Microformulation
Forum Replies Created
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It is called Process Engineering and many people spend a great deal of time learning it on the job. You could read about the subject (essentially differences in heating and mixing energies from the lab to the floor), but eventually you will need to “break some eggs” (make larger runs and keep your fingers crossed) to really become proficient.
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I work with many start-ups and the question you should ask is “Do I have more time than money?” or “Do I have more money than time?”
If you are properly funded, you can go through the CM for all functions such as Formulation, Testing, Packaging, Graphics, etc. It is certainly the least stressful avenue to go down.
However, many start-ups are on a tight budget. First ensure that you have at least the minimum amount needed. There are aspects which are essentially fixed costs (materials, manufacturing, etc.) You will see that in this Industry, many price breaks are tied into the size of the job. I have seen so many start-ups fail due to poor or unrealistic funding. Buy more bottles, get better pricing is an example. If you have an adequate, but still tight, you can take on some of the tasks which the CM would provide, such as purchasing the packaging yourself, using a Consultant Formulator and other tasks. Essentially you would act as the Project Manager. This can be stressful, especially for someone learning as they go. As you get more experience, it does get easier.
Now, I mentioned poor funding as a danger area for a start-up. Another is not having an adequate Sales, Marketing and Business infrastructure in place. As a Consultant I would love to be able to say “Make a great product and it will sell itself”, but that is incorrect. You can have the best product ever, but if you use the “Field of Dreams” Marketing strategy (if you make it, they WILL buy it) you will fail. Many great product don’t ever succeed due to poor Marketing. Very many middle of the road products have been successful due primarily to great marketing.
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You would need to post the Formula for anyone to comment. Otherwise there are just so many possible issues and it would difficult to assess what is occurring.
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But then what would strippers use for glitter?
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We used a standardized Hydroglycolic extract and as such particle suspension was not an issue.
However, the product did not impart a great deal of color in our product. That would be one concern.
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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwuqL_fQzYhicDdwc1RieW9KZ3c/view?usp=sharing
It is from a Presentation that David Steinberg gave to SCC. David is a well know expert and author in this area as well as Regulatory.
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I have never heard of Panthenol inactivating an organic acid.
TDS of Geogard 221. Lonza endorses it for a ph between 2 to 7.
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1. The ideal pH for organic acids is 4-5.5. As they become acidic, they become less soluble. If I recall correctly the ideal pH for potassium sorbate is 4.4
2. I have never heard of Panthenol or proteins deactivating an organic acid preservative system.When in doubt, look at some of the distributor supplied documentation from companies such as Lonza or Schulke.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Io-EqAUDY12dDql2s772za0a2c-N0Lmu/view?usp=sharing
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@BelassiAnd in my experience it is not always the product that you believe will be your “hero” product that excels. Usually it is something that catches you unaware.
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I work with start-ups and I will hit some high points;
- While you may have an idea for a new product, keep in mind that unless you are developing a new material or technology, it is likely that a similar product is out there if you know where to look. Alternatively, it could be a product that is not supported by the limits of Chemistry. For example, I was approached recent;y with the request; “I want to make a product that changes color over time in the hair, but it must use only natural oils and butters.”
- Next, how you proceed relies a great deal upon your budget and Business plan. One of the universal truths in Cosmetics is that honestly designing the product and formulation is about 20% of the task. The bulk for a start-up client will rest in Sales, Marketing and other Business tasks. If you are a Business person by nature, hire and delegate out the tasks to a Formulator. If you are a Formulator such as myself, you would want to delegate some of the Sales, Marketing and Business to someone better able to be effective. Honestly, in a successful line, attempting to fill both roles will quickly become over whelming.
- Many start-ups will need to own the Formula to be competitive. This really assumes that you have a product or two that will be your primary or “hero” products. If so, you would want to likely use a Consultant Formulator to maintain ownership of the Intellectual Property (IP). If you are making a broad line (many products), likely Private label is the way to go.
- In most cases the Contract Manufacturer will want to maintain ownership of the Formula if they do the R&D although there are exceptions. You need to determine how important it is to maintain the ownership in the end.
- Have a realistic budget Being underfunded will doom your project.
We do an initial one hour call at no charge if you have further questions.
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You would need to pay a Formulator. That advice is far beyond what one could expect in a free forum.
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I will have to echo Perry’s comment and ask what is so horrifying about the CIR abstract. The real take-away is in the summary; “It is concluded that Phenoxyethanol is safe as a Cosmetic Ingredient in the present practices of use and concentration.
The rest of the citation is simply very technically detailed information supporting the assertion. If perhaps you do not have a classical trained background in Chemistry and/or significant experience in Occupational Safety you could be scared by the language. However, a qualified reader would simply see that it is an innocuous ingredient at the approved levels.
Toxicity is dose related. If one takes on a naive perspective of chemophobia, it will be difficult to produce safe products. Preservation serves to provide the client with a product which will be safe throughout the shelf life of the product. In fact, it is dangerous to expose a user to a contaminated product.
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The research will lag in the US for years. For now, honestly the best research that follows acceptable study protocols are out of Canada and the UK. I have the pdf’s of the studies saved.
I really have two personal takeaways from my research;
- The cannabis based CBD is the best.
- And people who want it to be recreational will go to great ends to push it as a universal panacea. I get it, you want to smoke the real thing. I don’t really care. Just don’t post pseudoscience to justify that.
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THCA is the main constituent in raw cannabis and transforms to THC when
burned, vaporized, or heated at a certain temperature. Acidic
cannabinoids (such as THCA, CBDA, CBGA, etc.) hold the most COX-1 and
COX-2 inhibition which contributes to cannabis’ anti-inflammatory
effects. THCA also acts as an anti-proliferative and anti-spasmodic.http://moderncann.com/cannabinoids/
Under the work done by Shimon Ben-Shabat and Raphael Mechoulam in 1998, THCA has been identified as one of the most active portions in Medical usage.
I attended a lecture series last month in California where this effect was discussed at length.
Of interest as well; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12952500
In the article you quote, while they did track the CBD for absorption and efficacy, their CBD source still contained the THC analogues. This study was discussed, If I have time I can scan in the notes from the conference where thsi study is discussed.
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With the clients I am dealing with they are shooting for 10 parts CBD to 1 part THC. The hemp based has, by law, less than 0.3% allowable THC to be allowed in all 50 States.
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The hemp based CBD is useless for any real Medical claim and pragmatically would really act just like a fixed oil such as straightforward Hemp seed oil as it likes the THC needed as part of the “Entourage effect” and lacks many of the terpenes.
https://unitedpatientsgroup.com/the-entourage-effect-whole-plant-extracts-thc-and-cbd
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Do you have a starting Formulation? It is unlikely that someone will just GIVE you a Formulation.
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Honestly, you will not get a reputable version from a source unless State/Province has legalized medical/recreational marijuana. For example, here in SC we can only get the less effective hemp based CBD (low yield, solvent extraction, no THC). Due to the presence of THC greater than 0.3%, the cannabis derive CBD can not be shipped across State lines in the US.
If Canada is legalizing, eventually you will find a reputable CBD oil supplier.
In California, the current issue is that the raw plant materials (cannabis) is being stock piled by growers in anticipation of the legalization in January 2018.
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Since “natural” has no legal definition, anything could be natural. However, many people will use a baseline of “plant based or naturally occurring minerals minimally processed.” Keep in mind that most “natural” raw materials are not suitable in their initial form to be incorporated into a Formulation.
Keep in mind that if you have ever cooked a material, you processed it and made it less “natural.” Beer is synthesized and not “natural” but nobody seems to have an issue with that.
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If you read some of the credible studies that were done on CBD, the supported Science is that a measurable amount of THC for it to be effective. For reference, refer to the 1998 study by Israeli scientists Shimon Ben-Shabat and Raphael Mechoulam. This effect, best provided by a 10 part CBD to 1 part THC ratio is known as the entourage effect. In addition, most of the credible studies to refer to are from the UK and Canada. As such, the hemp based CBD oil is of limited utility.
I currently am doing a great deal of distance consulting in this area. Distance, since the raw materials (the cannabis derived CBD oil) is illegal in my home state. If you refer to the proposed California Law regulating Cannabis and Cannabis based products (recreational and medicinal) you will see that the State of California has placed a strong level of testing and cGMP compliance. I have been retained by several parties to assist in setting up their cGMP programs. The law is 278 long pages and I have read it through, no small undertaking.
Common thought is that CO2 extraction is preferred. Organic solvent extraction strips away many of the co-active terpenes (read the UK studies referring to the cannibanoid recepters) that are useful.
In summary, it is likely that in the US at least there will be a high standard set for the testing, qualification and documentation on the providers of the raw material. From what I was told by the head of the California program is that for CBD to be treated like a medicine, they are setting the bar for it to be produced like a pharmaceutical.
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I had to do some math to figure it out as well.
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They use it quite a bit in soaping to make the soap green. I recall that from the research we did into the raw material.