Bobzchemist
Forum Replies Created
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Perry,
I’ve found, personally, that being able to visualize what’s going on in a product, be it a simple emulsion, a liquid foundation, or a pressed powder, etc., helps tremendously when it comes to formulation and problem solving. But to do this, you need to develop a pretty comprehensive idea of what the structure of your product is, and the functions of the raw materials in it.
Also, you can’t just memorize raw materials and their functions - you need to develop a hands-on appreciation of how they behave, and to do that, you need to experiment, evaluate, adjust the formula, and evaluate again. Over and over, with each material. Sometimes, you can get a sense of how ingredients will behave in a formula by evaluating them at 100% - but sometimes you can’t. The easiest way to do this is to take a good formula, and tweak each ingredient up and down individually, evaluating the changes every time.
Constant learning is key. Not just reading, or experimenting, although those are critical aspects, but also talking to, and learning from, other people. And not just the professionals, either. Talk to the compounders, the machine operators, the mechanics. Every one of them will have something to teach you.
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While the FDA regulates both drugs and cosmetics differently, and the regs for drugs are much more stringent, cosmetics are also covered. Water quality and monitoring are areas where the FDA takes a close interest in cosmetics, since the potential for microbial contamination is high.
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I’ll point out that the FDA regs for water based products are not for the faint-hearted. If you’re planning on selling your products in the US, you might want to reconsider the whole aqueous product concept.
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Can you afford to source a product like Vegelatum Clear from Botaneco?
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@Bill_Toge brings up a great point. To me, an expert cosmetic chemist incorporates aspects of chemistry, chemical engineering, packaging/mechanical engineering, project management, microbiology and skin physiology into their practice (among others, but those are the most important).
I don’t think a degree is totally needed as a credential, but the body of knowledge required to be an expert cosmetic chemist would easily top what’s required for a master’s degree, and school is frequently the most efficient way to learn what you need. It’s just not the only way.
Thinking about it, I’d have to say that the most important trait that differentiates an expert cosmetic chemist from a by-the-book pedestrian cosmetic chemist is problem-identification/problem-solving. Knowing what’s gone wrong and knowing how to plan out the process to fix it is invaluable.
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Much also depends on what skill level you’re making this at. It wouldn’t be helpful for us to suggest any of the alternative products that have 100 kilo minimum orders if you only need a few grams for a home-based formula.
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PETA…
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No, sorry. That crosses over the line into “work that must be paid for”.
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Please read the rules for asking for formulation advice before proceeding.
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The official FDA definition of what makes a drug is something that affects the structure and/or function of the body. Anything that only affects appearance is a cosmetic.
The question that introduces some gray areas is “how does the FDA know which ingredients do that?” There is, after all, zero budget for testing cosmetics to see if they are drugs or not.
So, the FDA relies on two (relatively) simple tests to determine this. The first test is “Does the product in question include any ingredient at any level that the general population would recognize as a drug?”
The second test is where the lawyers earn their money. “Does the product make any claims in any way that it affects the structure and/or function of the body?” This is the source of all the convoluted language used by cosmetic marketers.
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That’s nice. Was there a question you wanted to ask, or are you just sharing your latest project?
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Since the extracts do nothing other than look pretty on the label, my educated guess is that the combined total of all the extracts and oils is below 0.01%.
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Wow - that brings back memories. My advanced organic chem professor gave me dodecanal as an analytical unknown - I had very unhappy lab partners while doing some of the testing.
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There are a number of lipstick formulations on the web. Why are you trying to create your own before understanding how to formulate? It’s like trying to cook a souffle before you know what an egg is. Using a pre-made base will give you a much, much higher chance of success. Getting it right on your own will involve months if not years of study and experimentation.
If the result you get after using a pre-made base isn’t to your liking? Start over and use a different base. Cosmetics is about experimenting, adjusting and re-adjusting until you get it right.
Pre-made lip bases are tested for safety. Adding ingredients other than colorants voids that testing. It’s very risky unless you know what you’re doing.
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Brenda,
It is certainly within the realm of chemistry, but…I’m not sure that anyone has ever quantified precisely what’s in the different varieties of olive oil, so that the only descriptions I can find are rather vague: glycerol, phosphatides, pigments, flavor compounds, sterols, and microscopic bits of olive.
But - the question of how these are altered by going through the saponification process will most likely remain unknown. As I said before, no one has the time or money to actually find out.
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I’ve always suspected that “unsaponifiable” actually means in practice “all the stuff that’s left behind after we turn the oil into soap”.
Turning reaction byproducts into cosmetic materials isn’t a new idea - it’s been done for decades, at the very least. I don’t think that the lack of information has to do with trade secrets, etc. - it’s just that no one has the time or the money to run a full-scale chemical analysis on this raw material. (Or any sort of analysis, for that matter).
From a supplier standpoint, why would you bother to analyze this for a CoA if it sells perfectly well without one?
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I think that Coconut Water, rather than milk, might work well for you. It seems to be getting more popular as a drink.
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I’m very fond of “car bomber 940” but I think the NSA might have issues with calling it that. “Carbomer” is the correct generic name.
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How pH stable is the color?
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Just out of curiosity, why is the slight haze from the antifoam a problem?
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I agree with Bill. Given the prevalence of lawsuits these days, claiming “preservative-free” is just asking to be sued.
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Isopropanol?
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You might consider testing some of the silicone elastomer gels on your skin.
If they don’t irritate, they are remarkably easy to formulate with, so they’d be a much better choice for this type of project, as long as you’re willing to give up most of the bells and whistles you asked for.
“Serums” are notoriously difficult to get the right viscosity and still keep stable.
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This is exactly why it’s really helpful to make a list of desired attributes before you start a new product development process. It’s also helpful to split that list into “required”, “wanted but not critical”, and “nice-to-have” categories.
Is beard hair softening a “required” or a “wanted but not critical” attribute? Only you (and/or your marketing folks) can answer that question. Johnb and many major manufacturers think it’s “required”, but it’s your choice.
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Be aware that this suspension base is highly flammable/explosive, and needs to be mixed and stored in an explosion-proof room, for insurance reasons if nothing else.
If you mix suspension base with powders and there’s a fire, your homeowners insurance will pay you absolutely nothing, not to mention all the legal trouble you’ll get into.
Stick with the private label nail polish companies - it’s much safer.