Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Almost there! What’s missing in my liquid lipstick formula?

  • Almost there! What’s missing in my liquid lipstick formula?

    Posted by DannietheIcon on February 20, 2020 at 9:37 pm

    Hello! I’ve been working on my liquid lipstick base and I feel like I’m getting so close! At first it was too glossy and didn’t dry very matte. Now it dries a little more matte but I still feel like something is missing. It doesn’t dry down fully so it’s little bit of transfer and it stains kind of bad. It’s hard to wash off. Also, when I applied it to my lips, it didn’t go on smoothly. It set in the cracks of my lips and wasn’t as opaque as I would like it. I have included my formula down below. Please help! What is missing or what am I doing wrong?

    *I will note that I ran out of Vitamin E oil (Tocopherol) so I did not include it in the recent formula but I will include it in future bases once I restock

    1/2 TBS Isododecane/Trimethylsiloxysilicate and Polypropylsilsesquioxane mix
    1 tsp Candelila Wax (CANDELILLA CERA)
    1 tsp Caranauba Wax (COPERNICIA CERIFERA CERA)
    1 TBS Castor Oil (Ricinus communis (Castor) Seed Oil)
    1 TBS Sweet Almond Oil (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis)
    2 TBS Coconut Oil (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride)
    2 TBS Avocado Oil (Persea Gratissima)
    2 drops Vitamin E oil (Tocopherol) *
    5 tsp Cyclopentasiloxane
    3 tsp Nylon-12
    3 tsp Kaolin
    2 tsp Silica Dimethyl Silylate
    3 drops Preservative Cap-2

    DannietheIcon replied 4 years, 8 months ago 3 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • OldPerry

    Member
    February 20, 2020 at 9:47 pm

    Step 1 - Don’t use TBS, tsp, or “drops” for your measurements.

    Convert all your measurements to Grams (you have to weigh the ingredients).  Then list your formula in the form of percentages.

    Cosmetic formulating is not cooking. You need a more exact measurement of your ingredients. TBS, tsp and drops will not do.

    Without have a consistent formula, you can’t methodically improve on what you have.

  • Cafe33

    Member
    February 20, 2020 at 9:52 pm

    How do you even measure a TBS of something like Candelila Wax? I cant imagine it can ever be done precisely. You could be altering your formula everytime you make a test batch from the inaccuracy, 

  • DannietheIcon

    Member
    February 20, 2020 at 9:56 pm

    Oh I apologize. I will switch to grams. I initially had them in grams but converted them to tbs, tsp and drops.

    And the candlila wax is in small particles.

  • DannietheIcon

    Member
    February 20, 2020 at 9:58 pm

    That may be the issue. Thank you Perry. I am new to this so it’s all a learning experience. Thank you for the guidance.

  • Cafe33

    Member
    February 20, 2020 at 10:01 pm

    Yes, but the density changes from pellets to powder to melted wax. Look at how much space the cooled down melted wax takes vs pellets. TBS are a volumetric measurement, it is not even close to being relevant in formulation. Anyway, only trying to help.  

  • DannietheIcon

    Member
    February 20, 2020 at 10:04 pm

    Thank you for the help Cafe33. I appreciate it. I didn’t realize. The research I did and the “formulators” I initially followed obviously aren’t well versed in the process. That’s why I’m glad I found a forum like this. To get accurate information. Now I see where I probably went wrong. Thank you.

Log in to reply.

Chemists Corner