[ozgirl]

If you are at home you really don’t need a lot of equipment to get started. There are few options for heating but one of the best for beginners is probably a double boiler setup. I have in the past just used a saucepan partially filled with water heated on my cook top with my stainless steel bowl sitting on top. I personally don’t like microwaves because of the tendency to overheat or not evenly heat the contents.
There is no need to constantly stir both phases when heating them just give them a stir periodically to ensure that they are heated evenly.

A stick blender is great to mix the two phases together.

Check out swiftcraftmonkey’s blog for lots of useful information.
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com.au/p/newbie-links.html

[ozgirl]

@Rahma - Perhaps if you tell us what you have tried and what the results were (even failures are results) then maybe we could give you some suggestions of what to try next. Show us your formula and tell us what was unsuccessful about it.

[ozgirl]

Agricultural grade urea will not be of a suitable standard for cosmetics. It often contains small rocks and dirt.

[ozgirl]

The ethylhexylglycerin in your phenoxyethanol / ethylhexylglycerin presevative can cause emulsion instability. Did you include it in your HLB calculations.

[ozgirl]

If this is the complete ingredients list then this is an anhydrous formulation NOT an emulsion. It does not have emulsifiers.

[ozgirl]

@Iaskedbetter Great basic guidelines.

I would like to add that people should introduce themselves in the introduction thread before requesting information/help.

Also, if you are asking for suppliers of a particular chemical tell us how much you want and where you are located. There is no point you telling us that you want xxxx chemical and then we tell you that you can buy 200kg drums of xxxx from a supplier the USA if you are are only making 200 gram batches at home in Europe.

[ozgirl]

What surfactant are you using?

Perhaps using a powdered surfactant with a small amount of binder would work. Try looking up formulations for foaming bath bombs.

[ozgirl]

We use a cloud point of 40oC or higher as the general rule.

[ozgirl]

Maybe try looking for emollients that are resistant to hydrolysis at low pH levels. These type of emollients are often used in antiperspirants. An example is Cetiol OE (Dicaprylyl Ether).

[ozgirl]

You could contact your Dow representative and ask what they recommend since you are getting the Acrysol from them.

I would recommend investigating a benzisothiazolinone preservative (such as Proxel GXL) as these are usually recommended for coatings and are stable over a wide pH range. What pH is your product?

[ozgirl]

A combination of beeswax (~5%) and castor oil (~95%) will give you a similar texture to petrolatum. The beeswax will offer some barrier properties. 

[ozgirl]

Could one sample have been contaminated during transport?

[ozgirl]

I just wanted to add to my earlier comments that I do not suggest that you try to hide ingredients. I was only suggesting how companies are able to get away with it.

[ozgirl]

@Kemist - Maybe Olivem 300 and/or Olivem 400 might work in your application.

[ozgirl]

The regulatory agencies are really only interested to see if there is a list of ingredients and are probably not going to look too closely to see if the list of ingredients is consistent with the product form.

[ozgirl]

I have found that when trying to solubilize some fragrances that a combination of tween 20 and PEG-40 Hydrogenated castor oil worked much better than either raw material on its own. Maybe you could try a combination of these to solubilize your emu oil.

[ozgirl]

A W/O emulsion can be called an inverse emulsion so I am assuming that is what they are referring to for this product.

[ozgirl]

I have tried a sample of Carbopol Aqua CC in a different application (cleaning product with surfactants) at around pH 3 and didn’t have much luck with thickening at that pH but it might work for you at a pH closer to 4.

I am in Australia so I am pretty sure that Carbopol Aqua CC is approved for use. I’m not sure how much you would be looking to purchase but the distributor is Bronson & Jacobs. 

[ozgirl]

The formulas I have come across for reed diffusers use dipropylene glycol (DPG).

I am guessing that because you are using propylene glycol rather than DPG you are having solubility issues.

I have also seen a couple of formulas that use use a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond oil or mineral oil in combination with the alcohol and  fragrance.

Hope this helps

[ozgirl]

If you are reformulating your product I would consider replacing the Cocamide DEA with Cocamide MEA. The Cocamide DEA is now classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans due to the DEA content.
http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol101/mono101-005.pdf

Unfortunately I don’t have any experience with the Bioterge but I would suggest matching your active surfactant levels and starting there.

[ozgirl]

Here is a link to an archived document from the Australian TGA (Similar to the US FDA) that gives some good guidance on what cosmetic claims you can make for different product types. It gives examples of how to word your claims.

https://www.tga.gov.au/publication/cosmetic-claims-guidelines

NOTE: This document is no longer current but is a great starting point.

[ozgirl]

The forum keeps logging me out even when I select “remember me” and then it takes two tries to log back in.

Not sure if this is a forum issue or an issue with my computer.

[ozgirl]

Possibly the panthenol.

[ozgirl]

Not my first job interview but at an interview I got asked this question.

You are driving along an isolated road and get a flat tire. When you get out to change the tire you drop the wheel nuts down a drain and can’t retrieve them. (There are no cell phones) What do you do?

I answered something about considering my options of whether it was better to try and walk to the closest town to get help or wait for someone to drive by. I asked my sister the same question and she answered that she would just take a wheel nut off each of the other wheels and use them to put the tire back on and continue on her way.

This type of question is supposed to show the interviewer how you think. So be prepared for unusual questions.

[ozgirl]

Some great and varied stories. Thanks for sharing.

My story isn’t all that exciting but it seems that like others I certainly never set out to be a cosmetic chemist.

I have always had an aptitude for science and maths and really developed my love of chemistry in high school under the guidance of a couple of excellent teachers. When I was in my early teen years I received a book about homemade beauty treatments (cucumber and honey face masks and lemon juice hair lightening) and I really enjoyed making these homemade treatments but certainly didn’t think of it as cosmetic science.

I went on to university to study chemistry along with a bit of physics, mathematics and some business. I continued on to complete a PhD in chemistry with my research focusing on novel methods for metal extraction from mineral ores. My PhD research lead me to a job working for a very large mining company in their research labs for a number of years. Unfortunately the research arm of the company was closed down and I was left applying for any job that sounded like it involved chemistry.

I landed myself a job at a cleaning chemical manufacturer working in their research department developing new products (mostly floor polishes and eco- friendly detergents). Due to the economic crisis this job didn’t last long and I found myself unemployed again. Fortunately I found myself a development chemist role at another cleaning chemical manufacturer but this one also had a range of personal care and cosmetic products in addition to their cleaning products. I had to learn quickly about creating lotions, shampoos, conditioners and body wash products and now I am really enjoying developing these types of products.

……..and that’s how I became a cosmetic chemist.