Forum Replies Created

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  • johnb

    Member
    November 20, 2016 at 2:47 pm in reply to: Resveratrol solubility

    Oops. Half of my reply (above) has disappeared into cyberspace.

    I went on to say that I’ve never had success in making a cosmetically acceptable solution of resveratrol although I’ve not tried PEG-400.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 20, 2016 at 10:39 am in reply to: Resveratrol solubility

    By far the majority of PEG-400 is a product of the oil refinery. Be very careful how you source it if “natural” is important to you.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 20, 2016 at 9:59 am in reply to: Why do we actually need chelating agents?

    If your formulation is “very stable and approved for all the features.” then there is no reason to change it.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 18, 2016 at 8:55 am in reply to: Identifying content abd percentages of a mix.

    Also, it will be extremely expensive to have anything near to a complete analysis - not a thing to undertake lightly. The result will most likely not be of much use to you either - couched in IUPAC names rather than the materials we all know (and love????)

    An experienced formulation chemist will be able to come up with a reasonable imitation of most cosmetic products without a scientific analysis. (I emphasise experienced.)

    Before my retirement, I spent many years as a senior (chief) chemist in a French perfumery house. I can tell you that despite having all manner of HPLC, GC, mass spectrometry, NMR and other equipment the final analysis a perfume compound, possibly containing hundreds of components, was always in the hands (or nose) of an experienced perfumer. It is much the same now.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 17, 2016 at 8:31 am in reply to: Bacterial Pigments

    Colorants used in drugs and cosmetics are subject to strict legislation worldwide. Only items which appear on a government controlled list are permitted. This list varies from country to country but, on the whole, most legislatures have similar permitted items.

    The chances of getting a new colorant substance, natural  or not, approved for cosmetics or drugs are slim to non-existent.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 16, 2016 at 4:20 pm in reply to: Sodium Metabisulfite or sodium sulfite as antioxidant

    Hydroquinone tends to be most active as a skin bleaching agent at an alkaline pH thus using sulfite in the acid form is a waste, although it is used in commercial products.

    From (distant) memory of making skin lighteners for African countries about 0.5% sodium sulfite should suffice but this will depend very much on the other components in the product.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 16, 2016 at 3:13 pm in reply to: Lip gloss

    Nice find, Ameen!

  • johnb

    Member
    November 16, 2016 at 8:18 am in reply to: SLES

    Do you want to recover the material? If you do, be careful not to break down the gel using more salt than is in the final product otherwise it will never thicken again.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 15, 2016 at 10:55 am in reply to: Searching for a previous post on Formulating Liquid Body Wash

    It is unreasonable for us to search with such limited information.

    Please give some more detail of your requirement(s) and, perhaps, put that information in the search box - top, right and click the “go” box.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 15, 2016 at 8:36 am in reply to: Alpha lipoic acid

    You already have vitamin E (tocopherol) present and green tea. Do you really want to use others as well?
    It is known that with certain antioxidant materials (not necessarity tocopoherol) that using excess/and or using certain antioxidant mixtures can act in a completely opposite way and be a pro-oxidant. I’m not necessarily indicating that your formula will do that but there is very often a case to be said for “less is more”.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 14, 2016 at 4:31 pm in reply to: Alpha lipoic acid

    My list varies depending on the product that the antioxidant is intended to protect. An aqueous formulation requires a different A/O to that required for an oil.

    You have obviously been influenced by the exotic. Idebenone or astaxanthin would most likely never appear on my list due to cost and rarity (I suppose I might include astaxanthin if I wanted an intense colour imparting).

    If you can give a clue as to the type of product you are trying to protect, I’m sure someone can offer some practical ideas.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 14, 2016 at 3:39 pm in reply to: Introduction

    If you are serious about setting up a commercial/semi-commercial concern it would be wise to pay careful attention to the premises you are intending to use.

    I’m not sure what “carriage house” means -we don’t tend to have them in the UK - but it hints of a stables or similar. That is a definite no - no!

    The hygiene in a cosmetics preparation/packaging area should at least as good as for commercial food handling/preparation. The first mouse dropping, dog hair, horse hair in or with product would kill your business stone dead as soon as that news was picked up by your local shopper newspaper.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 14, 2016 at 3:01 pm in reply to: Industrial mixer for small scale manufacturer- emulsions

    A problem I’ve found using an engineering drill press press as a mixer is that there can sometimes be an oil leakage from the gearbox. This wouldn’t matter using the drill for its intended purpose but it could spell ruin for your delicate emulsion.

    I’ve experienced this twice when the mixer/drill was working very hard for a long period and over a heater but, for normal uses and as long as an eye is kept on proceedings, these drills are excellent for the purpose.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 14, 2016 at 2:46 pm in reply to: Alpha lipoic acid

    ALA would not be near the top of the list in my choice of antioxidants.

    It is of a yellow colour - which it can impart into the product. It smells appalling - which it can impart into the product and it is unstable - requiring careful formulation control to maintain stability.

    Unless you want to make a virtue about ALA being present, I would avoid.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 14, 2016 at 9:11 am in reply to: Looking for Freelance Chemist- Hair Dye Aerosol
  • johnb

    Member
    November 13, 2016 at 4:59 pm in reply to: Formulation service/ help needed to preserve pure herbal paste

    Yes, you can. I suggest initially 25/75 glycerin/water and make your paste for preservation and then dilute this mix as required just before use.

    You need to try it out first!!

  • johnb

    Member
    November 13, 2016 at 11:53 am in reply to: Formulation service/ help needed to preserve pure herbal paste

    Simple and cheap -glycerin.

    If you use just the herbal powders and glycerin no preservative is necessary. You can go as low as 25% glycerin/water and still not need an added preservative.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 12, 2016 at 10:09 am in reply to: What it mean Plastic Capilar Surgery?

    “CPS is a deep hydration treatment that produces smoothness, a gorgeous silk appearance, shine at the same time it  highlights your natural or tinted color.”
    from http://fritzfree-bellocapelli.com/services.html

    It is a hair conditioner:

    “Cetyl Alcohol, from vegetable oil sources.

    Tetradecanoic Saturated Fatty Acid ( Same as a component in Nutmeg Butter)

    Ethanol from sugar fermentation

    Propylene Glycol

    Lactic Acid from sugar fermentation

    Cetrimonium Chloride

    Iodopropynyl butyl carbamate

    Perfume”

    A triumph of marketing over science? We’ll see.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 11, 2016 at 3:02 pm in reply to: Formulation service/ help needed to preserve pure herbal paste

    If it is two components and water, why not market it as a dry powder and let the user form the paste themselves?

  • johnb

    Member
    November 11, 2016 at 2:24 pm in reply to: Dissolving Stearic Acid

    There is confusion being generated here.

    There is little or no doubt are present in the form of soaps. The point is that these soaps are formed by the in situ neutralization of fatty acids by the KOH, NOT by saponfication.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 11, 2016 at 10:11 am in reply to: Ethyl Palmate

    I have looked at the patents referred to in the Greenshield website and I am unable to find any real purpose for including ethyl palmate. Most of the examples given in each of the patents do not contain the material and in those that do, the amount is very low.

    The patents are fine examples of obfuscation and demonstrate (eventually) comletely unrealistic formulations.

    In the LOI of the quoted product thus:

    Water,
    Acetic Acid (Organic),
    Ethyl Alcohol (Organic),
    Cyamopsis
    Tetragonaloba Gum (Organic Guar Gum),
    Fragrance (Organic),
    Sodium
    Hydroxide,
    Sodium Carbonate,
    Calcium Chloride,
    Ethyl Palmate (Organic),

    Silica

    Note that acetic acid reacts with sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate; sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate react with calcium chloride.

    So, what is there in the final mixture?

    Sodium acetate - something granny may have used as a cleaning agent (formed from vinegar and sodium hydroxide and carbonate), possibly sodium palmate (soap) from the decomposition of ethyl palmate by sodium hydroxide.

    The key ingredients of each of the patents is soapberry or soapberry extract. This is strangely missing from the pack LOI in the link you gave.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 10, 2016 at 6:24 pm in reply to: Dissolving Stearic Acid

    Editronic acid is a phosphonate chelating agent, not a fatty acid.

    I very much doubt that lauric acid,myristic acid, palmitic acid are included in the form of oils then to be saponfied in situ by the KOH (where is the glycerine of the sap reaction?)

    I agree that there is seemingly a huge proportion of sorbitol, also PEG-150.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 10, 2016 at 10:41 am in reply to: SUSPENSION BASE nail polish

    You still might like to contact Brambleberry. They will almost certainly be able to put you in contact with a manufacturer.

    Note: I am not associated with Brambleberry. They are one of the few suppliers who offer small-medium quantities of this base.

  • johnb

    Member
    November 10, 2016 at 10:29 am in reply to: SUSPENSION BASE nail polish

    What sort of quantities do you require? I think that anything innovative would be shown to cosmetic companies before any startup.

    Because of the potentially dangerous nature of nail polish, production is restricted to a few specialist makers who can afford (and are au fait with) the rules and regulations associated with manufacture.

    Brambleberry supply small quantities for the home user/small manufacturer plus pigments, glitters, pearls etc to make your own colour ranges.

    https://www.brambleberry.com/

  • johnb

    Member
    November 10, 2016 at 10:19 am in reply to: Industrial mixer for small scale manufacturer- emulsions

    Catering machinery suppliers may come up with the goods.
    Good thing there is that they will/should be able to supply sizes from domestic kitchen/small restaurant to large scale industrial production.

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