[MarkBroussard]

@joseg:

I don’t know that it is specifically defined from a labelling perspective.  The theory being that when you use Aloe Vera Powder Powder and you reconstitute it with water to Aloe Vera Juice, that your ingredient is Aloe Vera Juice.

Now, if you are formulating an Organic product and you want to get NSF or NOP certification on your product, you must use Aloe Vera Juice or Aloe Vera Concentrate (not powder) as your ingredient.  If you try using reconstituted Aloe Vera Powder in Water, you cannot count the water as part of your organic formulation.  So, with Aloe Vera Powder, you only get to count the powder (assuming it’s organic), but not the water.

So, this is in line with Perry’s comment that your ingredients are Water and Aloe Vera Powder, not Aloe Vera Juice.  But, using a reconstituted Aloe Vera Powder and labelling your first ingredient as Aloe Vera Juice is very common practice by many companies.  

[MarkBroussard]

@wombat:

This might help you regarding preservation.

http://www.chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk/discussion/751/preservation-strategies-for-natural-formulators/p1

[MarkBroussard]

@Wombat:

I would go down the list of your actives, one-by-one, and ask yourself:  Is there any independent scientific evidence that this active provides a benefit.  If the answer is “no” eliminate that active from your formulation.  That will help you whittle down your ingredients to those that have some documented evidence of efficacy.

[MarkBroussard]

You’re adding too much water and maybe too much sodium bicarbonate.

As mentioned above, I’d use propylene glycol or 1,3-Propanediol instead of ethanol as ethanol is very drying to the skin.

(1)  Dissolve the SA in PG … heat always helps, unless you are specifically shooting for a cold process.

(2)  Combine the glycerin and water.  Add 1% sodium citrate to this to help solublize the SA.

(3)  Slowly add the SA/PG mixture to the water mixture.  (Again, I would recommend heating both mixtures).

(4)  Add sodium bicarbonate to adjust the pH to 3.5

What concentration of SA are you targeting for your peel?

It would help if you gave the percentages of your ingredients for additional guidance.

[MarkBroussard]

I would suggest you do some research to see if there are any published studies on the effectiveness of the actives you are considering using.  The quantities used and application protocol will be detailed as part of the study protocol.

Since cosmetics are part science and part self-delusion with a heavy dose of marketing, I really don’t think that doing a blinded study on yourself is going to tell you very much or provide much guidance.

[MarkBroussard]

Your presumption that Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Glycol is the same as Glyceryl Caprylate (and) Phenethyl Alcohol is incorrect … they are not the same at all.

Couple of things to consider:  What are the actives you are planning to include and do you really, really need 16 grams of actives per 125 grams of cream?  It is often a common mistake that “more is better” when you should be following the guideline that “enough is enough” … Simply follow the formulation guidelines of the actives provided by the suppliers.  Overdosing actives is not going to necessarily make your formulations any more effective.

There are several commercial preservative blends that will work just fine in most formulations.

First, what is the final pH of your cream?  That will help determine what preservatives would be appropriate to consider as your options become increasingly limited at pH 6.0 or above.

You might consider something like Benzyl Alcohol (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Benzoic Acid from Dr. Straetmans which will give you good broad spectrum preservation from pH 3.0 to 8.0.

[MarkBroussard]

You can contact them directly

[MarkBroussard]

TKB Trading is essentially a “repacker” who purchase from manufacturers/distributors and repack into small sizes targeting the DIY consumer.  Highly unlikely that you will be able to exactly color-match TKB micas unless you know who are TKB’s suppliers.

For small batches, I would recommend you start with wholesalecosmeticpigments.com

[MarkBroussard]

The benefit from using Benzyl Alcohol instead of Phenoxyethanol is a consumer perception issue.  Benzyl Alcohol is ECOCert approved, whereas Phenoxyethanol is under duress from the Naturals community as a synthetic.  Both work well as preservatives.

Since you’re using Silicones, you might want to consider Benzyl Alcohol (and) Caprylyl Glycol … Check out Sharon-Labs or Dr. Straetman’s for preservatives with these ingredients.

[MarkBroussard]

Gluconolactone, in and of itself, is not a preservative and it is a crystalline solid.  

Are these pressed powder formulations and are you using silicones or some other liquids in your formulation?  If so, a Phenoxyethanol blend such as Optiphen would work, or you might be better off using Benzyl Alcohol (and) Dehydroacetic Acid.

[MarkBroussard]

You can purchase water-soluble fragrances from http://www.carrubba.com 

[MarkBroussard]

@erindlea:

Propanediol-based deodorant sticks simply don’t firm up enough to eliminate syneresis.  It will always crumble with application.

You would be better off switching to a wax-based (beeswax, carnauba, candellila) based formulation which would also allow you to eliminate the emulsifiers.

[MarkBroussard]

@prizes2011:

There aren’t any ingredients in your formulation that are going to do anything for someone with acne.  If you add salicylic acid, yes, that would help.

But, you cannot market the formulation you listed as an acne control product as it does not contain one of the Acne OTC Monograph ingredients.

[MarkBroussard]

Simple analogy:

We now have the interwebs … is bulk rate junk mail still showing up in you s-mail box?  Do people still drive to work?

If the computers are programmed to believe manufacturers’ claims on the capabilities of their ingredients … I rest my case.

[MarkBroussard]

You might try “blemish” or “blemish-prone”, but you’re skirting on the edge there.  You cannot use the word acne anywhere on your labelling or advertising, obviously.  In the US, it can also be found that your product is both a cosmetic AND a drug.

There is a really good reason why a new acne active has not been approved by the FDA in some 30 to 40 years.

[MarkBroussard]

@bhushbu_6:

There is no such unicorn known to man.

[MarkBroussard]

@BobZ:

Thanks!  That’s what I’m looking for.  Appreciate it!

[MarkBroussard]

The CAPB is an amphoteric and the other 3 are all anionic surfactants.  So, the answer is all of them should thicken with salt.

[MarkBroussard]

@Sel:

Deodorizing Organic Shea Butter will not affect its organic certification, it will still be organic.  If you don’t want to use deodorized Shea Butter, why don’t you consider working with fragrance oils that will complement the fragrance of Shea Butter.

You can purchase Refined Organic Shea Butter that has virtually no scent from J Edwards International.

[MarkBroussard]

@Tedseakind:

Curious … Are you currently using Phenoxyethanol or a Phenoxyethanol blend (say, Phenoxyethanol & Ethylhexylglycerin) across the board in all of your products?  Phenoxyethanol is under attack, similar to what happened to Parabens, and this is what your clients are reacting to.

I would suspect that when your clients are requesting a “more natural” they may be referring to an ECOCert, NPA or other certifying body, of which there are several options.

Your best approach is, as Bob Z mentioned, to develop a hurdle technology approach to preservation which includes the use of chelants, glycols, pH and preservatives.

You might consider using a Benzyl Alcohol based preservative such as Benzyl Alcohol (and) Dehydroacetic Acid or Benzyl Alcohol (and) Caprylyl Glycol … Benzyl Alcohol has a very similar chemical structure to Phenoxyethanol, but is ECOCert certified and is derived from natural, renewable sources.  The final pH of you product will also have an impact on what preservatives you can use … above pH 6 the options become quite limited.

[MarkBroussard]

Have you tried contacting Singera .. they have many, many hydrolysed proteins to choose from including the ones you mentioned.

[MarkBroussard]

@Mello:

You can reduce the stickiness by reducing the Panthenol to 1% and the Betaine Sugar Extract down to 3% and increase the Bamboo Extract to 8% … I am assuming that the Bamboo Extract you are using is in Water … or is it in Glycerin?  If in Glycerine, up it to 4% or so, if in Water you can go up to 10%.  That should help considerably with the stickiness.

[MarkBroussard]

@angelz:

Watch this video, it may help you better understand my comments:

http://www.silverson.com/us/products/laboratory-mixers/workheads

[MarkBroussard]

@angelz:

I would not say that … the head on the left works just a well as the head on the right, provided that you build a custom-machined emulsor housing for the head on the left.  To give you an idea, it cost me $100 to have the custom head machined for the head on the left.  Without this custom head, you will not be happy with the results from the head on the left compared to the head on the right.

[MarkBroussard]

@angelz:

I use both of these types of homogenizers.  The homogenizer on the right is really good for making small samples … 300 grams or so.  But, I had to have a machinist build a custom “emulsification cage” for it because that homogenizer head, as designed, pulls lots of air into your emulsions.

So, basically, I had a machinist make a “Silverson Workhead” with an emulsor screen (just like the homogenizer on the left) that fit onto the homogenizer on the right.  Solved the problem.