Melanie27
Forum Replies Created
-
Thank you @Microformulation I will check that store out. Lush uses the method of boiling lemon slices with water and then using the infusion in their product, hence the lemon slices. They actually use a lot of fresh ingredients like avocado, honey etc in their products. Some of them are not even preserved with traditional systems, they use self preserving systems ? I am not going the 100% natural route, so Ewax is ok for my products. I use dimethicone and IPM to minimize some of the soaping effect, but as this is a cuticle creme it doesn’t really matter too much.
-
You are right on @BenM I am just starting out and emulsifying wax seems easy to use and is readily available. I did make a version with TEA/Stearic acid like to Lush version, but to be honest I’m not a big fan of TEA as the Ph was at 8 with this system.
-
@Microformulation what would you suggest as an emulsifier for this application?
-
Thank you sooo much @BenM I will definitely give your suggestion a try. Appreciate your help
-
@Belassi yes! It is pretty pricey ? And you can’t make it out of the store without them upselling you something to go along with it. Last time I ended up with a $22 4oz salt scrub ? which I could probably make myself for less than $5.00!
-
@Doreen thank you so much! I read Susan’s blog, that helped me get the basics of how to make lotion. She is amazing ?
-
@Belassi thank you for all your great advice, much appreciated. The Lush product sells for approx US $20 for 1.5 oz (43g) and if I can purchase the oils/butters in bulk, I can make a reasonable cost comparison with my above formula. Atm, with the above formula, which I am not satisfied with and would never consider selling, the most expensive component at the given rates, are the lanolin and mango butter. I have tried making it with cocoa butter which is slightly cheaper and easier to source, but the finished result ended up too greasy, which I am trying to avoid, as this is already one of the main complaints of the original Lush product. Yes, the product does sit on the skin for hours. It’s a cuticle butter, and never really fully absorbs. If I had to guess, I would suggest the water % is probably@ 70% in the original. As the main ingredients after water are Shea and beeswax, I still am baffeled by how they can get it so thick but not waxy. Unless they are not listing all the ingredients, which I have read could be the case. I also made a version with emulsifying wax instead of TEA, and about 2% soy wax, and that thickened up nicely and was not waxy, (I reduced beewswax and Shea to 1.5% each)but it does change the texture of the finished product.
-
@Perry thank you, I will try one version with cetyl and one version with cetearyl, and see what the skin feel is at the end.
-
@Belassi I will order cetearyl alcohol and then try it again with a lower beeswax and Shea amount, as suggested, thank you.
-
@Belassi thank you for your insight. Yes, the ph has me worried, and I am wondering how it’s working for them! But I guess they have plenty of money and expertise to get it right. I have made a version with emulsifying wax, and in my opinion I prefer this, it is much gentler. But it’s still not as thick, and still waxy ?
-
Thank you @gld010 I will definitely try your suggestion at 2-3%.
-
Thank you @Belassi. Yes, I have omitted a few of the oils, because I didn’t have them on hand, the same with cetearly alcohol. I have cetyl alcohol at home, can I use that instead? What % would you suggest? It seems pretty low on their list of ingredients, so I’m thinking maybe at 2%? The % of ingredients is just guess work ? I have tried this about 10-20 times with different %, and this is the closest I’ve come to their product. The lemon infusion I’ve seem on their YouTube, which is basically squeezing and boiling organic lemons into water.