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Facial Mask Texture Incorrect
Hi all,
I’m a relatively new formulator working in the CBD space. I’ve been given a list of ingredients (without instruction unfortunately) and asked to produce several products from the list.
I’ve put together the ingredients in the first, to the best of my ability and understanding of the ingredients, and the texture is not what I expected. Below is the list of ingredients and I’ll include how I attempted to put them together.
My primary goal is to troubleshoot this recipe, with secondary goals of feedback on my reasoning given an ingredient list with no instruction.- Face Mask
- Water
- Hydroxyethylcellulose
- Sodium Polyacrylate
- Glycerin
- Sodium Hyaluronate
- Hemp Resin
- Rice Bran Wax
- Polysorbate 60
- Jojoba Oil
- Ethylhexyl Palmitate
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- Silicone Oil
- Squalane
- Cermide 2
- Silica
- Tripeptide-5
- Fragrance
- Phenoxyethanol
- Ethylhexyl Glycerin
- Total water volume less 100 grams was placed into a 2L beaker and began heating to 70C
- Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Polyacrylate, and Glycerin were combined in a separate beaker.
— My first issue, I attempted to add water to this beaker to thin it out and pour it into the main body, but this had the opposite effect and actiavted the polymers, causing them to rapidly thicken. I was able to put the majority into the main body of water and eventually dissolve it all after a few hours of stirring. —
- Added Polysorbate 60 to the main body of water while mixing in polymers.
- In a separate beaker, oil phase ingredients were mixed and began heating to 70C (Hemp Resin, Rice Bran Wax, Jojoba Oil, Caprylic/Capric triglyceride, Silicone oil, Squalane, Silica)
- When the water reached 65C, Ceramide 2 was added and the mixture was mixed with a **high shear homogenizer for 10 minutes**
-Another issue I may have, I’m not sure if a high shear homogenizer is appropriate as it might ruin the polymeric structure within the product, please advise if possible-
- Oil phase and water phase were mixed and processed with a high shear homogenizer for 20 minutes
- Began cooling to 50C
- Once at 50 C, remaining ingredients were added (Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Ceramide 2, Tripeptide-5, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexyl Glycerin)
So far the mixture has remained stable, but the texture is very thin for a product intended to be a “rinse-off” face mask.
There are several other products I’ll be working on in the coming week, I intend to consult UL Prospector for formulas containing each ingredient for some reference to how each should be added and to what phase. Further, I intend to request a bench top mixer more appropriate for lotion creation.Thanks for reading, I appreciate any help that can be offered.
-Jason -
3 Replies
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Hi Jason,
A few things come to my mind when reading your summary.-> It is good to premix the powder polymers with Glycerin. However, instead of adding water to this premix you need to add this premix to the water (while stirring) and allow time for swelling. This should work much better.
-> I would just add the components Polysorbate 60, Ethylhexyl Palmitate and the Ceramide-2 to the oil phase.
-> As the formulation uses two polymers to provide viscosity/structure I would significantly reduce the homogenization step. Maybe you do one trail without homogenization but with just regular stirring (which I hope you can do). Normally polymers can withstand a certain homogenization but the 10 minutes with high shear sound as if they are just too much.
If these changes do not give the desired result I would “simply” increase the Sodium Polyacrylate content. These polymers usually have a quite broad viscosity specification. Might be that when the recipe was developed a batch with a viscosity from the upper spec limit was used and you do now have one from the lower end.
That’s not to uncommon.Hope this works out.
Axel -
Hi Axel,
Unfortunately I don’t have an ordinary overhead stirrer, although I’m looking to request one shortly. Up to this point we’ve only needed magnetic stirrers, but they’re not powerful enough to work in such a viscous material.
I plan to reach out to the customer and see if there are SOPs associated with these recipes on the off chance that perhaps they didn’t think to send them over or thought they had. In the meantime, I’ll attempt the formulation again with your recommendations.
Thanks for your assistance!
Jason -
i heard a lot about cbd. thx for this post
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