Bobzchemist
Forum Replies Created
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Gluten-free water??? Thanks for the chuckle.
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This information was readily available on the web, last time I looked.
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I will point out that most, if not all, of these things are available used on ebay.
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6. What kind of glassware?A) Any Boro-silicate lab glassware is fine. Stainless steel kitchen pots are also ok, if you don’t store anything in them – stainless steel beakers are better, because they are a higher grade of steel, but they are much more expensive. If you use kitchen pots, I’ve found that it’s a good idea to passivate them with 10% Citric Acid before you use them for the first time, and then again after any time you clean them with an abrasive.7. Clean water..? We made our own twice-distilled water in my lab, which is not an option in my home. What should we use? De-Ionized water is standard. Tap water can be used if it’s well-filtered, but the ions can cause trouble. http://www.amazon.com/Pure-50gpd-Unit-post-Deionizer/dp/B006OP5500/ref=sr_1_34?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1415030475&sr=1-34&keywords=deionizer 8. a Balance or scale.A) Mettler, Ohaus, Sartorius, are the top three brands - one of these should work unless you plan on making large batches: http://www.amazon.com/Ohaus-PA1502-Analytical-Precision-Readability/dp/B0064I6FA6/ref=sr_1_17?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1415027543&sr=1-17&keywords=balance
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This is another water bath possibility:
Commercial kitchen equipment is always worth looking at when you are setting up a small lab without a big corporate budget behind you. -
3. Thermocouple?A) I like the Taylors, with an armored probe wire:4. Magnetic stirrer hotplate?A) We have one of these - it’s working well so far: http://www.amazon.com/SCILOGEX-MS-H280-Pro-Circular-top-Temperature-Control/dp/B00B3OC1DG/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1415027383&sr=1-3&keywords=stirrer+hot+plateAlso, I think a hot-water bath is very useful. It’s possible to approximate one fairly cheaply by using an induction hotplate and a metal pan/pot of water. Saran wrap can keep the steam off your hands and out of your batch. http://www.amazon.com/Burton-6200-1800-Watt-Induction-Cooktop/dp/B0037Z7HQK/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1415028562&sr=1-3&keywords=induction+cooktop5. Do we need a viscometer? If so, what kind?A) EVERYBODY uses Brookfield: http://www.gardco.com/pages/viscosity/vi/dve_viscometer.cfm Getting a used one from Ebay is fine IF you send it to Brookfield to be calibrated before you use it.
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1. I assume I need an overhead mixer. What type? How strong of a motor? What sort(s) of blades? Best manufacturer?A) I would get at least 2, possibly 3 overhead mixers…if I could afford it. One for high-torque/low-speed, one for low-torque/high-speed, and one little one for pre-mixes. Caframo makes nice mixers, and some of them have changeable gear ratio’s, so you can use just one mixer for both functions. IKA makes a nice mini-mixer, and their lab mixers aren’t too shabby either.I don’t think you need a homogenizer when you are just starting out - a disperser blade in the high-speed mixer combined with a small enough batch size should be enough. http://www.mixerdirect.com/impellers/high-shear.htmlI’m a big fan of the bow tie coil blades. Among other advantages, it is almost impossible to break a beaker with one when you move the side of the beaker too close to the blade, the way the fixed-blade stirrers can. (No-one needs to comment on how I know that, thank you very much) http://www.amazon.com/Talboys-Bow-Tie-Impeller-Diameter-Stainless/dp/B005CJZJIW/ref=sr_1_4?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1415027957&sr=1-4&keywords=bow+tie+coil 2. pH meter?A) Pretty much any lab quality meter will do - but don’t get the very cheapest no-name brand, either: http://www.amazon.com/Oakton-Economy-Meter-2-00-16-00/dp/B004G8PWPA/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1415026832&sr=1-3&keywords=ph+meter+digital
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@nasrins, my assumption is that the fragrance is soluble completely or almost completely in the alcohol, but not in the alcohol/water solution. Just enough solubilizer to get the fragrance into concentrated alcohol is probably not enough to get it soluble in the alcohol/water solution.
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I don’t think the propylene glycol is helping you any either.
Try this - mix just the fragrance, water and alcohol together, and evaluate the feel and stability/compatibility - if the fragrance is soluble in the alcohol/water solution, there is no need for the PEG-40 HCO. (If the batch is cloudy, you need at least a little. Titrate the batch dropwise until it clears - 2 or 3 minutes of mixing might be needed between drops) Split the batch and add the 1% glycerin to 1/2 the batch. Evaluate the feel again. Combine portions of the two at various levels to determine the best level of glycerin. You might be able to stop there and have a finished formulation. -
Oops, sorry - since we don’t have an abbreviation list up yet, HIP = High Internal Phase, which describes either a W/O (Water in Oil) or an O/W (Oil in Water) emulsion where the discontinuous phase is much higher than usual.
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Hmmm…I’m thinking that your best move would be to purchase an already-made HIP emulsion or two from Dow Corning, and then just thicken it up a bit.
http://www.ulprospector.com/en/na/PersonalCare/Detail/259/61149/Dow-Corning-7-3118-EBAP-HIP-Emulsion -
Where are you located?
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Just remember that a tinted sunscreen, or a foundation + sunscreen, is still an OTC drug in the US
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Please, everyone, calm down. This is supposed to be a pleasant, helpful place where we all can share our experience and help each other solve problems. Insults are not good form.
I think that this has pointed out a need for an abbreviation/common term directory, maybe pinned to the top so that it’s easy to find. @Perry? -
For someone who’s not trained in cosmetic formulation, you’re taking on a big job with a tight deadline. A trained/experienced cosmetic chemist could do this, but for someone with no formulating experience, I’d say you have a 50/50 chance of success on all 5-10 products being successful in that time-frame.
I’d make two or three suggestions:1) Find a partner/assistant who is already a cosmetic chemist2) Partner with raw material suppliers who have their own formulation labs who will be able to develop most or all of the formulations for you. Explain to your client that there will be minimal opportunity to make/test changes, since proper stability testing requires 3 months of testing each time the formula is changed.3) Get at least 50% of the cost of the project up-front -
Also look at Interpolymer:
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Co wash???
Why would anyone want to wash a Co? -
Basic rule of thumb is that you always sell for at least twice what it costs you to make. Add up all costs, including overhead and cleaning/set-up time, and double it. (The salesmen I know would say then add 40 -50% more and start negotiating down. If the customer doesn’t flinch when you tell him your starting price, you started too low.)
Minimum quantity should be one full sized batch, however large your vessel is. It would probably be a good idea to find out what your competitors are charging, also.You should almost always be able to fill a bucket just by pouring. How thick is your product? -
I haven’t looked into this all that much, but as near as I can figure out, the differences have a lot to do with coverage, i.e. how much skin can be seen through the applied product. An old school liquid foundation was usually formulated to cover blemishes and even skin tones - as a result, it has the greatest coverage. Tinted moisturizer, Hydrating BB cream, and BB cream are all the same thing. Tinted sunscreen is tinted moisturizer with sunscreen added. I’m not sure what CC cream is.
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Hair is dead keratin - that’s all. Nothing that has effect on skin, even if proven, will have any effect on hair. I know it’s hard to hear, but marketing hype to the contrary, none of the wonderful-sounding additives or extracts in a shampoo make any difference at all to the performance. The chances of being able to deposit enough of any ingredient in a regular, non-treatment shampoo to make a difference to the scalp are minimal, at best.The reputed advantages of any ingredient other than ones already proven to have effect on hair surface properties should be taken with a huge grain of salt
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The Pemulens will make a sprayable emulsion:
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@hishine, are you restricted by VOC regulations? A water-based gel emulsion will probably take too long to dry for most consumers.
Also, what kind of product are you trying to make? 10% oil sounds like it would be very greasy… -
Try googling “anhydrous emulsion”
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We tried that. The third-party organic certifiers threatened to both sue and file a complaint with the FTC. Our management backed down. Apparently, they now consider the word “organic” anywhere on a label or in an ad to be false and deceptive if the product isn’t certified. So unless your pockets are deep enough to withstand several lawsuits, you ought to steer clear.
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Also, a regular household water heater does not cost that much, so pre-heated water will reduce batch heating time.