Microformulation
Forum Replies Created
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I have to agree with the others. This is really too broad of a question to answer effectively in a blog post. Honestly it would take perhaps an hour or so to educate someone on the functions of these ingredients and that is in person. That would grant the most superficial knowledge of the materials.
The short answer would be is that the product contains numerous acrylic type polymers and such, solvents, an emollient, a preservative and mineral type compounds (TiO2, Mica).
Knowing the basics of the ingredients still leaves you a great deal of work before you could even begin to make the most rudimentary efforts at knocking off the product. For example with the polymers they are listed by INCI name. Numerous compounds can share an INCI name but in this case it takes a great deal of knowledge to pick out the proper product. Then even so many of these ingredients require specific processing and can be fickle compounds if not used correctly.
In the end, if this is a product that you would like to add to your line it would be best to hire a Consultant or utilize the internal R&D assets of a contract manufacturer. Alternatively (with some significant searching) you could possibly find a similar product available as a Private Label product. Private Label products are usually good products designed by a Cosmetic Chemist, produced by a manufacturer and then labeled with your companies information. As I said these products are not poor quality. If you are like many, your strengths could be stronger in Sales/Marketing and other Business tasks. Private Label would get you a viable product. As many will attest, it is the Marketing that takes over at this point and makes the product a winner. There is an old adage in Cosmetics, “A middle of the road product with effective Marketing will always outsell a great product with poor marketing.”
Lastly (and please, this is not directed at you) I see a great deal of initial over confidence in beginners as they first start to get into the formulating side of the Business. It really demonstrates a logical failure best described by the Dunning-Kruger effect ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect). This effect (named after the first researchers who qualified the term) is a false unsupportable over confidence by beginners in ANY particular discipline. A great example comes from my College days. It seemed for many after we took Psych 101, we were suddenly psychologists and began diagnosing others.
Many of us have science undergraduate degrees in areas not specific to Cosmetic Science. As many can attest when first thrown into a Cosmetic Lab environment, it was up to 6 month or a year before we could effectively begin to contribute on our own. If I were to take a job tomorrow in the Polymer Industry or Petroleum Industry, I would once again have this transition period as well.
Simply put the take away is “know what you do not know.” Let this be your guiding principle in cases like this. Not grasping this gap in knowledge will be an obstacle in the learning process.
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But they are natural! Natural is always better! <insert sarcasm here>
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Germane to the whole issue, here is an article that came up in my Twitter feed. Perry is prominently mentioned.
http://www.agirlsgottaspa.com/2016/01/probiotic-skin-care-miracle-ingredient-or-marketing-hype/
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You are welcome. I think you will find that Emily is a genuinely nice person to work with and a consumate Professional.
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The typical Cosmetic consumer is very resistant to products which require them to “Shake Well”, to the point that most marketers will not accept a product requires this action. It is partly due to market expectation as well as the assumption that a client will not properly re suspend the product. In Pharmacy (my degree) we dispense pediatric antibiotic suspensions which require a Shake Well warning sticker so I can see your point as well.
Simply put your product will need to meet the standard 40C Stability benchmark. Warning the client not to expose the product to temperatures above X degrees Celcius will help. As far as shipping, if there is a fear that it will be exposed to excessive temperatures, your shipper can provide controlled temperature shipping albeit at an additional cost. Several years ago I worked on a line that was shipped to Bahrain. In the standard container shipping it separated in transit and the first shipment was rejected. After that point we addressed the issue by shipping under controlled temperature at the additional cost.
Simply put, in today’s market a product which is not adequately emulsified will be seen as a product failure. -
Emily Bazemore is located out of the Winston Salem area. Her company is Ayari Cosmetics. http://www.ayaricosmetics.com/. I would encourage you to contact her. She is very good at what she does.
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The use of Salicylic acid at 2% would make you an OTC product even without claims. There is a recent thread on making a Salicylic acid product wherein bobzchemist covers this more at length.
https://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk/discussion/1312/how-would-you-formulate-a-salicylic-acid-moisturizer-for-acne-prone-skin-proposal-within#latestYou could possibly contact Emily Bazemore at Ayari Cosmetics in Winston-Salem.
http://www.ayaricosmetics.com/ -
Firstly, you can’t compromise on your preservative system. We have a duty to produce a safe product. Preservation is a large part of this safety. “Natural” Cosmetics do NOT compromise on preservation but rather use preservatives that more closely align to the “natural” standards.
Secondly having a custom package designed is an expensive and length process. It is gernerally not feasible for all but the most well funded lines.
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I believe that there is a germane issue in the US. If you look at the FTC Green guides; (https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/press-releases/ftc-issues-revised-green-guides/greenguides.pdf), they place limits on the use of Free from Claims (Section 260.9). It is not directly spelled out but I have been told that you must support the claim with testing.
Secondly, I have seen these “Free From” claims in use. I believe it is disingenuous to ascribe a totally altruistic mission to their use. In fact I can say that this is hardly the case. These free from claims are hijacked by marketing to highlight the absence of certain raw materials (sulfates, parabens, “formaldehyde donors”) as a way to pander to the chemophobia. Again I think it is dishonest to blithely infer that they are using these claims to highlight allergens as the article cited claims. In my experience this is hardly the case.
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@bobzchemist I agree. I was especially bothered by the reliance on the EWG rating system which has shown itself to be flawed.
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You would need to pay a Consultant for full Formulas.
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It is unlikely that you will get “comprehensive” Formulas and process instructions for free.
Keep in mind that most of us do this for a living and to pay our bills. We are happy to give advice and direction but in the end if you are looking for Formulas you would need to either research them or hire a consultant.
There is a pinned post on Formulator consultants.
If you choose to do it yourself, it would be on you to do the work. This is also helpful in fact that you will learn about the materials and the manufacturing processes. It is not always so simple and in researching you will gain a great deal more experience than just being “give” the instructions free.
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I understand and appreciate where you are at. Keep in mind that as you grow you will quickly see the need. Also by variable, I mean infinitely variable (like the old volume control knobs on a TV) as well as having a guide so that you can determine your mixing rpm’s.
As you start looking into purchasing this type mixer, keep in mind that there are several comprehensive and helpful discussions on this subject already on this blog. DO a search and you will get great guidance on mixing equipment.
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You really need to get a variable speed overhead mixer. Stick blenders are fairly useless in making Cosmetic products. A variable speed mixer will give you better speed control, interchangeable blades and a stand. These mixers can be used to mix slowly overtime. For example, if a Formula says to mix at 250 rpm for 30 minutes, how do you accomplish that. Except as perhaps being useful as a poor mans high shear mixer, stick blenders are not the best option.
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Remember most of us on the Forum do this for a living.
For the “Rules for Requesting Formulation Advice/Help” please read THIS thread.
To help find a Consultant read THIS thread.
In
summary (unless you hire a consultant), the burden of research lies
with you and this forum is here to assist in refining/improving the
prototype. Full Formulations should not be requested. -
You don’t have to use SPF in the Formula! You have to put a warning on the label instructing them to also use a sunscreen if they will be exposed to sunlight. Different product, used to preven the side effect from the Lactic acid.
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That approach will work for the small crafter but is hardly feasible for professional larger scale manufacturing.
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Any percentage of Lactic acid can potentially cause photo sensitivity. It is only partially dose related. Of note is that Purac recommends it at 0.2-10% and many of the studies often cited were done with an 8% Lotion.
Hence the FDA guidance to use a Sunscreen warning.
http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocuments/ucm090816.htm
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I think I would start with writing a Business plan, developing better funding and perhaps re-evaluating the products you are looking to make as well as reconsidering your decision to do it “solely.”
I work with many start-ups and in general there are two reasons why they can fail. Firstly is being under funded. Developing, manufacturing and properly Marketing a Cosmetic line will take some assets and there are very limited opportunities to avoid these costs. Secondly, start-ups fail due to an unrealistic or poorly developed Sales/Marketing strategy. Many Chemists will tell you pragmatically that proper Marketing of a mediocre product will always win out over the poor Marketing of what could be the best product ever.
Next, Lipsticks and Nail Polishes are very specialized products and one which require significant knowledge and experience. Lipsticks will require the proper base especially in regard hardness and spread ability. Nail polishes could require certain controlled solvents and even the newer “water based” products require some specialized ingredients. Both products will require you to deal with pigments, their proper dispersion and uniformity from batch to batch. Also complicating the issue is the fact that with each product you will need to develop a line of colors, essentially making each color a separate manufacturing event.
So start smart. Write a Business Plan. This will require you to think through budgets and cost projections. Look at your strengths. Chemistry is not a hobby but rather a discipline that requires study and experimentation. Don’t let the current DIY environment online trick you into dismissing the knowledge that a Chemist possesses. Are you a Chemist who needs a Marketer or are you a Marketer who needs a Chemist? Don’t make the mistake of believing that you can fufill both roles effectively, especially as your line grows.
I am not trying to discourage you but to simply put these issues out there. Many of my clients will find that (at least initially) you are best off to look at Private Label products and to use these products to start your line. Many Private Label products are solid formulations which are well designed by Chemists in this specialized area. You are able to purchase smaller quantities of multiple colors which will allow you to have a competetive line.
So in the end, I discourage your from doing this on “a very small budget” and on your own.
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@Belassi I agree. With some small exceptions the posted formula looks very similar to the formula for “Art of the Shave’s” Shaving Cream.
If you can get access to the book, Harry’s Cosmeticology covers this type Formulation in great depth.
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For best results make a 50% Solution of the Citric acid. It will be easier to add and it will adjust the pH slower. Anyone who has over shot a pH adjustment can understand.
As David rightfully pointed out, experimentation is key. You will want to slowly add the Citric acid Solution, mix thoroughly and then you will check the pH with a meter. Go slow. If you get heavu handed you will overshoot the pH.
Lastly, while it would be nice to be able to calculate this in the lab (you can roughly) and then simply include the needed quantity on the Batch instructions, the pH adjustment must also be added to the process instructions. Your batchmaster must slowly drop the pH to the desired level on the floor.
In both the lab and floor documetation be sure to record both initial and final pH results.
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SD40B can be bought online in small quantities and outrageous prices. To buy Wholesale you need to apply for an Alcohol Handlers License from the ATF.
In R&D we will often use Everclear (190 proof).
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Honestly in Commercial Manufacturing, in many cases the evaporative water loss is considered minimal and not compensated for.
Some Formulations (Saponified Shave Creams come to mind) the water loss is crucial. In that case the evaporative water loss is calculated in the lab and a “guesstimate” of the amount of water needed to be replaced is made. This is done in scale-up usually.
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as @Belassi quite correctly stated they smell bad, have stability issues and are avoided like the plague in the Cosmetic Market. Also being that there are more stable raw materials and other more effective fatty acids, the real question is “Why use Lard or Tallow in a Formula?”
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$18-$20 dollars is a quote for APC Plate counts or a “snap shot” of the existing levels of contamination in your product. That is where the thresholds of CFU/ML come into play. Test kits measure this, but not nearly as accurately as a validated lab. At that price you are best to send it off.
PET or Challenge Testing is a more dynamic test and simplistically checks the ability of your preservative system to prevent contamination over time. This test I highly doubt you are able to do yourself. This is the test that would run in the range of $450.