What is the purpose in the product?

Formulating

SD Alcohol 40, Aqua, Fragrance, Propylene Glycol, Polysorbate
20, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, FD&C Blue no.1,
D&C Yellow no. 10, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl
Salicylate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Citronellol,
Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool.

Posted by Chemist5000 on August 8, 2018 at 4:23 pm

In the following ingredient deck for a body spray… Why would you mix Alcohol and water? Why not either one or the other?

I have seen the last several raw materials (starting from butylphenyl methylpropional to the end) at the very end of several formulations for sprays and for creams. Why are they needed?

Chemist77 replied 6 years, 3 months ago 5 Members · 10 Replies

10 Replies

Microformulation

Member
August 8, 2018 at 5:14 pm

1. The “raw materials” you see after D&C Yellow #10 actually are the components of the fragrance that must be declared in the EU. Pretty basic question.

2. This is likely a fragrancing Body Spray with suspended mica that has been colored with FD&C/D&C dyes. The alcohol is a solvent and is likely mixed with water (and PG) to decrease some of the perceived drying of the Alcohol. This is very common in these products.
Chemist5000

Member
August 8, 2018 at 7:50 pm

@Microformulation Thank you so much. sometimes the basic things can be the most confusing to me.

So the water to alcohol ratio would be something like 80:10? So the PG is not really needed?
Microformulation

Member
August 8, 2018 at 8:05 pm

The PG is cheap as dirt and adds moisturization. Except for the IFHRA Fragrance Declaration (the claimed fragrance components) the Formula is pretty basic and just about every material provides function. Why the push to remove ingredients from an already basic bare bones Formula?
Chemist5000

Member
August 8, 2018 at 9:04 pm

@Microformulation just asking a question for my eternal knowledge base.
OldPerry

Member
August 8, 2018 at 10:40 pm

In case you’re curious, there are currently 26 EU allergens that you must declare if they are in your fragrance / product.

List of EU allergens
ozgirl

Member
August 8, 2018 at 10:42 pm

I would guess that they use water because it is cheaper than alcohol. The water would also be required for the carbomer. It actually looks like a formula for a hand sanitiser.

I think the propylene glycol could be used to make the fragrance longer lasting.
Chemist5000

Member
August 9, 2018 at 4:39 pm

Thank you for the help!
Chemist5000

Member
August 9, 2018 at 4:40 pm

@Perry thanks for the information! I was not aware of this!
Microformulation

Member
August 9, 2018 at 8:15 pm

@ozgirlI first thought Hand Sanitizer when I looked at the deck as well. The OP referred to it as a Body Spray so I had to revise that initial assessment. This looks a lot like a Victoria Secrets Product I knocked off about 10 years ago.
Chemist77

Member
August 10, 2018 at 11:07 am

I too tried this one, knocked it off pretty nice but on standing the mica was knocked down to the bottom. I just gave up on the idea, not a very sellable concept in fragrance industry.