Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating What’s wrong with my lipstick formulation

  • What’s wrong with my lipstick formulation

    Posted by summerstar on July 7, 2015 at 12:28 am

    Hello, everyone, thank you so much for having this forum discussion. Not just manufacturers benefit but entire populations benefit as we make safer and better products for them. I am having a problem with my lipstick formulation. It leaves the lips dry and chapped after it has been washed off. My line of products are strictly vegetarian based and I try to use mostly natural organic ingredients. My lipstick formulation, in particular is supposed to be a buttergloss type with lots of shine and I believe my problem is mineral oil. Among the other ingredients are: Plant waxes, castor oil, shea butter, triglyceride, dimethicone, jojoba oil, almond oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, vit E oil, Meadowfoam seed oil, wheatgerm oil, sunflowerseed oil, vit C, flavor, sweetener, color. Can you please advise me accordingly as i plan to switch mineral oil (which I use for shine) with polyisobutene? Can you also indicate an average % of polyisobutene of which I should use in the formulation, as it indicates that i should use from 1% to 50%. Thank you very much in advance.

    summerstar replied 8 years, 10 months ago 4 Members · 7 Replies
  • 7 Replies
  • Bobzchemist

    Member
    July 7, 2015 at 1:02 am

    Check with the polyisobutene or hydrogenated polyisobutene manufacturers: Creations Couleurs, Croda,, Elementis, Lipo, Presperse, Sensient for recommendations about use level.

  • ozgirl

    Member
    July 7, 2015 at 2:55 am

    Castor oil may be causing the problems you are experiencing. I have heard that it can be drying and irritating in lip formulations for some people.

    http://dermnetnz.org/reactions/lipstick-reaction.html

  • MarkBroussard

    Member
    July 7, 2015 at 3:54 am

    Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is generally used at up to 10% … you’ll have to experiment with it in your formulation.  And, Yes, Castor Oil may be irritating to some people.

    @summerstar:  What are you using to remove the lipstick?  Perhaps it’s something in your makeup remover and not necessarily the lipstick itself … Mineral oil is generally used as a moisturizer.  Next question: Are you the only person this happens to, or does the drying occur to a large proportion of  people who use your makeup?

  • Bobzchemist

    Member
    July 7, 2015 at 1:54 pm

    Make this formula below, and then test it. If your testers don’t develop chapped lips, you have a formulation problem with your previous formula. If they do, you have a testing methods problem.

  • summerstar

    Member
    July 9, 2015 at 12:28 am

    Which oil would be best to substitute with castor oil if I remove it from my formulation. I use castor oil mostly for shine, so I want to use one similar in properties.
    Which is better for more shine, mineral oil or hydrogenated polyisobutene?

    No makeup remover is used to remove the lipstick and through trial and error I have confirmed it is the lipstick that gives the chapped lips.

  • MarkBroussard

    Member
    July 9, 2015 at 12:38 am

    Grape Seed Oil will have a similar profile to Castor Seed Oil.

    Toss up on Mineral Oil and Hydrogenated Polyisobutene … You can make one batch with Mineral Oil, another batch with an equal amount of Hydrogenated Polyisobutene and compare the two.  You might also try a batch with 50/50 Mineral Oil and H Polyisobutene.
  • summerstar

    Member
    July 9, 2015 at 12:46 am

    Your advice is very much appreciated.
    I think I may want to eliminate mineral oil completely from my formulation because my previous formulations without mineral oil did not cause chapped lips. Only when I added mineral oil this occurred. However all my test formulations contained castor oil so I am still in doubt as to, if Castor oil is the problem.
    I will definitely try some formulations to rule out those two: castor oil and mineral oil.

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