mikethair
Forum Replies Created
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Go back and look closely at your oils and waxes and their relative percentages/proportions. Research the characteristics of each ingredient and identify those that have a “sticky” feel.
Then do a series of formulations with different propositions and record the results in Excel.
Have others try these, and then validate your own conclusions.
It’s a long, time-consuming process.
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If your focus is on the fragrance, some essential oils are just used for anchoring the other EOs. For example, benzoin is a fixative, slowing the dispersion of essential oils and other fragrance materials into the air. And the fragrance is very vanilla, warm and sweet. It may fit your Christmas theme.
Also, benzoin will not have the same fragrance depending on its variety. For example, Laos benzoin will be vanilla and caramelised without being too sweet. Siam benzoin is the most sought after by perfumers, is much rarer, and therefore much more expensive. It has a much more assertive vanilla character and is very sweet. The CoAs should tell you the origin of each oil.
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My journey was to first get a useful undergraduate science degree. In my case, I went on to an MSc and PhD. And next, you need some hands-on experience in a laboratory environment.
With this experience behind you, start working in a cosmetics manufacturing environment with mentoring. And try to get experience working across all fields including production, QC, and formulation. Also, some involvement in cosmetics compliance requirements for your particular country.
With all of the above behind you, then think about branching out on your own. It’s not an overnight journey.
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My approach is entirely different. For around 20 years I have saponified plant oils and avoided synthetic surfactants. I see numerous benefits. Not least, they are “self-preserving” as there is no need to add any preservatives.
In our manufacturing facility, we produced various face wash, body wash, and shampoo products for customers globally on a Private-label basis.
These products complied with the cosmetics regulatory authorities in various countries including Japan, the USA, and European countries. I also trained company owners in African countries to saponify plant oils and produce face wash, body wash, and shampoo products.
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I may be able to help. Please let me have the details.
Kind regards,
Dr Mike Thair
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We were successful in producing a balm using Candelila Wax, Coconut Oil, and Black Seed Oil. To these oils, we added high-quality essential oils.
In our factory, we made and sold these balms to brands globally under their own labels.
We experimented with oil/wax ratios of between 10-30 %.
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<div>You may need to do a bit more work on the formulation. If any number, even if only very small, are breaking during demolding, then this is a warning sign that the formulation needs more work.
</div><div>At the same time, look at your process. When scaling up to larger numbers, all variables need to be constant. And you need to identify these variables. For example, the type of surface where the filled trays are placed. This should be a constant. We liked to use a wooden surface for cooling. If some trays are cooled on a wooden bench top and others on a granite bench top, you will see differences.
Also, record the ambient temperature of the room when molding.
I use an Excel template to record all parameters for every batch.
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Yes indeed, significant water is lost during the curing process.
We produced 1,000’s of private label soap bars during 2009 - 2023 for various brands globally. Our approach was to use a purpose-built cure room with a controlled temperature and relative humidity.
The temperature and relative humidity was recorded daily by our QC Manager. And with such strict control we were able to control the finished size and weight of the cold process soap bars we manufactured. Thus, every batch was within the specs agreed with customer.
I should also mention that before signing any agreement, we produced test bars for the customer.
Kind regards,
Dr Mike Thair
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Soap bar specs should be clearly specified in the agreement you have signed with the Contact Manufacturer. Also, in the contact there should be details on the samples, including weight and sizes, provided before full production begins.
I was the co-founder of a company producing soap bars for brands globally. And it is in a win-win to get these specs correct. It worked for us over 15 years.
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At the end of the day it’s a decision you will need to make yourself based on your own criteria, and you must be prepared to justify your decision.
I was the co-founder and Master Formulator for our skincare manufacturing company for 20 years. We manufactured and exported to brands globally. And I never relied on third-parties to make these sorts of decisions.
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An anhydrous clay mask consisting mainly of
kaolin and french green clay for personal use where you add water in a
small amount of clay when using, would not be at any the risk of
microbial growth if it is not stored wet after use.I developed may of these products for the global brands I formulated for, and never had any issues with the various cosmetics compliance authorities, or the products themselves.
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The proposed MoCRA will change all of this.
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I’m watching this with GREAT interest.
The manufacturing company I founded and managed (I was the Master Formulator) for 20 years manufactured for brands globally. A lot of these brands we manufactured for were based in the EU, therefore we adopted the EU standards in all manufacturing and all compliance.
BTW, our factories/businesses were located in Viet Nam and Malaysia.
Manufacturing under the EU standards made it very easy for us to manufacture and export to US brands from our Viet Nam and Malaysia facilities. From our perspective of the EU standards, the requirements in the US were almost non-existent.
Therefore, I will be watching very closely how the MoCRA rolls out. Having setup from scratch, and run a manufacturing facility for 20 years under EU guidelines, I see this as a huge challenge for many US based manufacturers.
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It’s all to do with the fragrance formulation and the right balance of top, middle, and base notes.
I formulated and manufactured various room sprays for brands globally, and never had problems.
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I would not agree with this distinction between chemist and formulator.
In my experience as the co-founder and Managing Director of a company where I worked for 20 years as the formulator (I consider myself a chemist with a Ph.D. and MSc.) I see both roles as one and the same.
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<OK, I see you have your arse covered “Thankfully I have emails dating back almost a year appraising him of the situation.”
As I have experienced with GMP / QC audits undertaken by cosmetics authorities, there is not much room for interpretation, the GMP guidelines are straightforward, and those who are not up to the mark pay the price.
And I spent a LOT OF TIME training my staff. It pays off!!!!
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That everyone is oblivious to MoCRA comes as no surprise. And for me, raises questions on the quality and safety of cosmetics in the USA.
I founded and managed a manufacturing company for 20 years based on European standards that were higher than MoCRA. It made sense and had advantages. The biggest was that it opened export markets. We were exporting globally, including to Europe and Japan.
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To me, sounds a bit chaotic. Where is senior management in this scenario? Who gave the Operations Manager the authority to ignore the plans and build something incompatible with future plans?
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Thanks Perry….
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Yes indeed, a controversial area. We manufactured soap bars using coconut and palm oil. The formulation was designed to produce a long-lasting bar. We had five or six moulds, each capable of producing 150 bars of 65 grams, so 900 bars daily.
Our bars were sold globally, and mostly we were struggling to keep up demand for our own brand and those were made for Private Label brands.
In summary, customers liked our soap bars. And, there are other companies doing the same. Some consumers are not interested in “….. newer and more effective technologies than standard soaps, to make milder products.”
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Whoa, in what country are you located?
In our case, the floor plan has to be detailed and approved by the cosmetics regulating authority. Each room function must be identified, along with direction arrows (colour-coded) showing the flow of packaging material, finished product, personnel, and raw/bulk material.
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The “toxic impact” refers to the toxicity of a substance and its ability to cause harmful effects. It’s a general term widely used and no need for it to be referenced.
Of course, CIR and the Opinions from the Scientific Committee of the EU are valid. But, in my research, I prefer peer-reviewed, published articles in scientific journals. These carry more weight in my opinion than committees focusing on just one element of industry sector.
As I have stated, the scientific literature does not identify any toxic impacts of
potassium cocoate (saponified coconut oil). The same cannot be said of
the synthetic surfactants I have identified in my post.Can you quote any peer-reviewed, published articles that contradict my stance?
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Yes indeed. However, the scientific literature does not identify any toxic impacts of potassium cocoate (saponified coconut oil). The same cannot be said of the synthetic surfactants I have identified in my post.
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That well may be the case. But after two decades of no microbial issues being detected by our in-house microbial testing and the testing done by our international Private Label customers and cosmetics authorities in their respective countries, I’m comfortable.
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Not in our experience.
We manufactured these products for two decades and exported them globally to various brands under our Private Label activities. Zero contamination was detected in the testing done by these global brands and their associated labs, and samples tested my cosmetic compliance authorities.
Our production facility included an on-site microbial lab. And in two decades, there was zero microbial contamination detected in retained samples tested for up to two years after manufacture and beyond.