[Graillotion]

As my chemist once told me… determine the phase the oxidation is happening in, and address it accordingly.

Just throwing one against the wall: N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

[Graillotion]

Gordof said:

hi Do you mean minoxidil? Melatonin does not have any effect on hair growth as far as knowing (skin Pigment) the only scientifically based raw material I know of is minoxidil?

Unfortunately, he meant what he said.  Here is pretty comical study said formula posted:

From January to April 2003 a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study was conducted at the Forenap Centre Hospitalier in Rouffach, France on eight healthy women to assess the clinical and biological tolerability of cosmetic melatonin. One group of this study were applied with a 0.0033% cosmetic melatonin solution once daily on their scalp each night before bedtime, while another group were treated with a placebo solution following the same protocol as the other group.

Within the duration of the study, all the participants were monitored every 14 days for any abnormal increase or decrease in their blood pressure and heart rate as well as any observable increase or decrease in their endogenous melatonin secretions. Based on the results of the electrocardiogram readings collected from all of the participants at the end of this study, showed no significant increase in blood pressure and heart rate for all the participants. But according to clinical laboratory tests for serum melatonin levels done on all participants, it was observed that a gradual increase in blood serum melatonin levels, which was vital for hair growth and restoration, was noted on the participants who were treated with the cosmetic melatonin solution.

Thus concluding that treatment with topical Melatonin is generally tolerable and hardly show any adverse reaction as compared to that of placebo.

So…they concluded… melatonin is not super toxic, therefore you can extrapolate that forward, that it will grow hair.  This stuff is just amazing! That last sentence I put in bold…is just classic scientific evaluation! 

I think from the marketing, and secondary ingredients…they are working on the concept of DHT blocker, hoping to reduce hair fall.

[Graillotion]

Allantoin is 6X too high…but doubt it would cause the tingling…just be abrasive since that much won’t dissolve. 

[Graillotion]

jemolian said:

Propanediol should be less sensitizing. 

You can search for Propanediol on https://www.cir-safety.org/ingredients , look at table 12, page 61 of the PDF for a comparison that they reviewed. 

That link did not take me where you might have thought.  Can you screenshot the image?  

Aloha.

[Graillotion]

I guess the second question I should have asked would be….

Since I do not formulate with PG….but I do use the kissing cousin… Propanediol…. can I expect the same level of irritation given the same parameters of testing?

[Graillotion]

Ah… w/o…out of my league….every venture I took down that path…caused hair loss…and I have none to spare.   

[Graillotion]

I think the group needs a little more information.

Assuming your pH is below 6, considering your choice?

My personal theory is….(and this is just me)…. if you emulsion is so close to the edge…that a preservative upsets it…than you haven’t build a good enough system.  Since you did not show your formula….we do not even know the emulsifier…and builders you used.  

I think better answers will be forthcoming if you provide more information.

I use E 9010….but then come right back and add some 1,2-hexanediol and 1,2-octanediol (caprylyl glycol).  Never had an issue.  But I am usually using a 3 way blend of a Montanov, some 165 and GSC.  Anything 165 based…is gonna be pretty hard to destroy.

Aloha.

[Graillotion]

Stanley said:

My only problem with Jedwards is they ship from MA. 

Most shippers…will ship nationwide.   

[Graillotion]

I use generic Everclear….because it is cheaper…and even higher proof…190.  Ethanol is ethanol.  Typically I am using it as a solvent for myrrh, and a few other specialty extracts I concoct.  It does not exceed…1-3% of my formulas.
It is of course volatile, so formulate accordingly.

[Graillotion]

Also in the West… Making Cosmetics.

[Graillotion]

Syl said:

Jedwars is my favorite too, are they not located in Braintree MA ?

Yes, they are….don’t know where my head was!  

[Graillotion]

I second Jedwards for West Coast….and depending on quantity desired…there is always Lotioncrafters (for very small amounts).

Granted…pretty much East Coast…but FSS has good service…if you don’t need it the same week…. And if willing to look to the North… NDA is always incredible.

[Graillotion]

ProfessorHerb said:

still smells like cupuacu after adding strong essential oils. How do I either work with the scent or cover it entirely?

Sounds like you’re working with the bottom of the barrel….with ingredient suppliers.  As mentioned above…get refined stuff.  The stuff with the smoke scent…and dirt grime from the processing camps in the Amazon is for mommy bloggers.  I have gotten some material from FSS that was nice….but the REALLY REALLY nice stuff….of course comes from ICSC, Denmark.  Completely without odor.

[Graillotion]

What is the preservative used?

[Graillotion]

I also use it at up to 2% with no negative texture.  Consider changing suppliers.

You did not list the tool you are incorporating it with.  

If you want a finer textured starch…look at rice starch.

[Graillotion]

Have you considered building a better emulsion?

[Graillotion]

Agree with Perry… alcohol has been around for thousands of years…and cosmetics I think tracked back as much….and don’t believe the two are good companions…as alcohol is drying, and creams and lotions are generally created to moisturize.  I would kinda compare it to using a hand sanitizer….as a face cream…. Not gonna be a big market for that.

Aloha.

[Graillotion]

First things first…. No preservative!  (And don’t say leucidal.)

Can you define peeling?  Your skin is peeling…or the product is flaking off your skin?

How do you expect water and oil to mix….without an emulsifier?

What form is the Vit A?

What is the pH?

What is it supposed to do?

Sorry….but being frank…this looks far more like a shopping list from a repacker …. than a formula.  

[Graillotion]

Pharma said:

Distarch phosphate is probably the starch phosphate you sent me… *cough-cough*

Cosmetic names can be confusing or misleading.

Hehe….not exactly… I know I sent Hydroxypropyl starch phosphate, which is water soluble…which was a pilling devil for me.  (How similar…will these be?)

I may have also sent the Greensil, bamboo silica powder….which now…is of interest to me again.  Hehehe.  I’ll have to look through my vast collection of those type things.

I did get notification today from Glenncorp…that they were processing my request for the distarch phosphate.

[Graillotion]

Rice and potato….those seem to be opposite ends of the particle size spectrum in starches…..so I can conclude…it is not size that matters? 

[Graillotion]

chemicalmatt said:

 I’ve discovered in my research on rice starch that is was shown - as was potato starch - to stabilize urea solutions at that pH too. The research paper mentioned that as a side note not as a breakthrough idea. Upon reading this the little light bulb went off inside my head: another means of stabilizing urea, how cool is that!. Since then I’ve formulated 20% urea creams using the classic lactate buffer approach backed up by 3.0% rice starch and have seen nothing but success. @Graillotion is exhibiting the same romance with triethyl citrate that I have. I think I’ve enabled her and perhaps an intervention may be needed. 

I am not sure where I will end up…in my search for the ‘grail’ of starch type products, and I do like to have only one ingredient per category if possible (except emollients…then things really go off the rails)…but would you say that the distarch phosphates would do the same thing as the native starches, in regard to urea stability?

Oh…and for the record…. Graillotion…is a ‘He’.  🙂

Don’t let my flower breeding put me in a box!  My latest creation.

[Graillotion]

I did try ordering the samples again….through Glenn Corp.

[Graillotion]

On my casual glance at numerous mfg formulas….a common inclusion rate is .2 to .3%

As TEC is a nice ingredient, and even quasi emollient,  I think you can’t go wrong with it.  I have a cream where I use it at an astonishing 5%.  (5% rate is not intended as a buffer.)

[Graillotion]

[Graillotion]

I use Niacinamide in formulas one formula that is 4.4 and several that are 4.8.  Of course, it works fine there..)  As Mark said…use the cheap one.  

All these re-packer sites that have that higher pH thingy…was just mommy bloggers reading technical papers, and not understanding the results (like using a strong acid….and the fact that cosmetics are typically not stored at high heat, or kept for 1,000 days…etc.)  Just grin….next time you read that.

A quote from Lab Muffin:

 Vitamin C is compatible with most things. The only true incompatibilities I can think of are copper ions (e.g. any of those blue copper products) and benzoyl peroxide – both of these will inactivate ascorbic acid.

It’s a myth that you can’t use niacinamide with ascorbic acid (Kind of Stephen has debunked this thoroughly on his blog).