

Hello,
I have been struggling with scaling a cream formula. Both jars contain the same formula - however, the jar on the right was made in a small batch.
Went ahead and tried scaling it to a larger batch and noticed within a day or two, that it had an orange/red top layer and was wondering why that was.
Preservative used is caprylhydroxamic acid at 1.1%
Essential oils used are sweet orange - 0.15% , bergamot (bergapten-free) - 0.25%
Xanathan gum - 0.3%
Emulsifier - Olivem1000
Glyceryl stearate - 1.5%
Colloidal Oatmeal - 2%
I am guessing it can't be the formula - since the exact same formula seems to be holding up alright when made in a small batch.
Has the second batch not emulsified well enough? Has the oil and water phase not been heated to the right temperature in the bigger container?
Also, the first batch was emulsified in a glass container whereas the second batch was done so in a stainless steel container.
What could be wrong? Is it oxidation or bacterial? It seems like the orange layer starts at the top but over time spreads to the whole jar.
Ph for both jars is the same at 4.5.
Really appreciate your input!!
Thanks!!
Comments
We have none of the same ingredients, our mixing is done in hdpe containers but we do use a stainless steel hopper. Do you have any chelator? What is your packaging made of? You could try taking some of the smaller batch that shows no color change and putting it through the same equipment the scale up batch touched and see what happens.
Sussex Research Laboratories Inc.
www.sussex-research.com
Our ingredients are expensive, so we are not sure we want to waste the money to experiment - unless as a last resort.
Also, I feel like maybe the ingredients didn't emulsify the same as in the small batch (due to heat distribution and equipment used to blend) - but do you think that may cause a color change?
My other suspect is the stainless steel container used to emulsify and heat the ingredients. (We heat water phase in the steel container - we use citric acid 0.20%)
Beyond that, I can't think of anything else - since it's holding up from the small batch.
We use plastic containers - the one you see in the picture.
Sussex Research Laboratories Inc.
www.sussex-research.com
Are you asking about the plastic jar containers or the stainless steel container?
Plastic jars - Closed. However, we leave it open for a good 6 hours or so to cool down to room temperature before closing them.
Stainless Steel - Not closed normally. However, it is cleaned with hot water, bleach, and alcohol before using.
Would it help to transfer the contents to an HDPE container during emulsification and later adding CHA, while still using the stainless steel to heat?
Or would you recommend completely moving away from stainless steel?
I guess we will move away from stainless steel completely now as it seems to be the culprit.
Do you have any recommendations on the types of containers we could use to make a batch that is 3-10 gallons? That wouldn't pose any oxidation issues.
Very helpful information! Thanks a ton.