Forum Replies Created

Page 5 of 27
  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    October 9, 2024 at 2:38 am in reply to: Formulating eco-friendly plant-based surfactants dishwash gel & powder

    Here’s a pic of the dish wash I produced and exported globally.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    October 7, 2024 at 6:55 pm in reply to: Formulating eco-friendly plant-based surfactants dishwash gel & powder

    I’m doing the best I can within my limited capacity as a scientist. Maybe I should give it up, I’m obviously not performing to your high expectations.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    October 7, 2024 at 6:35 pm in reply to: Formulating eco-friendly plant-based surfactants dishwash gel & powder

    According to the dictionary, the term “ecofriendly” means “not harmful to the environment, or trying to help the environment.” I referred to the Cambridge Dictionary. So not, as you have said, “subjective nontechnical ad-speak.”

    And again, I have never had issues with soap scum.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    October 7, 2024 at 5:44 pm in reply to: Formulating eco-friendly plant-based surfactants dishwash gel & powder

    Yes indeed, liquid hand dish wash.

    When you say “eco-friendly is meaningless,” I disagree. Using only plant oils and not the usual synthetics (or their greenwashed synthetics) goes some way to be eco-friendly.

    And I have difficulty with your reference to “plant based SLS Na lauryl sulfate, ” and much prefer to use saponified plant oils. A lot more eco-friendly once they go back into our environment.

    To-date, after many years of producing ” true soap,” have never had complaints of “soap scum.”

    • This reply was modified 9 months ago by  mikethair.
  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    October 6, 2024 at 6:23 pm in reply to: Formulating eco-friendly plant-based surfactants dishwash gel & powder

    My approach was to saponify plant oils. It ticks all the boxes. And produced a very profitable dish wash liquid.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    September 27, 2024 at 6:45 pm in reply to: Benchmarket reproduction fail

    From where I’m sitting, that’s a very complex formulation for an eye cream. I would be looking at a much simpler oil formulation in a dropper bottle, and without all the synthetics.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    September 12, 2024 at 6:25 pm in reply to: body musk

    Why is viscosity such an issue for you? I do similar, and my approach is to use the oil as is and apply it directly to the skin. Of course, I do a thorough allergens analysis of the oils.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    September 7, 2024 at 12:04 am in reply to: Luxury Shower Oil

    If you are targeting the luxury market, your products need to not just hold a promise, they must manifest a myth, and make the intangible brand believably tangible. And I would suggest you redefine the shower oil category and set new high standards. This elevates your followers to a higher level of existence and price.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    August 22, 2024 at 6:23 pm in reply to: Formula for face wash for rough and bumpy skin after washing

    No surprises here, the formulation is a cocktail of synthetics.

    I produced a very successful face wash by saponifying extra-virgin olive oil. I exported globally, it was a great seller and revenue producer.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    August 12, 2024 at 8:51 pm in reply to: Laundry Care Resources

    One thing I did that was VERY popular was saponify discarded palm oil to make a laundry detergent. It ticked quite a few boxes in re-purposing something that was usually disposed of. I had a good global market for this laundry / dish wash/household general cleaner.

    Once I got the method and formulation sorted, I outsourced the production to a local group of intellectually disabled. So ticked a few more boxes. And the market grew as a result.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    August 3, 2024 at 7:15 pm in reply to: Beauty Entrepreneurs: Working With Cosmetic Contract Manufacturers

    And another thought. If you don’t ask, you won’t get. So as a customer, it is incumbent on you to ask the CM these types of questions.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    August 3, 2024 at 7:05 pm in reply to: Beauty Entrepreneurs: Working With Cosmetic Contract Manufacturers

    It’s an issue of transparency. The CM has a responsibility to be 100% transparent about the ingredients. In my 20-year experience in CM, this was always my approach.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    July 29, 2024 at 8:13 pm in reply to: How to make fragrance of the shampoo/conditioner/showe gel stay on hair and skin

    It’s all about the fragrance formulation. I have never used synthetic fragrances, and much prefer essential oils. And the secret is tied up in the quality of essential oil (most these days are adulterated and low quality) and the formulation, especially the ratio of the base, middle and top notes.

    Fragrance formulation is a specialised task that takes years of practice. With my experience as
    the co-founder of a skincare manufacturing factory in Viet Nam and Malaysia
    since 2006 where I was responsible for all creating formulations, I’m still learning every day.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    July 16, 2024 at 9:36 pm in reply to: What causes acne ?

    Whaoa……. didn’t realise we had so many medical professionals here.

    In my opinion, if you are producing skincare products to treat acne, then you are in for a hiding from the likes of MoCRA.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    July 8, 2024 at 7:00 pm in reply to: Mixing

    For mixing large batches, here is a photo of what I used since 2006. It was hand held.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    June 27, 2024 at 7:05 pm in reply to: Color Issue When Scaling Up

    It’s always an issue of controlling all of the variables when scaling up. And this boils down to proper and extensive documentation for each batch. I always use prepared batch manufacturing records.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    June 26, 2024 at 7:05 pm in reply to: Preservative Recommendation

    You could think about formulating and producing products that do not require preservatives. This was the stance I took with my factories (I owned two). We exported globally, and after 1-2 years were manufacturing and exporting globally. About 90% of our production was Private Label. And our products were being continually assessed by Cosmetics Compliance regulators globally. Our factories were GMP Certified.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    October 10, 2024 at 5:36 pm in reply to: Formulating eco-friendly plant-based surfactants dishwash gel & powder

    I’m an individual, so I post what I want, and I don’t need your permission before posting.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    October 9, 2024 at 6:36 pm in reply to: Formulating eco-friendly plant-based surfactants dishwash gel & powder

    A side story to all of this. As a scientist, I wanted to push things a bit further, and as I was living in Malaysia at the time where I realised there was a lot of used Palm Oil being discarded down drains.

    So I teamed up with a group of intellectually and physically disabled to collect this used palm oil, and I spent months teaching them how to saponify this collected Palm Oil to produce a general household cleaner, package and sell to produce themselves some income.

    And this project still runs today providing them with a sustainable income.

    So I will leave all your negativity with you, and your expertise in digging up references from the web, while I continue with my work as a scientist and to turn my knowledge into something that can benefit those who are disadvantaged.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    October 9, 2024 at 6:03 pm in reply to: Formulating eco-friendly plant-based surfactants dishwash gel & powder

    Yes indeed, the science is clear. I produced these products for 17 years, after spending one year perfecting the formulation, including extensive consumer evaluations globally. Yep, DHL loved me!!!

    Saponification is complex, and the formulation has many variables, including the oils used, saponification values used, and super-fat calculations.

    And, scum was not an issue with what I finally produced.

    Question? Have you yourself ever produced these products, or are you simply trotting out well-known fallacies perpetuated by the producers of synthetic cleansers?

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    October 9, 2024 at 2:34 am in reply to: Formulating eco-friendly plant-based surfactants dishwash gel & powder

    I’m available and have developed and produced similar products.

    From nothing, in 2006, I co-founded two skincare manufacturing factories, which ran until 2023. This gives me 17 years experience of hands-on experience in formulating and making skincare plus various dish washes. My products were exported globally.

    It’s best to contact me directly via email: mikethair@gmail.com

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    October 8, 2024 at 10:49 pm in reply to: Formulating eco-friendly plant-based surfactants dishwash gel & powder

    Thanks ozgirl, good to know.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    October 8, 2024 at 5:39 pm in reply to: Formulating eco-friendly plant-based surfactants dishwash gel & powder

    With your comment “Without sulfates it will be much more difficult to get good foaming (not
    impossible just more difficult),” I have found that by using the right combination of saponified plant oils, good foaming is not an issue. For example, coconut oil is a good one to add to a combination of oils to increase foaming.

    The global brand Dr Bronners, who also saponify plant oils, do not have foaming issues. And of course you can avoid all the health issues of using synthetic surfactants.

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    June 27, 2024 at 8:16 pm in reply to: Invitation for someone to cooperate and produce this soap bar.

    Hi @VictoriaBee,

    Yes, I do know the formulation, I produced these bars since 2006.

    Please email me directly and we can discuss this in more detail: mikethair@gmail.com

  • mikethair

    Professional Chemist / Formulator
    June 27, 2024 at 7:00 pm in reply to: Invitation for someone to cooperate and produce this soap bar.

    Hi @VictoriaBee,

    Thanks for your message. No, I have not been contacted by anyone about this soap.

    Kind regards,

    Dr Mike Thair

Page 5 of 27