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Issues Formulating Lip Balm (Help!)
Hi everyone! I’m working on a lip balm and am encountering a few issues I’m unsure about. The lip balm currently contains beeswax 30%, kokum butter 30%, unrefined cocoa butter 35%, and vitamin E oil 5%.
Issue #1: The balm seems to make lips drier and peel, somehow.
I can’t figure out why this is the case. I wondered if some/all of the ingredients contained high amounts of vitamin A, inducing a similar effect to retinol. However, none of the ingredients have vitamin A. My other theory is that perhaps the kokum and cocoa butter are causing transepidermal water loss somehow. Is this possible? If so, how could I fix it?Here are two articles I found about why a lip balm could cause dryness:
Issue #2: Mindbodygreen article and product listing
I liked that the Mindbodygreen article suggested using lip balms with a combination of emollients, occlusives, and humectants. However, I don’t know of a humectant that’s oil-soluble. What would an example ingredient be?
They’re advertising their own lip balm at the bottom of the article, so I went to check it out and now I’m even more confused. Mindbodygreen say their lip balm is totally oil based, but this is their ingredient list:Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Behenate, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf Extract
The formula contains several extracts and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid. Doesn’t this mean the formula has water in it?
Thanks for reading, if you made it to this point! Looking forward to your suggestions!
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3 Replies
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1. I have in my mind that pure Tocopherol is corrosive to the skin, but I cannot find anything to support that on the internet now.
But 5% seems a lot. Cocoa butter is quite “resistant” to rancidity. Try to lower it (add that as a last step before pouring it off).
I believe the Beeswax is also high, not sure how your product looks like, but it must be pretty hard?2. With the extract it depends what base do they have. I believe they are not glycerin based as they would need to list the glycerin.
The Hyaluronic acid could be dispersed only in the product and can be there at 0.001% .. so can the extract tho.
The main thing there is castor oil and Shea butter in my opinion.
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Yes…you have the decimal point in the wrong place on the Vit E. Should be .5%, not 5%.
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate…. YES, the ‘Hydro’ in hydrolyzed…. means water. Like said above….it could be one drop in an entire vat. Same with the last ingredient, probably half drop per batch. Hence, getting by with the lack of preservative.
But if I had to guess…. they are using something like this: Hyaluronic Acid, Oleo-HA | Lotioncrafter
Or this…as it has the water.
AKA: EndiMoist® 3OS from Coast Southwest
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As @Graillotion mentioned, that lip balm is using Oleo-HA - oil dispersed hyaluronic acid. Castor seed oil & hydrogenated castor oil that you see in ingredient list are the other components of that raw material.
For your formula, I agree with others on lowering Vit E & I would also replace some of the solid butters with emollient oils like jojoba, castor, etc.
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