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How can I improve stability in this formula? Thanks
OK, so this is my formula. It passed all stability tests but the reality is that it just does not hold up. I sell at markets and if the temperature is on the warm side, the cream separates and stays like that. It also turns to a liquid and, even when remixed, does not go back to being a cream.
Anything I add has to be palm oil-free and allowed by the Organic Food Chain, which limits me somewhat.
Grateful for any advice. Thanks.
INGREDIENTS (%):
Water - 64.6
Aloe Vera Powder 0.5
Solagum Tara - 0.3
Coconut Oil - 18
Olyvoyl Emulsifier - 3.8
Shea Butter - 8
Floraesters K100 - 2
Vegelane - 1
Soya Lecithin - 0.3
Microcare SB - 1
EO - 0.5
Citric Acid to pH 3.65-3.95. -
10 Replies
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@GabyD maybe a thickener will help for your emulsion stability even in warm condition.
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Perhaps Xanthan Gum would be a better choice and could help aid in stability. It has a suspending ability that other thickeners don’t have.
I’d also like to point out that if your product is separating on the market but it passed your stability tests, your stability testing protocol is bad. Stability testing is meant to challenge a formula so that you will know before you put it on the market whether it will fall apart or not. If it doesn’t predict that, then you’re doing something wrong.
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@Perry, the Stability Testing was carried out by an external company. I have a horrible feeling the stability issues might be happening during manufacturing. I am making the products myself so it could be something I am doing wrong.
Any ideas? Thanks.
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Hardly surprising. Actually what surprises me is that it formed an emulsion in the first place. Inadequate emulsifier system.
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Belassi said:Hardly surprising. Actually what surprises me is that it formed an emulsion in the first place. Inadequate emulsifier system.
May I ask how you’d fix it? Thanks.
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I’d dump the lecithin for starters, that’s the kind of thing you find on ETSY. I’ve no idea what the “Organic Food Chain” is, so I can’t comment further, sorry. Secondly, that preservative is all salts, which is going to cause problems for many emulsion systems and also only works at pH <5.5, I certainly don’t like a pH as low as you have there. EO of 0.5% seems high…
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Belassi said:I’d dump the lecithin for starters, that’s the kind of thing you find on ETSY. I’ve no idea what the “Organic Food Chain” is, so I can’t comment further, sorry. Secondly, that preservative is all salts, which is going to cause problems for many emulsion systems and also only works at pH <5.5, I certainly don’t like a pH as low as you have there. EO of 0.5% seems high…
Thanks. I was told to use Lecithin for stability? Do I not need it? I can swap the preservative to Dehydroacetic acid and benzyl alcohol. Would that be better? What pH would you recommend? It’s for a moisturiser. Thanks!
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A moisturiser? I certainly would not want potassium sorbate in it. Flushing is a known problem, and secondly, it turns yellow-brown over typical shelf life. I don’t recommend dehydroacetic acid either, it has a smell, and it destabilised emulsions when I tested it, that were perfectly stable with other preservatives. I recommend something like KEM NAT instead. Or Spectraguard, but the MOQ on that is too high really.
The pH is too low IMO. I would aim for a pH of 5.5 - 6.5
Lecithin is bug food. Makes preserving much more difficult.
You have 29.5% of lipids to emulsify. I don’t think 4.1% of any emulsifier would deal with that. And you should use at least two complementary emulsifiers. -
Thanks Belassi. I agree on Potassium Sorbate but the client insisted on a natural preservative! It has been a nightmare so I will not use it again.
i will check out the preservatives you’ve suggested.
Thanks for your help.
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