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How to mask lactic acid scent in cleanser formula - advice / consultation oppertunity
I have a gentle lactic acid cleanser that works really well but doesn’t smell great.
I’m looking for an ideally functional (has desirable properties vs acne), “fragrance-free”, and gentle ingredient to mask the ant piss like scent of lactic acid in the below formula. Currently employing a very low % of bergamot essential oil which masks it decently, but also doesn’t make it smell GOOD.
One could use peppermint essential oil which masks everything, but I’m not sure how gentle it is and it’s the wrong association for this product, another venue of exploration would be hydrosols although I read they come with their own set of issues. Looking for advice or if you’re an expert on the matter open to paying for consultation
Ingredients
Water
Decyl Glucoside
Glycerin
Lactic Acid
Magnesium Sulfate
Sclerotium Gum
Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea)*
Phenoxyethanol
Caprylyl Glycol
Sorbic Acid
Allantoin
Sodium Metabisulfite
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil -
10 Replies
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Phenethyl alcohol? Might even go good with bergamot.
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Try the natural fragrances from http://www.carrubba.com … they are available as water-soluble or oil-soluble options. With your formulation, use a water-soluble version … you do have to use them at higher concentrations than other fragrances … as high as 2.0%, but they are a breeze to incorporate into any formulation, particularly the water-soluble versions which do not require a solublizer.
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@Bobzchemist : Interesting, but it technically a synthetic fragrance? which I’m trying to avoid if possible.
@MarkBroussard : Emailed them asking for suggestions/samples
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It’s interesting - you can get it either as a natural chemical or as a synthetic. Obviously, the natural stuff is 10x more expensive, but it is available.
Our customers objected to it because it left a lingering odor on the skin.
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Scent is definitely tricky, I’m waiting to hear what Carrubba suggests. Trying to keep cost pr/unit for scent alone under $0.5.
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Be careful using bergamot oil it is phototoxic. It is restricted by IFRA to 0.4% in leave-on products.
Reagarding the lactic acid - can you get a better grade?
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Odour-free lactic acid is available.
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@johnb it’s not phototoxic if you use a furanocoumarin-free grade
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Bill, that is correct but there is no mention of furocoumarins in the original post and the poster may not be aware of the problem.
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Update, Carnuba provided, I’m not thrilled about adding 20 ingredients to a 7 ingredient formula to add a scent, but their scents are really good and only using extracts not essential oils.
Regarding bergamot, thanks for the info, I wouldn’t worry about it in a wash off formula though.
The lactic acid I use is relatively scent free, I think the sclerotium gum adds more scent.
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