Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating How does this product’s ingredient list contain zero water?

  • How does this product’s ingredient list contain zero water?

    Posted by Trytryagain on September 11, 2024 at 2:18 pm

    *Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Hyaluronic Acid, *Glycerin, Olea Europea (Squalane) Oil, *Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, *Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil (and) Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Extract, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetyl Alcohol, *Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn) Oil, *Camellia Oleifera Leaf (Green Tea) Extract, *Camellia Sinensis Leaf (White Tea) Extract, *Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract, *Morinda Citrifolia (Noni) Fruit Extract, Tocopherol (Sunflower Derived Vitamin E), Xanthan Gum, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

    *Certified Organic Ingredients

    I get how the aloe leaf juice is the first ingredient and can replace DW on an inci, but then the hyaluronic acid is the second ingredient, normally I expect it around the 1% line, but surely the HA can’t be the 1% line here, because look how much further down the emulsifiers are. I see the Glyceryl Stearate and then there is Olivem 1000 which is not the strongest emulsifier out there, and furthermore I have never trusted Olivem with heavy electrolytes, which this would contain in the Aloe Leaf Juice, wouldn’t it?

    So is the HA in water or just in the Aloe Leaf Juice? Where do you think the one percent line is? In my experience if I go over 1% with HMW HA it gets sticky and is more likely to pill. And even the LMW HA usage rates do not usually go over 1%. If you have premixed solution of HA/Water wouldn’t you still need to list the water and not just call it HA?

    Note: I am not trying to copy this formula to sell, I would never do that. This is for my studying purposes only. So I’m just trying to understand the ingredient list better. Also, I’m always looking to improve my skills to spot incis that may leave things out (only the smaller brands seem to do this), whether purposefully or accidentally and with this one I can not tell for sure. I do see lots of other issues, like where is the chelator, and pH adjuster, and the rest of the preservative system?

    Trytryagain replied 4 weeks ago 5 Members · 11 Replies
  • 11 Replies
  • PhilGeis

    Member
    September 11, 2024 at 4:27 pm

    Can you name the product?

  • ozgirl

    Member
    September 11, 2024 at 7:11 pm

    I wouldn’t trust this ingredients list.

    They use Leucidal as a preservative which is at best a poor preservative. The recommended usage of this “preservative” is 2 to 4 % so it should not be last in the ingredients list.

    I think you can safely assume that this list is inaccurate.

    They have likely left out some preservatives and chelating agents along with water to make it sound more “natural”.

    If you tried to make this product based on this ingredients list it would likely be a big jar of mould and bacteria in a very short amount of time.

    I have also seen people claim they used aloe vera “juice” but in reality it was just a small amount of aloe vera extract dissolved in water (a reconstituted juice?).

    Happy learning! 🙂

    • formuoli

      Member
      September 11, 2024 at 7:44 pm

      Do you have any recommendations for non-toxic, non-irritating preservatives?

      • Graillotion

        Member
        September 11, 2024 at 8:01 pm

        Wasn’t aware of any companies using ‘toxic’ ingredients! If you come across such a thing, please report to the FDA immediately.

        If you look at the ‘baby’ product segment…. You will often see PE 9010. This is generally considered one of the very best for sensitive skin. It does have its weaknesses, so certainly not a standalone option. (The reference to baby products….is a synonym for non-irritating, or very low probability of irritation.)

        The fake ferment should NOT be used for babies, as it has hidden ingredients, including salicylic acid!!!

        • This reply was modified 1 month ago by  Graillotion.
      • ozgirl

        Member
        September 11, 2024 at 9:10 pm

        This review of preservatives from Making Skin care is a good start for looking at preservatives.

        For lotions and creams I would probably start with PE9010 with sodium benzoate. If you have the ability to properly test your products (preservative efficacy testing) then you can try some of the other preservatives but pay careful attention to pH and use the hurdle approach for best results.

        https://makingskincare.com/preservatives/

    • Trytryagain

      Member
      September 12, 2024 at 8:41 am

      Thank you for the response! I am glad to hear that someone else is suspecting an inaccurate inci besides me. The brand is small but sells a lot of product on Amazon.

      I spent a lot of time trying to make sense of this label. 😁

  • Graillotion

    Member
    September 11, 2024 at 7:38 pm

    As mentioned above….. the water is hidden not only in the first ingredient, but in the second as well.

    FYI in commercial formulas….the HA is NO WHERE NEAR the 1% line.

    Many times, the HA is made in advance….as it takes 24 hours to fully hydrate….so it just makes sense. This is also an opportunity to introduce the real preservative to the formula….as the one listed simply won’t do the job. 😉 (Don’t ask for further clarification… 🤣 )

    So, I am not aware of any regulation that says what percentage of water your HA slurry contains…. hence….I’m guessing….. AS MUCH AS THEY WANT. (Granted….correct INCI format would have you place it where the actual ingredient would fall (well….well…below 1% line) vs how much of the hydrated product you included.)

    All in all….not a formula I would even attempt to learn from.

    Good Luck.

    • Trytryagain

      Member
      September 12, 2024 at 8:45 am

      Thank you for your response!

      That helps me a lot. It is amazing the lengths some brands will go to in order to appeal to the ewg and Yuka followers 😂

      And the product has thousands of glowing reviews on Amazon, of course, those might be fake as well haha

      • Graillotion

        Member
        September 12, 2024 at 6:03 pm

        It ALMOST seems like you are correlating good products with customer purchases. 😂

        Customer purchases are almost always correlated to your marketing story. The bigger the pile of BS you can create….the more likely you are to have a big pile of customers as well.

        Always focus on your marketing….product is somewhat a moot point.

        😆

        If you want to learn from a successful seller…. you study their marketing approach… NOT the LOI/INCI!

        • This reply was modified 1 month ago by  Graillotion.
        • Trytryagain

          Member
          September 15, 2024 at 3:06 pm

          Lol, you are right of course, must be great marketing. Because the ingredients are not impressive 😁

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