[natzam44]

Just some observations as I am looking at the new interface for the first time.

- The new interface is much cleaner and certainly looks much prettier than the old one

- As others have mentioned, dark mode would be appreciated

- Typing lag and interruptions are certainly an issue (as I have just discovered while writing this)

- Just looking at the main forum page, I can’t figure out how to make a new post (although I may just need to put my glasses on)

- It would be nice if private messages and profile data such as join date could be conserved form the old site

- As others have mentioned, some colour or shading difference to show you which posts you have read would be appreciated

- The old tag system was certainly better and having popular options displayed to you certainly made tagging a breeze

Those are the things I can think of off the top of my head. As always, we greatly appreciate all of the work you put into making this site as good as it is. Thanks Perry!

[natzam44]

1) There is no difference here, only marketing.

2) Generally, they do not require any heating and can be dispersed in water with relative ease. Heating can help to decrease the time it takes for the polymer to disperse though so it could save you some time. 

My favourite polymers for hair styling products are PVP and VP/VA copolymer. They are both easy to use and widely available.

[natzam44]

It should be 0.25% active surfactant. 

[natzam44]

You have no emulsifier. Emulsifying Wax NF isn’t really a wax but rather a combination of cetearyl alcohol and polysorbate 60. Candelilla wax is not an adequate substitute which is causing the oils/waxes to separate from the water leaving a waxy residue. 

[natzam44]

MarkBroussard said:

@Bobzchemist … always valued his posts … anyone know of his whereabouts lately?

You missed a shout out to @chemicalmatt whose vast knowledge of the field is truly amazing.  

Both @Bobzchemist and @Belassi are two individuals that I haven’t seen recently. The two of them have been around a long time and have contributed a lot of knowledge to this forum.

[natzam44]

@Pattsi Thanks, I’ll try substituting the xanthan gum for something else.

[natzam44]

This is not something which we can answer. When making a knockoff you have to simply take a guess and then make a sample. Rinse and repeat. One thing you can do, is to heat up a sample to ~80C and get all of the water to evaporate. You can then use the change in weight to get a rough estimate of the water content, which will give you a starting point. 

[natzam44]

The reason the product dries isn’t because of how dry your hands are, but rather that the product itself is too dry. 

You can try a few things here:
- Decrease the amount of clay
-Increase the humectants
-Increase the oils
-Any combination of the above.

[natzam44]

1. You could add either polyquaternium 7 or 10 but given that you are already using 2% dimethicone, I doubt you would notice much of a difference.

2. See above.

3. This will come down to personal preference. You can give behentrionium chloride a shot if you would like. For percentages, look at the manufacturer recommendations and then experiment from there.

[natzam44]

If I’m a hobbyists, does that make me some guy with a guitar in his garage, or does it make me Nickelback?

[natzam44]

I’ve personally never found any. BTMS doesn’t really offer anything new when compared to the competition but costs a hell of a lot more. Probably one of my most regrettable purchases.

[natzam44]

jacksons said:

Paprik said:

Hi, is it pomade for hair? I’m little bit lost. 

However, .. I would first worry about adding antioxidant and preservative. I don’t see any emulsifier? 

Yes, hair pomade. I haven’t added a preservative as I am currently making 100g batches to test formulas, and am still researching the best preservatives to maintain a natural (organic if possible) ingredient list. From the research I’ve done, the shea butter can function as an emulsifier. 
I’ve swapped 6% of the water content for 3% PG and 3% VG, and opted for 4% kaolin clay, 0% bentonite clay. With these changes, the formula comes out quite good; high all day hold, great creamy texture comparable to a typical clay-pomade. 

Cheers,
Jackson

Shea butter is not an emulsifier. Your product is likely being held together by the wax and Hydrogenated Castor Oil, but I would be surprised if it remained stable over time.

[natzam44]

It does not matter if you add the water to the oil or the oil to the water. Personally, I prefer adding the water to the oil because it makes the vessels easier to clean afterwards. As for your second question, I am not quite sure what you’re asking.

[natzam44]

@Graillotion 

That actually looks great. Thanks!

[natzam44]

If you want to make a USP grade product, you have to follow USP’s guidelines. 

I’ve personally never seen a USP grade EO and I suspect that it’s due to the large variation in chemical composition between batches.

[natzam44]

Zink said:

It is an antioxidant but that is perhaps not reason enough? The product is already somewhat green from sencha green tea.

I know that in Canada and the US, the regulatory agencies are very strict when it comes to colour in products. The problem with using arguments of function is that there are many ingredients with similar functions. A regulator might question why you didn’t seek another ingredient which wouldn’t change the colour of the product. 

Keep in mind, that while I have read the laws and regulations, I am not an expert. With that being said, when it comes to possible legal issues, I would recommend erring on the side of caution.

[natzam44]

My understanding is that you would have to be able to prove that you are not using it as a colourant. As you might imagine, this can be quite the hard sell when your product is greener than grass. 

[natzam44]

@ngarayeva001 @Pharma Thank you both for the insight.

I’m certainly still partial to @ngarayeva001 ‘s point of view mostly due to the fact that consumers are a rather confused bunch. In the years since I’ve started formulating, I have seen people swear by all sorts of odd (and possibly dangerous) treatments which had no basis in reality. Although this is anecdotal, it would seem that humans simply aren’t attentive enough to notice subtle changes. 

[natzam44]

@MariaG I also wanted to ask if that citric acid was in solution? If not, then 0.8% will most certainly be too much. I personally use a 20% solution and check the pH with a pH meter every 2-3 drops for samples (40g).

[natzam44]

@MariaG I would keep it in at 0.25%

[natzam44]

Here is what I would change:

1. Lower Cetrimonium Chloride to 0.5% (or lower). I don’t know where you live, but 5% is far too high and exceeds the legal limit in some places.

2. Hydrolyzed keratin can be lowered to claims levels.

3. Polyquaternium 7 will be equally as effective at 1%

4. Not sure if you’ve already made this, but you seem to have a lot of thickener in there. If it works as is, then leave it.

5. 1% seems ridiculously high for your fragrance. I usually use <0.5%.

6. Not sure if this has been challenge tested but I’m not confident that 1% phenoxyethanol will suffice for preservation. 

[natzam44]

ngarayeva001 said:

You step into drug category with penetration enhancers because as you mentioned cosmetics should stay on the surface. Also, it’s not as straightforward as adding DMI or propylene glycol and hoping your active ingredient would perform better. The entire formula matters.

That’s what I gathered. Having the right actives at the right concentrations will always be the most important aspect of formulation. Penetration enhancers have always struck me as something that’s only really relevant in pharmaceuticals. 

[natzam44]

You would need to share your formula to get proper procedural advice.

[natzam44]

ngarayeva001 said:

Some might find this video interesting: https://youtu.be/V7UlWTU_K6s in summary, Brad Mondo tried bleaching two strands of black hair, one with olaplex, one without olaplex. The result wasn’t impressive. No difference except the strand with olaplex wasn’t as light.

In fairness to Olaplex, that was not a very thorough test. He just kind of touched the hair a bit and called it a day. 

[natzam44]

I agree with this. Too often do I see small companies mislabel their ingredients or make dubious claims. It’s also hard to know what kind of conditions their products are being made in (depending on the brand). At least with big companies, you know what you are getting.