[EVchem]

I don’t believe there are rules for this in the US,  but “being IFRA-compliant is a de facto requirement for selling fragrance goods in the EU market, whether one is a member or not.”
found this link, not sure how credible it is: 

https://magazine.moellhausen.com/ifra/eu-main-features-of-the-fragrance-regulatory-environment

[EVchem]

Yuck. I cannot imagine it working well, I guess the cetyl alcohol is helping ‘co-emulsify’ and build body. The D9 is very prone to soaping in everything I’ve used it in, I just use it when the client wants something ~natural~

[EVchem]

what is giving your product viscosity?

[EVchem]

I am still very new to this industry so I’ve only been able to go to one- the SCC Supplier’s Day in NYC. It’s very supplier heavy obviously, but that can be a good way to find new material sources. There were booths for mixing equipment and packaging though they were few and far between. Not really as many chemists/ cosmetic manufacturers as I’ve heard there were previous years though.

My favorite part is that before the show begins there are several course offerings (Continuing Education Courses). Topics depend on the presenter, I took one on Lipids and it was hugely informative. Perry was also giving one at the same time but I was too shy to stop in. 

[EVchem]

I’d agree on the pH possibly being too low. You can always try a knockout experiment if you have the resources to make several small batches.

Unfortunately my best guess here would be the preservative again, benzyl alcohol has been reported for irritation (although usually at high levels and  in few people). You might be a lucky one of the people sensitive to it. Maybe ask some people to test it (preferably not all over the face in case it is irritating, I often try the inside of my elbow)

Here is a safety report on it that goes into great detail
https://online.personalcarecouncil.org/ctfa-static/online/lists/cir-pdfs/PR574.pdf

[EVchem]

Sodium Hydroxide is a much stronger base, you’ll need less of it compared to sodium bicarb. 

Most of the ultrez series are fine, depends on your application. I don’t like that 940 is still around because it is processed with benzene and there can be residual left behind.

[EVchem]

This is very out of my field, I just want to say be careful with fragrance because I imagine the area of application would be..sensitive. 
 Also this is in no way a cosmetic so I have no idea of the regulations on this in any country

[EVchem]

If you want real accuracy, the HLD system factors in more than HLB like salinity and packing structures. I think it’s about as technical as I’m managing to read. Steven Abbotts website is a pretty fantastic resource https://www.stevenabbott.co.uk/practical-surfactants/index.php

[EVchem]

sounds like they meant vitamin B3.  You can find ways to test physical characteristics like pH and send out to labs for heavy metals etc, but like others are saying its good practice to evaluate a supplier’s quality overall.

[EVchem]

@chemicalmatt Thanks! I’m actually working for a contract manufacturer that needs it.  The Huntsman online catalog is a bit of a tangled web- why do suppliers website search bars never seem to work

[EVchem]

To get an idea of how much to use you can:

1. look at any and all material the ingredient supplier can provide you. Suppliers often provide recommended use levels, even tips on how to incorporate their material.
2. Look at other formulas and start recognizing trends. You can read off the back of labels you like and start guessing what the ingredients might be at. Perry often links people here. 
3. If you are going way too high across the board, you can dilute some products by either adding water or a thinner version of the same product.

Over time it gets easier to judge what level things need to be at to achieve certain feels/textures

[EVchem]

I don’t know much in this area at all but would be interested in learning more. I know Shea butter is a popular ingredient, not sure about performance but for marketing it’s well known and received

I’ve heard good things about Varisoft EQ 100 (INCI :Bis-(Isostearoyl/Oleoyl Isopropyl) Dimonium Methosulfate) if you can stomach the label name 
C13-15 Alkane (hemisqualane) is another mix I’ve been told is another ‘silicone alternative’. I doubt it performs exactly the same but could be worth a try

[EVchem]

Silicones feel nice, performance is unmatchable in my opinion.  They prevent soaping. 

My understanding is that the silicone fear in part comes from D5 (cyclopentasilxoane) because it is bio-accumulative and bad for the fishies. It’s volatile so if on the skin long enough it’ll evaporate and pose less of a hazard, but for rinse-off products EU has banned it. It also comes from them not being ‘natural’ (though no one bats an eye at most of the technology in daily life that does not grow on trees).

Silicones are much ‘cleaner’ in my opinion than some natural oils. Silicones are made up of one molecule with potential minor impurities, but plant oils can have a huge variation of molecules that can be more sensitizing.  They are not made from animal parts or palm or petroleum so you can appeal to people who value that. They are more sustainable than picking exotic native-mountain-berry oils  to make your lovely essential oil full of known common allergens.

I’ll try to find some good sources and link them here

[EVchem]

stearic acid not the same as hydroxystearic (which is the 12-hydroxystearic). You could try polyhydroxystearic which is common in lipstick ( so might be more obtainable) and the SDS I read says it is not harmful for the aquatic enviroment. That is a closer substitute

[EVchem]

Soaping is almost definitely from Olivem at 4% but like @jemolian said silicone should take care of it. 

I’m also wondering about the watermelon powder, how concentrated is it? ex if I used 200x aloe powder at 1% I would certainly expect stickiness. I’ll be really surprised if your allantoin is dissolving fully given how many other powders you have to dissolve.

[EVchem]

I would guess a different viscosity at the least, though I couldn’t really say the extent it would affect performance. Why not try taking some of the formula and pouring at 65 to have a physical sample to compare to?

[EVchem]

Speaking from the other side (from a turnkey contract manufacturer) I can tell you what I wish customers would come prepared with:

-what kind of volume order are you looking to make, and at what price range do you want to pay per unit?
-what kind of packaging are you interested in? ask if the supplier fills onsite or if they have to contract out
- what countries do you want to distribute to? ask if the CM assists with regulatory compliance on labels, formulas, marketing,etc.

- do you have a full formulation planned, or just a concept/key ingredients you want to incorporate
—ask how they handle the formulation development, who owns the formula at the end of the process? How do they test formula stability/vet packaging compatibility?

- will they provide a certificate of analysis and SDS for each lot they produce? (I believe this is now a requirement for certain payment processors  or sites like Amazon)
— if you make multiple orders, how do they ensure each lot is reproducible?

There are many more questions, that’s just what pops into my head first!

[EVchem]

@Perry based on that history I can understand the concern, but I don’t see why in current stages colorants are treated differently from any other kind of raw material. If I purchase a colorless rosemary extract I can (and should) view the supplier’s SDS, COA, and even get it independently tested for heavy metals and such.  Shouldn’t all raw materials have to prove safety in the same way?  

[EVchem]

A knockout test will be your best bet. I see you mentioned making the batch with only one of the actives but try the opposite where you only remove one ingredient (maybe start with that betaine just to see). I would also try leaving out the fragrance on a different sample. How fast are you seeing this discoloration?

Also I did find SFE839 through google but you might get more help if you put INCI names where possible.

[EVchem]

I’ve also worked with the campo “extracts that happen to provide color”.  Just be aware some of them can get very pricey (one was quoted to us at over $3000 a kilo!). 

Personally if these get scrutiny then why not other extracts? From my understanding colorants have been regulated because they traditionally were more likely to have unsafe contaminants, or possibly break down into dangerous by-products. Every cosmetic ingredient should have to prove identity and basic safety given appropriate use so the restrictions on this one category seem odd to me

[EVchem]

I have had this paper sitting in my files for a while now,  looks like it was done on behalf on skinceuticals and this is just on antioxidant activity. I’m always interested in papers that publish negative results.  There definitely is a market for the ingredient regardless

[EVchem]

All of these lipids have very different triglyceride proportions and so they like to crystallize differently. A low HLB emulsifier might help, I’ve seen chocolatiers often use sorbitan tristearate to help combat this, there may be other cosmetic ‘bloom inhibitors’. Otherwise you could try changing the ratios of the coconut oil and shea, though this will change the feel

[EVchem]

Wasn’t  decyl glusocide named allergen of the year? 

[EVchem]

How long-term are we talking? are you talking about lower TEWL while using the product or even after application has been stopped? I’m still new to the field but the studies on TEWL I can find mostly come from ingredient suppliers so I think they are a little biased. I found this paper that mentions urea working after 7 weeks, but that ingredient won’t be compatible with your low pH, and they don’t mention at all if the levels revert after stopping use.

I’ve only worked with squalane because squalEne is pricey, you can’t have that and then also have cost reduction- and I’m not really sure about it’s use as an antioxidant. you might as well go for an ester instead of CCT for stability and reduced cost.

[EVchem]

@Perry I get what you are saying. I suppose you could quantify the size of the lines and wrinkles? I know our regulatory team has a conniption if we mention ‘fighting blemishes’ on any product with sal acid  because it kind of suggests an anti-acne function.

 I’m not sure how I feel about the cosmetic regulations leaving so much up to interpretation in general (this topic fascinates me), and the repercussions in my opinion aren’t enough to dissuade companies who cut corners. the system seems broken