Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Feedback on my niacinamide “toner”?

  • Feedback on my niacinamide “toner”?

    Posted by jessicalerner on December 31, 2020 at 2:33 pm

    Hello- I am just getting started studying cosmetic chemistry to formulate for myself/friends/family. My first attempt is a simple “toner” - no cleansing desired; just brightening and hydrating. Two questions: since everything is water-soluble, I don’t need a solubilizer or antioxidant, correct? Do I need a chelating agent with this small amount of aloe concentrate? Any other feedback? Thank you so much! 

    Distilled
    water
    83.05
    Niacinamide 5
    Urea 5
    Aloe Vera
    concentrate (10x) 
    1
    Glycerin 2.5
    Propanediol 2.5
    Allantoin 0.25
    Hexanediol 0.7

    Lactic acid to adjust pH to 5.5

    AbbasMo replied 3 years, 2 months ago 6 Members · 8 Replies
  • 8 Replies
  • jemolian

    Member
    January 1, 2021 at 3:16 am

    Since you are using aloe vera, you might want to add a chelating agent, though you would also want a more robust broad spectrum preservative besides from the diols you have. 

    You would also need a buffer for the urea since it will increase the pH as it causes pH drifting over time. 

  • ngarayeva001

    Member
    January 1, 2021 at 9:33 am

    You need chelating agent anyway as part of your preservative system speaking of which, I understand you rely on diols here. I am no expert by any means, but it doesn’t look sufficient to me especially with aloe added (aloe introduces additional preservation challenge). Other than that, your toner looks ok to me. I make a serum very similar to this (urea, niacinamide, sodium lactate, lactic acid, other humectants). I keep ph at 6 and thicken it with high molecular weight hyaluronic acid.

  • jessicalerner

    Member
    January 2, 2021 at 1:56 pm

    This is super helpful. Thanks so much.

  • oldperry

    Member
    January 4, 2021 at 6:03 pm

    Yeah, you need a proper preservative and a chelating agent (like disodium EDTA)

  • AbbasMo

    Member
    January 20, 2021 at 7:59 am

    jemolian said:

    Since you are using aloe vera, you might want to add a chelating agent, though you would also want a more robust broad spectrum preservative besides from the diols you have. 

    You would also need a buffer for the urea since it will increase the pH as it causes pH drifting over time. 

    Hi, I made a toner and used urea in that. I have a problem with pH instability, I need help to form a urea buffer.
    Can I use tetrasodium edta instead disodium edta? because I have other acidic ingredients and need increase pH and adjust it in 5 around.
    thanks a lot

  • jemolian

    Member
    January 20, 2021 at 8:09 am
  • pharma

    Member
    January 20, 2021 at 7:48 pm
    You can use whatever form of EDTA you like because, once you adjusted pH, they will all become the same.
    The optimal pH for urea is 6.2. In theory, you’d need a buffer which has a pKa between 5.2 and 7.2. Upon degradation, urea tends to increase pH which means a buffer with a pKa of 5.2 will not work. Therefore you’re limited to buffers in the range of pKa ~6 to ~7.2. Notably, you’d need quite a bit of buffer… use something well tolerated. Good’s buffers can come in handy.
    One trick which can work (I guess mostly if combined with a buffer) is triethyl citrate or triacetin. These will hydrolyse if pH rises and thereby release acids which lower pH back.
  • AbbasMo

    Member
    January 22, 2021 at 8:36 am

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