MarkBroussard
Forum Replies Created
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It all depends on the products you are being asked to formulate (which you have not specified other than they are “natural”)
If your products are all anhydrous … say a lip balm, sugar scrub or products of that type that are simply combinations of oils, butters and waxes with no water or water-based ingredients in the formula … it certainly would be possible if you are a fast formulator. Very low probability of there being any stability issues.
Or, toners, spritzers and other very simple water-based products. Practically nothing can go wrong with these products from a stability perspective, except for microbial contamination.
You would not be able to complete a full 60 day stability testing cycle, but certainly 30 to 45 days.
I concur with Microformulation … your comment that the products are all natural so you don’t need preservatives is a bit unusual, unless of course, they are all anhydrous products.
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Yes, I have had not one client elect to use DMI (the Grant product) after they get a whiff of their product into which DMI has been incorporated. So, I simply no longer consider it as an ingredient option.
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I think the more appropriate question here is:
Why are you only using one low HLB emulsifier? … Calculate the HLB of you oils/butters and choose a high HLB emulsifier to pair with your low HLB emulsifier and calculate the proper amount of each based on the HLB of your oil phase.
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Directly applicable industry experience is what employers are looking for … what matters is that you are a cosmetic chemist with cosmetic industry experience … not that you are a chemist.
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Well, then your best bet is to hang in there until you find out whether or not you’re going to be admitted to grad school. Having a job in the industry while you’re in grad school could turn out to be a great asset in building your experience and future job prospects.
Think 2 years down the road when you have 3 years of experience in the industry and a masters degree … that will make you much more attractive to a prospective industry employer than 2 years experience as a chemist working outside of the field in a different industry.
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Your best bet in writing your statement is to be perfectly honest. Tell them exactly why you desire to be a Cosmetic Chemist and show your genuine commitment to the field.
Being currently employed in the industry is a distinct advantage for you as it gives you an exposure to and understanding of the business that you would not get if you were working in another industry. Use that to your advantage. Do you intend to remain employed while you are studying for your Masters or will you attend school full-time?
It sounds like you are applying for entry in the 2018 class? If so, that is less than a year away. I might hold off on switching jobs until you learn whether or not you are going to grad school and whether or not you intend to remain employed while in grad school.
Perhaps you could cultivate a mentor relationship with one of the chemists at your current employer and off-hours (if possible) start doing some formulation bench work.
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Sounds like you are adding to much TEA and therefore raising the pH above 4.0 and the salicylates are crystalizing out. Try adjusting your pH to no higher than 3.5 to 3.7. You could also add 1% Sodium Citrate to your brew to help keep the SA in solution.
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@mauksh:
Purchase Dermofeel 1388 from Dr. Straetman’s … Sodium Anisate (and) Sodium Levulinate in Glycerin … use at 3.0%. Add 1% SLL.
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Yes, Menthol is oil-soluble … you may apply some heat to facilitate it dissolving …
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Dissolve Menthol in Oil and add to the formulation at 50C or less. Menthyl Salicylate can be added at the same time as the Menthol
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You know it really would be better if you put the ingredient INCI name instead of product Tradenames … Happy to try to help you, but I don’t have time to Google product Trade Names to try to understand your ingredient deck.
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The attributes would be a product that helps open up the hair follicles and softens the whiskers. I’ve tried shaving oils as a pre-shave and … no real benefit imho. Now, after-shave oils and toners … lots of options there.
Pre-shave: I seriously doubt that you’ll come up with anything that can beat a steaming hot towel and washing your face right before shaving.
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Welcome to the world of cosmetic chemistry.
I think you have a couple of issues:
(1) You’re not thickening your water phase. Make a slurry by combining your 2% Glycerin with 0.3% Xanthan Gum and then add that slurry to your stirring water phase.
(2) You have way too much Shea Butter. Cut that down to 3% Shea Butter and 12% Jojoba Oil so your oil phase is not more that 15% to 16%.
(3) I’m going to assume that your Emulsifying Wax NF is Cetearyl Alcohol + Polysorbate 60. So you have two high HLB emulsifiers, but no low HLB emulsifiers to bring it in balance … your oils have HLB values of 6 (Jojoba) and 8 (Shea Butter). You’ll need to add some Glyceryl Stearate to get your emulsifier HLB balanced with your oil HLB … this is why it is separating.
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Yes, SCI should work just fine. Just mix it in with your Sugar and then add to the cool base so you get an even dispersion of surfactant.
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Betaine tends to be quite sticky. If your Multifruits BSC are in a glycerine base, that could be another contributing factor.
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No need for a preservative if it’s a mix of dry powders, clays and essential oils. Anhydrous means “without water” … So adding oils (oils are anhydrous) will not create an environment for microbial growth.
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Agreed … this whole concept of using 20% to 30% Ceteareth … I find just mind boggling.
Just drop in 5% to 6% PVP and1% Carbopol Ultrez 21 … and Bada Bing … Stiff Gel.
The Sodium Cocoamphoacetate is included to make it easier to wash out the gel … I would instead use Heptyl Glucoside at 2%. But, is you want to use SC, 5% is way too much … 1% to2% and you’ll be fine.
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Certainly alcohol and an alcohol tincture would be interchangeable …
But, Quillaja is water-soluble, so I think your anhydrous idea is not feasible.
Your reference formula is UDSA Organic Certified and these are the kind of things you need to do to meet the requirements of USDA NOP … but the products tend to be rather crude since you are so limited on ingredient options. (The USDA Organic regulations were developed for food products and there are no USDA Organic regulations for cosmetics).
Unless you are trying to get Organic Certification, I would make my life simple and use PolySugaMulse D9 (ECOCert) instead of Quillaja if you want to make a spray.
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Yes, if you want it to be sprayable, you’ll want a thin viscosity. You’ll have to experiment with it as I have no experience trying to use Quillaja as a solublizer. Perhaps 3% Quillaja and 10% alcohol will work to solubilize the oils … I really don’t know. This other issue I would also be concerned about is a soaping effect from the Quillaja.
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No, I think you’re going to need Xanthan Gum …. I suspect that Quillaja functions more as a solubilizer in your reference formulation and the Xanthum Gum is necessary to thicken and bind the ingredients to make a “lotion” … Otherwise, I suspect it would not be much more viscous than water.
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I suspect because many consumers have a negative impression of putting a high concentration of alcohol on their skin. They probably do not understand the difference between ethanol and isopropyl alcohol and perhaps assume that “alcohol” means isopropyl alcohol.
From a product brand/manufacturing perspective … why use a highly regulated, flammable liquid as a preservative when there are much better choices? If you’re trying to get USDA full Organic Certification, then it makes sense. Otherwise, why bother.
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I’ve used Quillaja Saponaria as a surfactant, but not as an emulsifier per se, usually at about 3%. Depending on who you purchase it from, there is an acidic pH version and a basic pH version. In this formulation, it may be used in the 2% to 3% range is my best guess. I suspect your 1% line is the Xanthan Gum, with probably 2% essential oils to mask the odor of the ethanol.
Ethyl Alcohol as a preservative … generally around 10% and you’re good.
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What you’re describing is an Emulsified Sugar Scrub.
The base is 70% oils & 15% butters of your choice and 15% emulsifiers (Cetearyl Alchohol & Behentrimonium Methosulfate works nicely for this). Combine the oils, butters & emulsifiers and heat until all solids are dissolved, stir briefly to make sure it is homogeneous and then let it sit until it reaches room temperature. If you’re adding fragrance oils, do so when it drops to 40C or less.
Then mix 3 parts sugar to 1 part base (150 grams of sugar per 100 grams base). If you want a lighter, whipped Scrub, then whisk the base as you are adding in the sugar.
If you want a cleansing action when the scrub is washed off, throw in 5% of a powdered surfactant when you add the sugar.
If you notice that you get some oil “seeping” out, then increase the amount of emulsifiers you are using.
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Try starting off with 1.0% cinnamon and 0.5% peppermint … if that is too intense, then drop down on the cinnamon.
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Yes, the usual suspects in lip products that tingle are cinnamon oil and mint oils.