Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Your favorite water based moisturizing ingredients (humectants/skin protectants) compatible w pH 2.

  • Your favorite water based moisturizing ingredients (humectants/skin protectants) compatible w pH 2.

    Posted by Zink on July 4, 2015 at 2:26 am

    Sodium PCA? Sodium Lactate? Sodium Hyaluronate? Or something completely different.

    Looking for skin protectants and humectans that could work in a low strength peel, e.g. 10% Glycolic Acid pH 2.

    Microformulation replied 8 years, 9 months ago 4 Members · 14 Replies
  • 14 Replies
  • pma

    Member
    July 4, 2015 at 4:42 pm

    pH 2? Are you sure? Seems to be too low…

  • MarkBroussard

    Member
    July 4, 2015 at 10:09 pm

    By regulation, products containing alpha hydroxy acids cannot have a pH lower than pH 3.5 and must have specific sunburn warning verbiage on the label if it’s a consumer OTC product.  Now, peels targeted to the professional market, no problem.

  • Zink

    Member
    July 5, 2015 at 12:46 am

    Yup I know this, so as for moisturizing ingredients? ;)

  • MarkBroussard

    Member
    July 5, 2015 at 3:13 pm

    I would use all three.

  • Microformulation

    Member
    July 9, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    So out of curiosity, you know this and it is a Professional product or you know this and are forging ahed?

  • Zink

    Member
    July 10, 2015 at 12:05 am

    Not decided, it could go to the professional market or the consumer market if adjusting pH to 3.5. In both cases it’d need to be weak enough to not need any post use neutralization or washing off, yet potent enough to cause significant exfoliation. 

    In any case interested in what kind of humectants and skin protectants would work well in a low pH formula.

  • Microformulation

    Member
    July 10, 2015 at 12:22 am

    I just ask since I had a client who sold a product at such a low pH. What is interesting is at that low of a pH many of the actives could be denatured. Rather than an emulsion you might just be making a Ceviche. In his case he sold it on Amazon. Several years later I learned he lost a lot of money in a Product liability suit when it caused scarring. Hence the 3.5 pH limit.

  • Zink

    Member
    July 11, 2015 at 5:28 am

    I’m definitely aware of low pH giving a lot of common emulsifiers a problem, creating cottage cheese in some cases.

    Exclusively water based moisturizers are in general a new topic to me, so curious as to what people have found effective. I see some products for instance use hyaluronic acid and even derivatives of it that will reduce tewl.

  • Microformulation

    Member
    July 12, 2015 at 1:12 am

    While it arguably could have some effect on TEWL, this is hardly the primary mechanism of action of Hyaluronic acid.

    Generally t acts to draw water into the skin. Current thought is that TEWL is improved over a period of time as the NMF is restored. It is fairly involved and many other chemicals contribute just as importantly to the NMF.

  • MarkBroussard

    Member
    July 12, 2015 at 10:36 am

    @zink:

    Sodium PCA and Sodium Lactate are in equal proportions as components of NMF, each comprising about 12% of the total NMF composition.  As for Hyaluronic Acid, depends on the molecular weight of the HA … Super Low Molecular Weight is small enough to penetrate into the epidermis.  Higher molecular weight HA will form a film on the surface of the skin.
  • Microformulation

    Member
    July 12, 2015 at 1:25 pm
  • Microformulation

    Member
    July 12, 2015 at 1:27 pm

    Sorry for the weird text, that is just how it pasted. Generally Sodium Hyaluronate is considered a humectent although it is also an important part of the NMF as well. If you read up a little you will find that mimicing the NMF can be an effective tool in moisturization.

  • Zink

    Member
    July 13, 2015 at 6:34 am

    That article is just a very basic overview of what’s available, I’m looking for things that are specifically water-soluble and low pH compatible, and ideally evidence that they’re helpful at reducing TEWL or improving some other moisturize related property.

    E.g. 1.5x10e6 MW Sodium Hyaluronate gets hydrolyzed at pH 1.6 - 3, see:
    2008 Effect of pH on the Behavior of Hyaluronic Acid in Dilute and Semidilute Aqueous Solutions
    2005 Role of the pH on Hyaluronan Behavior in Aqueous Solution

  • Microformulation

    Member
    July 13, 2015 at 11:56 am

    I only posted the article because you implied that Sodium Hyaluronate decreases TEWL as its primary mechanism of action.

    In addition since we are discussing moisturization it provides a baseline for the newer people following the conversation.

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