Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Using tinctures and alcohol free liquid extracts

  • Using tinctures and alcohol free liquid extracts

    Posted by Sal on June 22, 2018 at 10:13 pm

    hello,

    i am formulating a shampoo which requires some herbal extracts in it. However, i am unable to source them from UK suppliers(local). I have found their alternatives in a form of organic tinctures or alcohol free liquid extracts. Could someone please help me decide if I should be using either of those as alternatives? I will be adding them in my water by compensating some water out of total phase. I prefer using tinctures because i can find them as organic. But they all say for internal use or to be mixed with tea or juice as in 1-3ml twice a day etc. Realli confused . Any guidance would be much appreciated

    Sal replied 5 years, 11 months ago 4 Members · 25 Replies
  • 25 Replies
  • Sal

    Member
    June 22, 2018 at 10:16 pm

    I hve also bought some dried herbs to make a decoction to be used in water phase. Again they are also organic which is my preference however, I need to ensure They wont be contaminated easily if I use broad spectrum preservative system 

  • belassi

    Member
    June 22, 2018 at 11:11 pm

    Sorry to be blunt but unless your target market is Etsy, where idiots abound, none of this is worth a light. Making your own infusions results in non-repeatable concentrations = a product that should not be sold. You should buy from a proper source, one with verified and repeatable quality standards. And if anyone can tell the difference between organic and not, I would like to know. It’s all marketing BS and in rinse off products has no effect anyway.

  • Sal

    Member
    June 22, 2018 at 11:16 pm

    Hi Belassi, thanks for ur input. Appreciate your prompt reply-  I kind of agree with u too on making my own infusions. I am planning to buy the alcohol free liquid extracts and use them in either 1% or 2% concentration each. 
    What about using the tinctures???? Any idea about that. 

  • Sal

    Member
    June 22, 2018 at 11:20 pm

    To be very honest , I completely understand there is hardly any difference of using organic in a rinse off product like this. U r right , I only want to do it for the purpose of marketing and for a product to class as organic, it has to be atleast 70% organic ingrediants in it. That takes me to another question which I am trying to find out these days. How do they calculate 70% for such formulation.

  • belassi

    Member
    June 22, 2018 at 11:30 pm

    The things you describe are for health freaks. They are not for cosmetics. Water is organic, if you have 70% of that you should be OK, right?

  • belassi

    Member
    June 22, 2018 at 11:32 pm

    See if Bioextractos has a factor in your area. They are pretty big and have a huge range. They even do things like placenta extract. And they are accredited by the W.H.O. They have proper designations such as C6090C, which is x10 concentrate of aloe vera. I use that to make a cream that contains 100% aloe vera, which otherwise would be mathematically impossible.

  • Sal

    Member
    June 22, 2018 at 11:38 pm

    Ill check bioextractos and see if they are any. So far I have managed to get ingrediants fm baldwins, gracefruit and aromantic. They are all cosmetic ingrediant suppliers. I also found some really big firms who sell each ingrediant in bulk fm 25kg on. Do you think it would be easy to replace my ingrediants with the ones they sell if required in the future? Offcourse, I am talking about replacing exactly same extracts and extraction methods used to obtain those. I just cant buy them in large quantity at this stage because of the costs.

  • Dr Catherine Pratt

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 3:13 am
    Hi there,
    What are the ingredients you need?
  • Sal

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 3:20 am

    hi. I am looking for the following extracts;
    nettle
    liqorice
    chickweed
    brocolli seed

  • Dr Catherine Pratt

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 3:22 am
    How much do you need?
  • Sal

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 3:30 am

    Hi catherine, m trying to make a few samples at this stage with different % to see which one works better. I need these in very small quantity to do trials and once ive finalised the formula, ill be in a position to order upto 10-20kg or more. 

  • Sal

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 3:31 am

    Need to start with 1oz samples first

  • Dr Catherine Pratt

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 3:40 am

    easy: New Directions tel:1800637697

  • Dr Catherine Pratt

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 3:41 am

    in both tiny amounts and 20kg

  • Sal

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 3:46 am

    Ok great but the only concern is that i want to avoid duty and shipment charges. Having something locally would save me on that isnt? What are your thoughts?

  • Sal

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 3:48 am

    Ahh just realised its uk based - sorry my fault. 

    What do you suggesst is the best way to dissolve/add powdered extracts in the formulation?

  • Dr Catherine Pratt

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 3:49 am

    OK you could go by slow boat or try Making Cosmetics or Lotioncrafter. New Directions would most likely ship overseas a lot now cant hurt by asking?

  • Sal

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 3:50 am

    I usually make a paste with some water and add in water phase by straining it

  • belassi

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 4:22 am

    It is useless buying liquorice except from China. Those hobby suppliers only have very dilute extracts.

  • Dr Catherine Pratt

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 5:15 am

    How much is 1oz? maybe you actually can get samples for free?

  • Sal

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 8:16 pm

    1oz =30ml

  • Sal

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 8:18 pm

    Hi @Belassi
    u mentioned about these suppliers as hobby suppliers which worrys me in terms of getting supplies from them for my product. If you mean to say they arent as reliable as the proper firms who sell bulk ingrediants, does it mean i shouldnt rely on them for buyin ingrediants for my product which i wana sell? Just curious.

  • belassi

    Member
    June 23, 2018 at 10:04 pm

    No, I did not mean that. They are repackagers. For branded items, eg from Croda or Lubrizol, no issues. But as I already said, they tend to sell “extracts” that in my opinion are next to useless.

  • Gunther

    Member
    June 24, 2018 at 6:01 pm

    @Sal you’d better do the extraction yourself.
    Most extracts are badly watered down.

    Use water to extract them. Heating or boiling may be needed.
    Alcohol has no use in shampoo.

    You can buy the powdered plants by mail.
    Less troublesome at customs than mailing the whole plant.
    Powder extracts are also less likely to be diluted.

  • Sal

    Member
    June 24, 2018 at 8:16 pm

    Hi @Gunther thanks for gettin bak on that. When u say I should extract them myself, do u mean using powdered plants and lettin them seep in hot water etc? I have actually found alcohol free liquid extracts from one of the good suppliers. Im going to use those first and make one sample with powdered extracts too. The only reason i avoid actual dried plant or powder is because i dont prefer making herbal teas or decoctions due to more chances or microbial growth etc. I dont know If im right about it but thats wat i feel- will have to experiment :)

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