Preservative first toner and scrub - Chemists Corner

Formulating

Preservative first toner and scrub

Posted by gab_m33 on May 4, 2020 at 12:37 pm

Hi there

Im hoping for some advice here. I tried my first batch of my face toner the other day using a preservative (optiphen plus). I added it at 1% and it was the last ingredient to add. Unfortunately it forms this gross sticky film on the surface of my Beaker and was a nightmare to remove off my equipment (it became so tacky almost like superglue)

im not sure what’s happened as I’ve read that this preservative is water soluble but i wonder if that’s only up to a certain amount of water %?

My ingredient list is below. Please let me know if I’ve used the wrong type of preservative here.

Organic rose water 25%

Aloe Vera juice 16% (note this juice had its only preservatives in it so I don’t know if that’s affected it?)
Distilled water 50%

Orange blossom water 8%
Optiphen plus 1%

any advice would be super helpful as This is the first time making products with preservatives as I intend to sell.

I’d also appreciate any advice as to whether this preservative can be used for a body scrub that is anhydrous but will most likely come into contact with water. Have been reading up on Plantserv M as an alternative.

Thanks!!

gab_m33 replied 4 years, 4 months ago 2 Members · 4 Replies
4 Replies

Pharma

Member
May 4, 2020 at 6:41 pm

Optiphen plus should be soluble at 1%. However, the three constituents thereof are all not super well water soluble and it is therefore important to add it “drop by drop” under good stirring and only add more once the portion you just added has fully dissolved. Once it starts precipitating, you’ve lost the game.

However, Optiphen plus is quite heat tolerant, probably more than the rest of your ingredients… so, heating could be an option for other formulations.
gab_m33

Member
May 10, 2020 at 9:07 am

thanks for the advice. I tried again and warmed the formulation whilst adding it slowly and whisking quite quickly. It still went a bit hard and some stuck to the whisk. Does that mean I’ve lost that batch? I’ve added .75% this time.
Pharma

Member
May 10, 2020 at 12:32 pm

As long as you don’t know how much of what exactly you’ve lost, you can’t be sure whether or not your product is adequately preserved.
gab_m33

Member
May 10, 2020 at 11:41 pm

Ok. Do you know of an easier preservative to use? One that mixes well worth aqueous products and isn’t so temperamental? Can’t seem to get this one right.

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