[Onur]

Yes, arginine works well in cathionic systems, it indeed is one of few cathionic amino-acids. It might help with conditioning but I wouldn’t use it above 3% in the formula, it’s a protein and your formula is mostly water, it might easily go rancid despite the preservative system. I’d also use a bit of silk/soy/wheat amino acids in such formulas.

You can use water-soluble silicones like PEG-12 dimethicone or even regular ones. People make so much fuss about silicones but they’re actually fine, they do deposit on the hair but they go away with washing. What’s more difficult to remove is polyquats, they’re resins that stick and stay for a long time, which ends up in dull and matte looking hair.

Lastly, if I was to make a leave-in conditioner, I’d definitely add a tiny amount of BRB 1288 (Amodimethicone, Trideceth-12 and Cetrimonium Chloride). The way it conditions is second to nothing.

[Onur]

I’ll answer the question in the title. My fav combo is:

Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
Zinc Coceth Sulfate
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate

They’re very gentle and they do provide amazing foam and luxurious after-feel, especially for cleanser gel systems.

For shampoos, my hair loves coco glucoside & glyceryl oleate combo along with CAPB & SCI. There’s no one-size-fits-all ingredient in cosmetics, each one might become handy for a particular purpose.

[Onur]

Glyceryl Stearate is not a strong emulsifier on its own, usually paired with PEG-100 Stearate to make a true emulsifier. Cetearyl alcohol in the oil phase would also be useful to stabilize emulsions, and it’s rinse-friendly. I’d try some Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, it’s very powerful even in tiny amounts for oil-heavy systems.

[Onur]

Do you use distilled water? The essential oils or your Vitamin E might contain carrier oils that could cause cloudiness. You might want to reduce the amount of Vitamin E if it’s not necessary. Substitute the reduced amount with EDTA.

Adding a minute amount of PEG-12 Dimethicone (like 0.5%) might be helpful to maintain the clarity of the formula, too.

[Onur]

Urea + Sodium Lactate + Mineral oil

That’s the most researched clinical combo to treat dryness and flaking. Yeah, nothing else heals faster.

[Onur]

Hey, wishing you a speedy recovery!

You might want to remove the preservatives and switch up your deodorant to something like Zinc Ricinoleate (maybe add a bit of rice bran wax to mimic Triethyl citrate’s effects). Then give it another patch test to see if these are what’s causing the issue. I’d also throw some Histidine to the formula for a better toleration.

[Onur]

Moroccanoil treatment comes in two versions: the original one contains cyclopentasiloxane and has more dimethicone than cyclomethicone. The lighter version, on the other hand, doesn’t include any cyclopentasiloxane but has more cyclomethicone than dimethicone. So, it’s up to you, try both and choose whichever your hair loves best.

[Onur]

Mostly because of light and air exposure, which is oxidation. Impurities or interactions with other ingredients in the formulation might be the culprit, too.

[Onur]

I’d start with SLS/SLES or C14-15 Olefin Sulfonate to make a clarifying shampoo as those are very strong surfactants. Polyquats can be very sticky and a pain to rinse out of hair, so consider adding alcohol and glycerol since that’s what they dissolve in best. Plus, the glycerol will give some hydration in addition to helping break down the resin buildup.

I’d add 2% salycilic acid and 4% niacinamide to help clear out the scalp, too.

[Onur]

Those commercial clear-oil hair products are mostly silicones (over 90%) and only the little part is actually the oil they put on their labels. The hair would feel too greasy otherwise. Those companies usually reduce the stickiness by using esters like Isoamyl Laurate and/or C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate. They give a drier, more velvety feel to the formula.

[Onur]

Beads floating sounds like the formula is not thick enough. A gelling agent would help with the viscosity. I’d use HEC (Hydroxyethylcellulose) or Sodium Hyaluronate twice as much as the recommended amount to create a thicker gel for suspending things. The surfactants you use must be compatible with those agents, though. Try milder surfactants because waxes are considered lipids, which might partially dissolve in the formula.

[Onur]

I wouldn’t recommend trying to mix up prescription-strength stuff at home because, well, they’re basically medicines.

As for your question, retinoic acid and its derivatives are oil-soluble. So you’d need both oil and an emulsifier to whip up a stable mix with your hydrolized hyaluronic acid solution.

Since most preservatives are sensitive to heat, you might want to consider a cold processed emulsifier. And yeah, you’d definitely have to add more preservatives.

But just a heads up, this DIY journey would involve a lot of trial and error because you’re essentially trying to play pharmacist in your kitchen. Mmm, maybe try good old Retinol? Or even Retinal and not Tretinoin? ????

[Onur]

1- Preservatives are usually considered safe if you stick to their recommended usage limits. But how does this rule apply to the whole product? Let’s think about it: If I’m slathering on a moisturizer sparingly on my face but going all out on my body—like, ten times more—then I’m basically soaking up those preservatives tenfold!

Also, that particular product is only one of the many preservative-containing cosmetics/detergents we use everyday. So, what really backs up these limits? How can we guarantee safety regarding their potential genotoxicity with such high levels of use? Not obsessed with that “preservative-free, super organic, ultra natural” lifestyle but I’m simply curious about this topic.

2- The skin tends to be slightly acidic, which is why products are typically formulated within the pH range of 5 to 6. Why isn’t a neutral pH, like 7 or even 8, as favored? Do we compromise the pH balance of our skin by showering, which involves rinsing with tap water at pH 7? And what about swimming in those thermal waters or seawater, which can have pH levels reaching up to 8.2?

[Onur]

Yes. Oryzanol + Disodium EDTA.

[Onur]

They do actually, at higher concentrations.

2% HEC in water gets insanely thick and would suspend those beads if they’re not too heavy. But I agree with you on the Carbomer, though they’re mostly pH sensitive.