is all a “theory” without details. -
@Majman formula with INCI names not “ewax”.
-
@ngarayeva001ewax is emulsifying wax and the alcohol is to dissolve the ferulic acid and I listed the ingredients I want to use above. Thanks for your help.
-
There are hundreds of emulsifying waxes… What is INCI?
-
I’m a newbie so don’t know much about INCI but I know it looks like clear cowpeas
Log in to reply.