Bobzchemist
Forum Replies Created
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One option to try is to contact the various private label/contract manufacturing companies. Sometimes, they are more willing to take on someone with less experience. These would be places like Kolmar, etc.
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1) Not everything from Croda is synthetic: http://www.specialchem4cosmetics.com/tds/cronatural-brazil-nut-oil/croda/2708/index.aspx
2) Learning how to run a set of experiments to figure out whats going on with your formula is an important skill for a cosmetic chemist. Have you tried varying your emulsifier levels?3) I’ve found it useful to build natural formulas by starting with the “natural” surfactants (because there are so few of them) and then figuring out which oils work best with them, rather then the more traditional way. -
Try some of the Croda emollients, particularly the lighter ones.
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Like many other things in cosmetic chemistry, there’s a trade-off. Iron oxide and other inorganic pigment colors do not fade, but they have a limited palette, and are usually muddy and earthy. Organic pigment/dye colors, both natural and synthetic, on the other hand, provide brilliant, clean shades - but extraordinary measures need to be taken to keep them stable and long lasting, and there’s a chance that you never will get there. So, there’s a choice - which aspect is more important to you?
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Generally speaking, Iron oxide pigments are orders of magnitude more stable than the synthetic colors you’re using.
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How do you feel about Lanolin?
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This was pretty easy to find:
Have you tried Innovadex or Happi? -
@kfox, where are you located?
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The advantage to using denatured alcohol is for the licensing, tax, analytical and record-keeping requirements, at least in the US.
Pure Ethyl Alcohol is more costly because of all the federal and state taxes on drinkable alcohol, Proving that you are not using/selling it in a drinkable form involves quite a bit of interaction with the BATF, and you have to keep track of every ounce if you want to avoid the taxes, etc.Denatured alcohol, by definition, is unsafe to drink, so the record-keeping, etc. is much less. -
If you’re using fractionated (liquid) coconut oil, it would probably be easier to find and try whole coconut oil before trying to source hydrogenated oil. Whole coconut oil can be found at any health food store.
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OK, then I’m going with 2 possible theories:
1) The TiO2 is acting as a deflocculant, as if you’d added surfactant. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflocculant2) If you look up how bentonite gels develop viscosity, you’ll see descriptions of the “house-of-cards” structure. This happens when particle sides are able to loosely bond with sites on the particle top and bottom. The TiO2 may be interfering with this type of structure.Can you try a hydrophobic TiO2? -
I suspect that you are introducing some electrolytes with your TiO2. Is it coated?
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I run stability more like Ayla does.
In my book, RT is semi-controlled room temperature, i.e. whatever the temp is on the storage shelves in the lab, which is set to be 70F/21C, but in practice fluctuates between 61F/16C and 77F/25C, depending on the time of year.
77F/25C stability is in an incubator, and it’s a much more stable environment. -
My organic chemistry is so very many years behind me, but I’ll take a shot…
1) Muriatic Acid (Hydrochloric Acid) is freely available at most hardware stores. If Citric or 5% Acetic (vinegar) isn’t strong enough, you could try that.2) Nobody sells glyceryl citrate, so I don’t think the reaction goes that way.3) If you’re not going to sell the glyceryl stearate, why worry about it? (I know, synthetic chemists get all caught up in making pure materials, but really, in cosmetic chemistry, it doesn’t matter) If your Glyceryl Stearate has some di or tri stearate or even glyceryl stearate citrate mixed in, and it still functions as an emulsifier, then you just don’t have to worry about it - it still works. If your reaction conditions, etc. are the same each time, you will very likely come out with the same mixture each time you run it.The amount of “contaminants” would only be a cause for concern if you want to sell something commercially that you’ve made from your glyceryl stearate - and if you’re going to do that, then it would pay to spend the few hundred dollars it will cost to have your emulsifier analyzed at a contract lab. -
I’m just going to be a little nitpicky, sorry.
Not all emulsifiers are surfactants (short for Surface Active Agents) but most are, and it is extremely likely that anything soluble in oil is.Not all surfactants are emulsifiers, either, but again, most are. Typically, surfactants are the larger class, and emulsifiers are a smaller sub-group of surfactants. The exceptions are things like polymeric emulsifiers and some natural gums, which are not surfactants, strictly speaking. -
When you say oil-based, I’m assuming you have an anhydrous formula that is just oil and a bit of surfactant, which means none of the water thickeners will work at all. The first thing that comes to mind is just to use a thicker oil.
The next easy answer is fumed silica.
The harder answers involve looking at oil-based thickeners. Needing to retain clarity eliminates most of them. Having to be compatible with surfactants may eliminate the rest of them, but you’ll never know for sure unless you experiment. Try doing a search for transparent gelled oil - that should get you a starting point. -
I think what you’re seeing is the failure to deposit/adhere the conditioning agents to the hair strand. You will need to couple the dimethicone/amodimethicone with a deposition enhancer.
Have you tried the cationic gums/guar, etc.?
Also, Ashland’s N-Hance SP-100 is said to do exactly what you need http://investor.ashland.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=689082 -
Most places I’ve worked at with a time crunch for launch run three more or less separate stability tracks:
1) 45C for 10-12 weeks2) 40C for 6 months3) RT and refrigerator/freezer for two to three yearsObviously, almost no one would wait until 3 years passed, or even six months. It’s all about managing risk - passing 45C for 10 weeks is assumed to be roughly equivalent to two years at RT, so launch is allowed to go forward after 10 weeks of 45C stability, because the risk of failure is judged to be sufficiently low at that point.BUT…the stability testing continues, because the risk of failure, while small, still exists, and a stability failure can raise a red flag right up to launch time (and sometimes afterwards). -
I think it’s important not to fall into the trap of thinking “if a little is good, more must always be better”
There are two problems with this:1) “The only real difference between medicine and poison is the dose” - This is tied up with the (mistaken) belief that “natural” extracts, etc. cannot ever do any harm. (and therefore can be used at any concentration up to 100%)2) For most active ingredients, the dose/response curve has a point of diminishing returns, where you can add more of that ingredient, but you don’t get a corresponding increase in efficacy. -
You are in an excellent location. Avon seems to be hiring, have you checked with them?
Also, if you can afford it, you need to start going to the NYSCC meetings, and reading their newsletter:- Upcoming 2013 NYSCC Events Calendar • http://www.nyscc.org- January 15 NYSCC Chapter Meeting, Pines Manor, Edison, NJ- February (TBD) Joint Meeting with the Chinese SCC, Edison, NJThe current newsletter has very good tips on using social media:Going to at least one day of the NYSCC suppliers day trade show should be a priority:
- Have plenty of business cards ready - at least 100, more would be better. If you don’t have any from your current employer, get some made up with your name and contact info.- Bring at least a few copies of your resume. If you don’t have one already, make a short version that fits on one page.- Dress in interview clothes - you never know if an opportunity will arise spontaneouslyConnect with me on LinkedIn, please:Good Luck! -
How many CFU’s?
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We are currently testing Leucidal. At this point, I can’t give any credence at all to unfounded rumblings and/or rumors.
All I’ll say about GSE is that opinions differ.I will also point out that we’ve found it to be extremely helpful to use a chelating agent whenever we use a “natural” preservative system. -
Now is the right time to intensify your search. The holidays are over, and a new fiscal year has started (for some companies) If an increase in headcount has been approved, now is when some companies will start looking.
Pay attention to the SCC help wanted ads and the online job search websites. -
Grant industries - I’d try the TSS-5 first:
Dow Corning: either 593 FLUID or 670 FLUID -
C18-36 acid triglyceride is Syncrowax HGLC, a carnauba wax replacement. The melting point is 70C/158F.
Tribehenin is Syncrowax HRC. The melting point is 65 -70CIt is simply not possible to incorporate these into any silicone fluid at room temperature. Please be very careful about heating cyclomethicone.I really think you should give up on the idea of making sticks. It will take much more work to get it right than a gel will. If you feel compelled to put your creation into a commercial container, just get a container that works with gels, and fill it with your gel.You are making this way too hard on yourself. Get some silicone elastomer gels. Grind some water-soluble antibacterials into them. Possibly, add some silicone compatable film formers. fill into containers. The anti-bacterials will activate as you sweat. That should solve your problems.