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TIA for helping me solve this puzzle!
I’ve been reading this amazing forum for several months but I’m a fairly new formulator and would love some help figuring this one out (I’ve searched for an answer here for a LONG time before posing this question…)
I’ve made an aloe and green tea toner that I love the look, feel and smell of (recipe below). Half of the batch is in a 64oz glass mason jar. The other half has been poured into 4oz glass spray bottles. the batch in the mason jar still looks the same after several weeks. However, the batch that is in the spray bottles has developed a white filmy/milky layer at the top. This layer developed after about a week of sitting in a dark storage room that I keep at 65 degrees. Upon shaking the bottles, the layer goes away and the entire solution appears hazy/cloudy, then eventually the layer returns.
I’ve microbe-checked the “questionable half” and there’s no growth. My pH meter is currently malfunctioning and I’m awaiting a new one, so I cannot give information on pH.
The glass spray bottles were sanitized with 95% ethanol then thoroughly dried, before the toner was poured into them.
This seems crazy to me, but is it possible that the residual ethanol that may have inadvertently attached itself to the bottle has caused this to happen? And if so, is there any way to get back to a clear solution or do I need to toss the batch?
THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP…I LOVE THIS FORUM!!!
MY RECIPE
86% Aloe Vera Juice
8% Glycerin
2% Green Tea Extract
2% Black Willow Bark Extract
1% Spearmint Essential Oil
0.99% Euxyl (Ethylhexylglycerin/Phenoxyethanol)
0.1% Organic Match Green Tea Powder (for color) -
3 Replies
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@Jennyk Can you make one sample without the Spearmint Essential Oil? I don’t see a solubilizer in your formula (Glycerin can work as a coupling agent, but is not as potent as a real solubilizer). Also, did you check the solubility of your Organic Match Green Tea Powder? how do you add it?
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@ketchito Thanks for your reply!
I was under the impression glycerin would work as a solubizer for such a low % of EO in water? The matcha tea seems to have dissolved just fine, and the color of the solution appears to be the same throughout with no “greenish” sediment (the very fine powder is a bright green). But I’ll definitely try experimenting with both of these possibilities, as I still have so much to learn and it couldn’t hurt.
However what’s puzzling me is why is 1/2 of the batch completely fine while the other isn’t?
If the problem was with the formulation, then both of the mason jars would have the same issue. This tiny little thing is driving me crazy! lol. -
Is your mason jar air tight sealed? Is there a chance your EO evaporated.
1% EO is not low, you can try 2% Tween20/0.15 Spearmint Oil.
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