Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Please take a look at my formula? First timer!

  • Please take a look at my formula? First timer!

    Posted by jesshall28 on April 2, 2020 at 11:09 am
    Hey all. Hope you are well. First ever time having a go in the kitchen yesterday!

    Could you take a little look at my formula please?

    Shea butter 60%

    Apricot Kernal Oil 20%

    Evening Primrose Oil 10%

    Grapeseed oil 8%

    Sweet Orange Essential Oil 1%

    Vitamin E 1%

    A few things to mention: I melted the Shea butter using double boiler method, added the oils whilst still hot (didn’t heat the oils), chucked in the fridge for 30 mins, added essential oil and vit E and then whipped. It didn’t go extremely fluffy, more like a lotion.
    Product felt a bit too oily/greasy, didn’t sink into the skin well but did eventually. 

    Also important to mention, it would suggest 1% Vit E is far too much, more like 0.1%, but I can’t get 0.1% of Vit E oil out of the little beaker, it’s far too gloopy and you lose most of it to the spoon/vial

    Do I even have the process right? Should oils and butters be heated? What should I change in formulation to be more body buttery, less greasy! I’ve been researching to high heavens! Thank you!
    cmgrimmace replied 3 years, 12 months ago 4 Members · 3 Replies
  • 3 Replies
  • ngarayeva001

    Member
    April 2, 2020 at 2:47 pm

    Oils can be heated in general. It’s not that you are doing anything wrong, but it’s whipped butter. It will be greasy. You can make an o/w lotion that will be less greasy, but it’s a completely different thing.

  • Cafe33

    Member
    April 2, 2020 at 8:05 pm

    I think you should study how to make lotions. I don’t understand what you are trying to achieve with your formulation. A body butter? You will never be satisfied with this formulation unless you enjoy spreading straight butter/oil on your skin. 

    Look for Polawax NF as an emulsifier, it is very easy to use. 

    Also a tip for measuring small amounts of an ingredient -

    Use a 2-3 decimal place accurate scale (jewelers or pocket scale)
    Place Vitamin E container on scale and tare 
    Use a disposable plastic pipette (Amazon) to remove the necessary quantity 

    If you started at 0.00 and then the scale tells you -0.20, then you have used 0.20 grams. Its not too accurate with something as thick as Vitamin E as it can stick to the pipette but it is certainly better than trying to measure it in a small beaker. You could always place your product beaker on the scale and add the Vitamin E drop by drop. Conclusion, you are much better off with plastic pipettes and a small precise scale. 

  • cmgrimmace

    Member
    April 3, 2020 at 5:00 am

    60% shea butter, with that much shea butter, it will always be greasy. I use shea butter in a skin moisturizer and use 5% shea. Total oils end up around 10%. I absolutely agree with Cafe33. Once you discover how to mix oil and water, it opens up a whole new world. 

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