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Feedback on my leave-in conditioner formula
Hi
I had a chemist create this formula for my company, but when making it, it turns out very runny and came out wrong. Would you be able to tell if the formula is wrong?
Thank you.De-ionized water 76.3%
Rose hydrosol 10
Hydrolysed wheat 2
D-panthenol 2
Cetrimonium Chloride 2
Sodium lactate 1BTMS-50 2
Jojoba oil 2Bamboo extract 1
Vitamin E Acetate 0.5
Liquid Germall Plus 0.5
Essential oil 0.5
Fragrance 0.5 -
16 Replies
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Did you pay a Chemist for that? It is essentially a stock DIY Formulation posted online. Based upon another Formula created in 2009 by yet a third person.I see numerous issues with the posted Formula (ingredient usage rates, process issues, scaleability) that were carried over.
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Oh my, hope you get a refund.
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Perhaps the most glaring issue is that it is unsafe to use Cetrimonium Chloride at 2% in a leave on product. The CIR limit for safe use of Cetrimonium Chloride is 0.25%. The SCCS opinion is a 1% safety limit for Cetrimonium Chloride.
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I also believe 2% Panthenol is bringing little to the Formula, except for some stickiness perhaps. I would bring that down as well.I also hope you used better process instructions (manufacturing details) than in the original Formula, solely due to the fact that silicone spatulas and immersion blenders do not provide appropriate mixing energies.
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@Microformulation is there a mixer that you can recommend for an entrepreneur just starting out? Tia!
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@abierose Rather than start a tangent, I would use the search function as this is a recurring topic. I know Perry has done a few posts on equipment. And no offense intended to anyone, I honestly don’t endorse any of my entrepreneur clients even manufacturing themselves. A Cosmetic Line is a Business in which to be successful will require your time in non-Technical roles.
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As a lifelong entrepreneur, I say that it is healthy to take an interest in manufacturing and formulation. It can be a good hobby and of course the more you understand every part of your (potential) business, the more chances you will be successful.
I can’t tell you the times I have been overcharged and blatantly ripped off for things like website design, logo and graphic design. When the pandemic hit, I finally sat down and started fully creating my own websites and graphic design. Now I am not required to pay a technician/designer hundreds of dollars for simple changes I can do myself.
That being said, I know my limitations and I would for example hire someone like Mark Fuller if I needed a professional formulation. However if I was provided with a formula like the one the OP was given, I definitely would know that something is wrong.
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@Cafe33 This is actually the area I work in primarily, entrepreneurial lines. We identify barriers to the market to our clients as we feel their success is our success. Of the most common barriers I see;
- Unrealistic Budget. You need a Business Plan. You are starting a business after all.
- Sales and Marketing. Too many clients spend far too little in this area. A successful product wins in the Marketing.
- Unrealistic Inventory of Skills. In my experience (and my opinion through anecdotal experiences), you are either a Business Person or a Technical Service Provider. A Technical person generally does 90% Technical and very little sales/marketing. A Businessperson will need to do 90% Business (Marketing, suppliers, order fulfillment, promotions, logos, websites, mail servers). You either need to outsource one or you will find that you can’t be outstanding in either.
Again, this presumes they are looking to grow. I understand that by no means is revenue an indicator of success they seek, but in these cases, this has been my experience.
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@Cafe33 thanks for the support! Ironically my last successful business was a web development and graphic design business that I had between 2005-2011 and it allowed me to really grow in a lot of different ways as I had to do virtually everything by myself, of course hiring out jobs beyond my scope. But I did all of my own sales and marketing, as well as web design, development, graphic design, logos, seo, copywriting, and everything in between. After 6 years though, it became a bit too much for me and instead of expanding, I decided to put the business to rest for a while
I do still design and developm websites for friends and family but that’s about it. Well, and I’ll be doing all of my own marketing and website and logo for my future skincare business but I will also have a business partner to share some of the burden! Anyway, I am super excited about this new venture and although I am still pretty nervous about getting into a completely new line of work, I am confident that if I want it badly enough, I will make it happen 
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“After 6 years though, it became a bit too much for me, and instead of
expanding, I decided to put the business to rest for a while.”That is a fantastic example of my point. I see so many Cosmetic lines slow their own growth by not delegating (Formulation, Manufacturing). In the end, you can choose to excel in either role or you can crisis manage both. -
abierose, you are many steps ahead! I think you should follow Microformulation’s advice. When it comes to business focus on what you know best. In your case, your skills will take you far I am sure.
As far as formulation, if you have an interest, that is a good thing. Do it as a hobby only if you actually enjoy it. In my case, I prefer formulating over going out for a beer in many cases.
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Microformulation said:Did you pay a Chemist for that? It is essentially a stock DIY Formulation posted online. Based upon another Formula created in 2009 by yet a third person.I see numerous issues with the posted Formula (ingredient usage rates, process issues, scaleability) that were carried over.
I paid for it! and i have gone ahead to recommend him to other people! The hair mask he “formulated” for me works well, so I thought I was the one who was having issues with it. Sigh
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Microformulation said:I also believe 2% Panthenol is bringing little to the Formula, except for some stickiness perhaps. I would bring that down as well.I also hope you used better process instructions (manufacturing details) than in the original Formula, solely due to the fact that silicone spatulas and immersion blenders do not provide appropriate mixing energies.
Where I live, I don’t have access to quality formulators, which is why the hiccup here. I am looking into taking classes myself and intend on purchasing Perry’s course in the near future. In the meantime, I am eternally grateful for your help.
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@Microformulation I put my business to rest because I wanted to focus on starting a family and working 18+ hours a day was not conducive to that goal. I also didn’t want to be in front of my computer that much anymore
I will also take your advice and do my own research on equipment. As far as my dream to start a skincare business, I have every intention of consulting and hiring industry professionals for most of the many different business facets. To be honest, like @Cafe33, I just really am falling in love with formulating! I am super excited to go down this path, one that I’ve had an interest in for many years. I am learning SO MUCH and have so much more to learn! If and when I am finally ready to begin selling a product or products is realistically years away and maybe it won’t happen at all. But either way, I am still having fun and learning new things and am looking forward to what the future holds 🙂 -
Oh and that “rosé leave-in conditioner” was probably one of the very first things I made when I first started getting interested in formulating :smiley: And to be honest, I wasn’t at all impressed with it ????♀️
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nerdymum said:Microformulation said:I also believe 2% Panthenol is bringing little to the Formula, except for some stickiness perhaps. I would bring that down as well.I also hope you used better process instructions (manufacturing details) than in the original Formula, solely due to the fact that silicone spatulas and immersion blenders do not provide appropriate mixing energies.
Where I live, I don’t have access to quality formulators, which is why the hiccup here. I am looking into taking classes myself and intend on purchasing Perry’s course in the near future. In the meantime, I am eternally grateful for your help.
As you get into Formulating, one of the first hurdles will be in transitioning over to better sources. Many people’s interest in Formulating is initially piqued through their participation in the DIY blogs and other sources that don’t really meet a Technical standard;- The author with appropriate Credentials in the subject.
- Citations and Footnotes from reputable Journals and sources.
- The Author is not selling a Product as the actual purpose of their narrative.
Reputable sources such as the CIR are mentioned in this Forum frequently. The CIR is much more reputable than the EWG. For usage rates, you can refer to supplier documents as well.
It is certainly possible to get initial exposure to the Industry. Courses, webinars, and especially work experience in a manufacturing plant will certainly be a big help.
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