Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Green Tea Extract

  • Green Tea Extract

    Posted by kelseaventures on September 18, 2021 at 1:29 am
    Hello,
    I’m looking to make a “toner” or “essence” that’s mostly green tea.  This one  from Instree advertises that they use 80% Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract. Curious how you guys think they’re achieving this?
    The two methods of making an extract that I’m aware of include glycerin or alcohol. Their toner is “alcohol-free”, but a  glycerin extract would be sticky.
    I’m looking to use between 70%-80% of green tea extract. Any idea how this is feasible? Am I missing a way of creating extract (not hydrosol)?
    oldperry replied 2 years, 6 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
  • 1 Reply
  • oldperry

    Member
    September 19, 2021 at 3:54 pm

    They most likely achieve it by misunderstanding how extracts are made or misunderstanding proper INCI labeling rules.

    Their “80% Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract” is most likely a 1% solids extract. The solids comes from the plant. This is how most extracts are made in the cosmetic industry.  The other 99% is probably water in this case.

    So, they buy their extract.  Then they use 80% of that ingredient in the formula. They mistakenly label it first making it seem like the formula is made up of 80% tea. Well, only 1% of the ingredient is actually part of the plant, the rest is water. So even if they do use 80%  of the extract, the formula is really only 0.8% plant material.

    What exactly do you mean by this? 
    I’m looking to use between 70%-80% of green tea extract.

    If you want to use 80% of the extract the same way that company did, you can just do that. You shouldn’t make the labeling mistake  that they did, but you can put it in the formula at 80%. I think it’s a waste of money but it can be done.

    If you want to have 80% plant material in there well, you can’t do that. At least not in any cosmetically appealing way.

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