[JOJO91343]

I think 50 ml batch size is very small to be stable. Most of the time, in manufacturing, they start with 500g Lab batch.

You didn’t add any thickener in the water phase. Thickeners will enhance the formula stability. If you like to make it natural, you may add any of Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Hydroxymethyl Cellulose, etc.

If you don’t like to use fatty alcohol, you may use Olivem 1000 (Cetearyl Olivate and Sorbitan Olivate) and Shea Butter in the oil phase.

I feel that 19% of oil is too much, you can add 3-5% oil and 5 - 8% emollient ( for example, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride)

You can add glyceryl stearate 2- 5% just to make the cream bright

Actually, if you don’t like to use fatty alcohol, it could be an issue, but, try to make the % of ingredients in the oil phase around 10% without considering the % of oil or emollient.

You may try these ingredients in a lab batch

[JOJO91343]

For me, it looks like you are trying to make moisturizing cream, but, it started to separate

In a lab batch, you may try: Caprylic Capric triglyceride: 5 - 7 %, Glyceryl Stearate: 1.5 - 2%, Cetyl Alcohol 3%, Cetearyl Alcohol 6%. Both Propylene glycol and pentylene glycol are solvents and solubilizers. If you add both of them in the concentrations you mentioned in the formula, that may break the emulsion. You may only add Propylene glycol 5% and HEC (Hydroxyethylcellulose) 1.5%. You may add Sodium PCA 5% after emulsification and cooling down. It is natural moisturizer factor in our skin. It can bring good moisturization

Try to make you formulas by % and weight units (g). You don’t need to have the volume units in the formula

Your emulsification technique is very important. It may determine the stability of the product.

Sometimes, High Shear Mixer is not enough. You may need to use Homogenizer, also

[JOJO91343]

Hello

Name: George Ibrahim

Area of Formulation Expertise: Skin and Hair Care Products for 19 years

Types of Projects I prefer: Manufacturing, Quality Control, and Research & Development

Email: OMELNOOR1@YAHOO.COM

Mobile: 248-705-2217

Location: Orange, CA

[JOJO91343]

If the Bad odor is fishy, it could be because of Cocamide DEA which stands for Cocamide Diethanol amine and the odor of amine is fishy

[JOJO91343]

Thank you all

[JOJO91343]

Thank you Gordoff

[JOJO91343]

I am using Dye.  I may try 0.01%
Thank you

[JOJO91343]

May be you used Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide to adjust pH upward to 4.5. You may check that, also

[JOJO91343]

You may contact me
OMELNOOR1@YAHOO.COM

[JOJO91343]

I think you need to make in-vivo testing to clarify that

[JOJO91343]

This link will help explain my point
https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=The+best+ph+range+for+hair&fr=yset_widemail_chr_win&type=default

[JOJO91343]

You may try to change the surfactant system in a small lab batch and keep pH in the acidic range (4.5 - 5.0) for better cleansing and better hair conditioning (Try first on volunteers from different ethnic background because this pH range may not be suitable for all of them in case if some of them used to have hair loss on periodical bases.  They may need to treat their hair loss first):
Lauroyl / Myristoyl Methyl Glucamide (Co-emulsifier): 14%
Cocobetaine (Amphoteric): 14%
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate: 7%
The pH range and The Surfactants Ratio shouldn’t cause any hair loss, but, if the people were experiencing Hair Loss before applying your formula and they didn’t notice it, they may think that your formula is the reason for their Hair Loss)
Good Luck

[JOJO91343]

Regarding the formulas you provided.  One of them has Tamanu Oil (Refined) and the other one doesn’t have Tamanu Oil which one of them did you get the tingling and the urge to itch?.  I passed by this link concerning Tamanu Oil (refined) Skin Irritation:
https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=Awr9CW8dgidge_0AZWNXNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNncTEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Nj?p=skin+irritation+from+tamanu+oil+%28refined%29&fr=yset_widemail_chr_win

[JOJO91343]

You may try Sodium Decylglucosides hydroxypropyl sulfonate (Naturally derived from renewable sources and mild), chembetaine (amphoteric) and Lauryl Glucoside.  Also, you may add Panthenol as a skin conditioning agents and sodium PCA (Moisturizing Agent) at 40 c close to the end of the batch

[JOJO91343]

Sometimes, it is the technique of making the emulsion and/or the step you are adding Lidocaine Hcl.  Also, The pH of emulsion (Cream).  Usually for Cream: 5.5 - 6.0 unless you are using Salicylic Acid for Acne Cream or making Hair Conditioner.
You ca dissolve Lidocaine HCL in D.I water at room temp (try to dissolve it in the least amount of water). Sometimes, You may warm the water to 35C - 40C (for faster dissolution), and dissolve Lidocaine HCL in it, then, add it (post-emulsification) to the emulsion at 40 C and Mixing Speed 500 - 600 RPM.  You need to look at the emulsion at this point, if you see it “grainy”, you may homogenize it using Silverson Homogenizer at 5000 rpm for 3 min. at the same temp. (40C)
Also, the thickener you are using and its concentration can be a reason for the “grainy” appearance.  You may try Xanthan Gum at 0.1% if you still have the same grainy effect at the end of the emulsion.  you may try Sodium Hyaluronate at 0.1% which can give a significantly smoother result.  It is recommended to make a slurry of either Xanthan Gum or Sodium Hyaluronate with Glycerin, then, add it to the water phase with moderate mixing till complete hydration.  You should make sure that you attained the complete hydration step and no more fisheyes.  If it still has fisheyes you don’t notice, it may turn into small grains by the end of the emulsion or luckily the heat may dissolve these small fisheyes as long as you are using Natural Thickeners.  The case is different if you are using Synthetic thickener like carbopol (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer), you may not be able to get ride of these fisheyes by the end of the emulsion

[JOJO91343]

When I combined Phenoxyethanol 0.8 - 0.9%, Sodium Benzoate 0.1 - 0.3%, Potassium Sorbate 0.1 - 0.3% to use the blend as Broad Spectrum, I didn’t find any problem with PET (Preservative Efficacy Testing), but, the results can vary from a formula to another

[JOJO91343]

Hello
Yes, Euxyl 9010 is a great preservative, but, if you are formulating for Vegan or Natural Standards, it could be an issue.  For Phenoxyethanol, the Natural Standards in Europe, didn’t like it in Concentration of 1% or more due to causing Irritation/Hypersensitivity.  For Ethylhexylglycerin, Based on EWG, It causes Allergies and Immunotoxicity.
In a small Lab Batch, you may try:
Spectrastat (Caprylhydroxamic Acid (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Glycerin):
The issue in this one is some mfg. considers it “Pricey”.  Also, It can cause separation / Drop in viscosity in some formulas based on the formula ingredients.  Also, you may try:
Spectrastat OL : Caprylhydroxamic Acid (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Propanediol
Spectrastat G2 Natural MB: Caprylhydroxamic Acid (and) Glyceryl Caprylate (and) Glycerin
M-State: Magnolol (and) Honokiol (and) Caprylyl Glycol
All of these Natural Ingredients are claimed to be Broad Spectrum, but, Practically, are they effective like the Traditional Preservatives (Euxyl PE 9010 , for example)? PET (Preservative Efficacy Test) should answer this question.

[JOJO91343]

Hello
As long as you don’t have Propylene Glycol or Alcohol in the formula, I don’t encourage adding starch. Even, after some suppliers modified the starch hydrophobically by adding polymethylselsiquioxane to make it more compatible with oil, they used the blend in making Emulsions and SPF which still have water in the formula.  May be that is why you said in your post: “It didn’t work well”.

[JOJO91343]

Hello
You may send me the details to my e-mail address:
OMELNOOR1@YAHOO.COM

[JOJO91343]

Hello
You may e-mail me the details to my e-mail address:  OMELNOOR1@YAHOO.COM

[JOJO91343]

Hello, I am George. My Experience is in Skin and Hair Care Formulation, Scale Up, and Testing for 15 years.  Looking for a Position as a Sr. Formulation Chemist, Manager, or Consultant.  Please, contact me on my yahoo account: OMELNOOR1@YAHOO.COM Please, don’t contact me on my g mail account Thank you

[JOJO91343]

Solid Experience in Skin and Hair Care Formulation, Scale Up, and Testing for 15 years.  Looking for a Position as a Sr. Formulation Chemist, Manager, or Consultant.  Please, contact me on my yahoo account: OMELNOOR1@YAHOO.COM Please, don’t contact me on my g mail account Thank you

[JOJO91343]

to tell you the truth, I haven’t been confronted by this issue in the past.  If you like to try Food Colors, this is the link for one of them
https://sensientfoodcolors.com/en-us/color-solutions/avalanche/

[JOJO91343]

In addition to the % of oil, it is the mixing issue: What kind of mixers are you using? is it Ultra Mixers, Over Head Mixers, or Homomixers? For what speed and for how long? these factors can make a big difference in the Stability Issue beside the temperature

[JOJO91343]

I think 12% Vegetable Oil in emulsion is significantly high.  In most of the emulsion formulas I passed by, it didn’t exceed 5% in the sum of all oils in the formula