[cindyhr]

Thank you! I’ll try a batch with Coco Betain, DHA and Erythrulose and see if it changes colors.

[cindyhr]

I am using DHA and Erythrutose. I ordered samples of a DHA product that has Sodium Metabisulfite and just some Sodium Metabisulfite by itself. Thanks so much for your input. This product is amazing and almost ready to launch if I can just get the color stable.

[cindyhr]

Hi DAS,

I am making a self tanner.  The product is amazing but loses it’s beautiful pink color after a while.  It turns brown.  I am using a Campo oil based natural colorant.  I have Coco Betain at 2% and Decyl Glucoside at 4% for foam because this will go in a foaming bottle. I am using a phytoscent in Sun Flower oil at 1% and the Campo coloring is .25%.  These are the only two oils in the product. 

Do you have any idea what could be making it turn brown?  I tried a chelator but it didn’t seen to help.

[cindyhr]

Thanks for your help and suggestions everyone. I truly appreciate the time you took to help me figure this blooming problem out. I found out that the white film is not mold. It is oxidation of the powders when the lipstick in unopened for too long. It is not dangerous, just not pretty. 

I research over twenty natural lipsticks on the market and could not find a preservative in any of them unless the company used a complex formula which included water. 

I found that a competitors product, which I purchased at Sephora, had the exact same white film on it. I had not used this lipstick in months. I contacted the company to find out what it was and if it was safe to use. They told me that the lipsticks will oxidize if they are not used for a few months. It is being in the dark container that causes the powders to do this over time. It is perfectly safe to use. Problem solved!

I’ll be adding the special wax to our formula which helps to prevent oxidation of our lipsticks.

[cindyhr]

Thank you Belassi for the good information. I purchased the formula from a company that had been in business for 13 years selling this lipstick with no problems. 

I want to make sure the shelf life is at least one year. Doreen our customers will absolutely not by a product with parabens. They are looking for natural so I need a natural or plant based solution if possible. Phenoxyethanol would be fine but it sounds like it isn’t strong on molds.

[cindyhr]

Sorry, I meant that the product is all oil based and Aqua Guard is water soluble.

[cindyhr]

I realized that this product can’t use Aqua Guard because it is all oil based. I cannot find a preservative without parabens that is oil soluble. I am going to try using a anti microbial like tea tree and substituting much of the wax for Makigreen Velvet Wax which inhibits microbial growth.

If this doesn’t work I guess I will have to use an emulsifier to add in a water based preservative. I may need to change the formula to include more water or maybe glycerin?

[cindyhr]

That is good information Perry.  I will add a natural preservative and test the shelf life. Is there any specific preservative you recommend for lip products? I have been using Aquaguard K12 for general skin care formulating.

[cindyhr]

Hi Belassi,

There is no water in the product so it doesn’t need a preservative.  I will send it off to have it analysed though. Good idea!

Thanks,

Cindy

[cindyhr]

I am buying a reasonably expensive wood pencil filling machine from Taiwan. This same machine can fill lipsticks, gloss, mascara, etc. I’ll contact the vendor to see if they can add lipstick flaming to machine. 

Thanks Bob!

[cindyhr]

Will do! Thanks Bob

[cindyhr]

Will do!  Thanks so much for the input.

[cindyhr]

Thanks Bob and Sunstone! The Dermamill 100 is about half the price of the Torrey so that might be a good one to start with. It does look like clean up is easier with removable rollers.  

When our volume increases I can purchase a larger model which will be easier to clean and I’ll know more about them when I am ready for a larger model.

[cindyhr]

Just FYI, I ended up purchasing an automatic powder press from Eugeng in China. It was about the same price as a single shadow lab press from the US. 

[cindyhr]

Sorry, I used 30% Mica Pigment not 40%. 

[cindyhr]

Also, is there something better than an Oster for blending or it that best?

[cindyhr]

Hi Bob,

When I used Cosmosurf the formula was: 60% Mica Powder, 40% Mica Color, 6% Cosmosurf and 4% Zinc Stereate. I ground it in an Oster and pressed with a manual One Ton Arbor Press. Using a few drops of alcohol in the pan before pressing.

Should I use Magnesium Stearate instead of Zinc?

In a few weeks I will be getting an automatic powder press from Eugeng and I will be able to apply more consistent pressure. I want to get a good formula together before then so I don’t waste a lot of shadows practicing. 

[cindyhr]

Or reach me at cindy@chaletcosmetics.com. 

[cindyhr]

Bob what is your email so I can contact you?

[cindyhr]

Hi Bob, We make only wood pencils. We will not make the mechanical or plastic ones. I purchased a really good formula for our brand and have been private labeling 50 pencils at a time hand-made and filled with a syringe for other companies. 

My family has been in cosmetics retail for 50 years and now we sell lots of other brands in our brick and mortar to compare. We know our pencil formula is good. Some synthetic formulas are better, yes, but we are going for the best we can get in natural. I totally agree with you on mechanical pencils. I won’t name the brands we sell in our stores but the quality of mechanical pencils overall is not good!

I am seeing a niche for small brands in pencils and pressed shadows, blush, etc. The Indie brands only sell loose powders because they don’t have equipment to do pressed. 

We we want to help small brands and manufacture for ourselves. We aren’t going to try to compete with the big boys. When a brand grows too big for us they’ll probably move on to Mana. 

You gave gave me a lot of food for thought. I’m going to run the numbers again and make sure that I can pay for the pencil machine in less than 6 months.

Thank you!

[cindyhr]

Hi Bob,  thanks for your input on the pencils.  The reason we want to do this is to produce pencils on a smaller scale for ourselves and other beauty lines private label.  There are very few natural pencils on the market made in the US. We found as a small beauty brand in order to differentiate ourselves in the marketplace we would have to buy 1,000 to 10,000 or more pencils at a time and they would not be natural or made in the US.  We want to manufacture and sell pencils on a smaller scale of 25, 50 or 100’s at a time not 1,000’s.  The brands that would come to us want it made in the US, natural and to be able to put their branding on them.  It would be a small niche market that the larger brands have not tapped.  Your thoughts on this are appreciated.

[cindyhr]

Sounds great Belassi!  I am getting the pencil machine from Taiwan and it is the most expensive machine at $24,000. In the US pencils machines are $100,000. This same company quoted $20,000 for the powder press versus Eugeng at $12,500. Maybe I can get them down more on the press. I would feel more comfortable buying from Taiwan than China but I don’t want to pay too much more. 

I’ll look forward to the Korean BBQ!

[cindyhr]

Thank you Ameen and Belassi. I will also be purchasing a hot stamp machine and pencil machine from Taiwan. It would be good to see the factory and even get some training on the machinery. 

[cindyhr]

Hi Everyone!  I am Cindy Holland-Rodriguez. My background is a CPA. However I have owned franchised cosmetics studios for the past 10 years. I am selling off the stores, and a few years ago we created our own cosmetics line. We contract manufacture the skin care and bought formulas for the color products from a company that was one of the first to offer natural products. 

We we are just beginning to wholesale our line and are purchasing equipment to automate production of the color products. We are currently handmaking everything. 

Looking forward to learning from so many experienced professionals!