Formulating

Vitamin C serum

Posted by Stanley on July 13, 2021 at 7:16 pm

I have to make a 20% vitamin C serum. The viscosity is waterlike. I was asked to use MAP as a last resort.
i put in my ferulic acid and my whole system became cloudy. My system was ph-2.43 I was adjusting the pH with 30% soln NaOH. Any suggestions

Deionized Water (0.2 µm filtered)	64.500
propanediol	10.000
Vitamin C-L-ascorbic acid	20.0000
Ferulic acid	0.4000
Sodium hyaluronate	0.4000
IPM	2.0000
polysorbate 60	1.0000
Vitamin E	0.5000
Alphaflor GigaWhite	0.2000
Euxyl 9010	1.0000
Citric Acid	0.0000

Stanley replied 3 years, 3 months ago 5 Members · 9 Replies

9 Replies

suswang8

Member
July 16, 2021 at 2:57 pm

I cannot really help, other than to say the Internet is overflowing with C/E/ferulic recipes, such as this one:

https://lotioncrafter.com/blogs/facial-care/diy-c-e-with-ferulic-acid

I think to get more help on this board, if you don’t want to go with one of the recipes online, is to re-list your ingredients and indicate your phases.
Stanley

Member
July 16, 2021 at 6:02 pm

thank you kindly
Stanley

Member
July 16, 2021 at 10:59 pm

okay, i have made this but it keeps coming out pale yellow. How do i get this to be colorless? I neutralized this at the end and it stayed yellowish.
chemicalmatt

Member
July 20, 2021 at 3:04 pm

@Stanley It may be yellow today but it will be dark brown in 2 -3 weeks. That’s Vitamin C doing what it does best: oxidizing to dehydroascorbic acid. Brown stuff all day.

MarkBroussard

Member

July 20, 2021 at 5:51 pm

Stanley said:

I have to make a 20% vitamin C serum. The viscosity is waterlike. I was asked to use MAP as a last resort.
i put in my ferulic acid and my whole system became cloudy. My system was ph-2.43 I was adjusting the pH with 30% soln NaOH. Any suggestions

Deionized
Water (0.2 µm filtered) 64.500

propanediol 10.000

Vitamin
C-L-ascorbic acid 20.0000

Ferulic acid 0.4000

Sodium
hyaluronate 0.4000

IPM 2.0000

polysorbate 60 1.0000

Vitamin E 0.5000

Alphaflor
GigaWhite 0.2000

Euxyl 9010 1.0000

Citric Acid 0.0000

@Stanley

You’re light on the 1,3-Propanediol. Jack that up to 20% to 25%. Heat the propanediol up to 80C or so and then add the Ferulic Acid to the hot propanediol stirring to dissolve the FA, then add that to your water phase.

IPM … why?

MarkBroussard

Member
July 20, 2021 at 6:12 pm

@Stanley

This might help you:

(1) Heat propanediol + ferulic acid to 80 to dissolve FA

(2) Add (1) to water

(3) Add HA to (2) stirring @ 300RPM to hydrate HA (if you add HA after you ad the Ascorbic Acid, it will take forever to hydrate at a low pH)

(4) Add other W/S ingredients

(5) Pre-mix Polysorbate and Vitamin E .. Add to stirring (4)

(6) When (5) cools to 35C, add Ascorbic Acid

(7) Adjust pH to 3.2 - 3.5

The solution will appear yellow in the beaker, but when you pour it into a 30ml container, it will appear clear in the eye dropper.
Bill_Toge

Member
July 20, 2021 at 7:28 pm

I’d suggest adding sodium bisulphite as an anti-oxidant and benzophenone-4 as a radical trap

(disclaimer: I’ve not actually tried the latter in this context, but it’s very effective at preventing radical-induced dye degradation)
Stanley

Member
July 21, 2021 at 2:45 pm

@chemicalmatt @MarkBroussard @Bill_Toge

Thank you for your input…..
Stanley

Member
July 26, 2021 at 3:48 pm

Okay!!!—Stability

I have made 2 Vitamin C prototypes… I put them in a 45C oven for a week as well as a RT retains (protected from light).

A week later
The RT covered retains are pretty much the same coloring as when I started. Sample A- is a straw yellow
Sample B-is a darker straw yellow

A week later-45C oven samples
Sample A- has gotten moderately darker from the near clear initial start.
Sample B- has gotten darker to the yellow/orange range.

Not sure how to interpet this. Sample A maybe good for a month before it start turning yellow?

Suggestions….