[Dennis]

Thank you PhilGeis!
Do you think adding propylene glycol will enhance the preservative effect of Geogard 221? 

Adding propylene glycol to any formulation should make it less hospitable for any microbes I would assume?

[Dennis]

Syl said:

@Dennis, you can buy the stevia already made for $3.65 plus shipping. 
https://tkbtrading.com/products/stevia-sweetner

Best Syl

Thank you Syl for the suggestion. I found this site too when searching the web frenetically but I was deterred by the shipping cost. We also have an additional import fee of about 10$ to get it into Sweden from any country outside of EU. The shipping time is quite long as well.

I will get my stevia powder soon and I will update you on whether I succeed in making the stevia suspension on my own. 

[Dennis]

Syl said:

I use stevia leaves in a coconut oil suspension and it works well. Many manufacturers also use this sweetening method. 

Thank you for your response Syl. I will either find a really fine powdered stevia or (and) grind it up by myself. I know what a hassle it is to grind crystals up into powder that is fine enough to stay suspended in an oil because that’s what I did with xylitol.

I will attempt it with stevia by doing the following: 
Grind it up as fine as possible.
Mix it in with an oil.
Strain the oil from remaining big crystals.
Using the strained oil where, hopefully, a lot of stevia is present.

I have found a powdered stevia that I will order today. I have no clue how big the crystals are because it isn’t stated.

My previous questions still remain regarding the stearyl glycyrrhetinate, for those who are entering the thread.

[Dennis]

The SPF obtained from vegetable oils is negligible.

Personal anecdote: I tried the raspberry seed oil on one area of the skin and regular  sunscreen on an area right next to it. I got no sunburn in the area where the regular sunscreen was applied whereas in the area where raspberry seed oil was applied, got sunburnt. 
I was participating in an outside activity that only lasted a few hours and I tried to stay in the shadows whenever I could.

[Dennis]

It depends on the emulsifier. Which one do you intend to use?

[Dennis]

If I make a small batch, I heat up the water phase and non heat sensitive ingredients (like emulsifying agents) in a borosilicate measuring cylinder. That way, I can easily see if there were any major water losses. I’ve done this in the microwave several times with success. The water heats up fast and is not evaporating during a long time.

I really like Margaret’s suggestion. Do the lids get hot?

[Dennis]

Propylene glycol worked for me. I made a 5% solution dissolved in nothing but propylene glycol. 

[Dennis]

@ketchito
Thank you for your response.

I found out what the problem was!
I had also used a 20% carbamide solution on my hands prior to this happening. My skin was exfoliating. The flaking and feeling of having dry skin has not occured since then and I have used the formula many times on my skin since starting this thread and it has only improved my skin. Thank god I found out what the problem was.

I also want to add that the carbamide concentration in the above formula can be reduced to 3 or 2,5% if it is being used very frequently.

“Carbamide(urea)-containing creams are used as topical dermatological products to promote rehydration of the skin.” - Wikipedia

It is present in some creams prescribed by physicians in Sweden.

[Dennis]

Try to find another hard fat or wax and use less cetearyl alcohol if you are going for a 100% fat product.

If you include water in your product you could try to use less cetearyl alcohol and maybe add another thickening agent like xanthan gum for instance. This should also help with the tackiness. Make sure to use a xanthan gum that is high quality and does not make it tacky.