[fareloz]

First of all I don’t see Ethylhexylglycerin in provided INCI. Secondly, the product is waterless, so no emulsifier is required.

[fareloz]

Based on google the suggested amount is:

“When used as a water softener, a rough guide of 3-6 ppm of STPP should be used for each ppm of total hardness (Calcium and Magnesium) as CaCO3:

Therefore if you have 300ppm of hardness the suggested amount is:

from 3 * 300 to 6 * 300 == from 900ppm to 1800ppm.

Both networks are correct. ChatGPT gives you the average final answer, while deepseek gives you the average dose per 1ppm of hardness.

P.S.: Is AI worth spending so much time when you can find the answer in google in 1 sec?

[fareloz]

The only way to know answers to your questions is to conduct studies. There are some studies on 5% of Niacinamide and that’s why it is usually referred as ideal number. But there are no studies on 10% Niacinamide, that’s why we can’t say if it’s better or not.

The reason companies include 10% is because The Ordinary started it and got hyped. They basically used “higher number” marketing - wrong assumption in people’s mind that the more - the better.

About the performance and irritation… Many people on reddit claim that 10% Niacinamide is the best product they’ve used, while the others say they’ve got huge irritation and closed comedones because of it. Some claim that Niacinamide is almost in every product now and therefore cumulative amount gives problems: bumps, flushes. irritations, allergies, pimples.

I think the reaction is very personal and the percentage to use depends on the marketing you want to have. If you want The Ordinary-like marketing with scientific minimalistic approach and disclosed percentages - use higher number. But beware that it can crystalize on the dropper and pill on the face.

[fareloz]

There is no emulsifier in a classical meaning. The product is a dispersion of oil phase in water phase. They use C12-22 alkyl acrylate/hydroxyethylacrylate copolymer polymeric thickener to achieve this. They thicken water and oil droplets have no possibility to move around and join together -> separate.

Not all thickeners can do this. For example Gums are not good for this. Mostly polymeric thickeners (like Sepimax Zen or Lecigel) are suitable.

[fareloz]

For best stability of Urea you need pH 5.5-6.0. Vinegar is acidic and will drop it much lower.

[fareloz]

Are you sure that was NaOH and not baking soda?

If so, probably because dissolving NaOH heats water a lot. That’s why it is suggested to dissolve it in cold water in ice bath

[fareloz]

will this work to moisturize skin?

I don’t think we can give you skincare advice because this is a question to your esthetician.

But we can give you feedback on the formula.

1. You have a lack of water thickener (in original product it is Xanthan Gum). It affects texture and stability.
2. You don’t disclose which preservative you are going to use, so 1% might be too high or too low depending on specific blend.
3. You want to add Vitamin E which is a broad name for several ingredients (Tocopherol Acetate, mixed Tocopherols, Tocopherol). Note that original product uses specifically Tocopherol Acetate to preserve oil, not every Tocopherol-like ingredient can do this.
4. They use different emulsifying blend (Glyceryl Stearate + Stearic Acid + Cetearyl Alcohol and ). You want to use Emulsifying wax NF, which is Cetearyl Alcohol and Polysorbate 60. And on top you want to add Cetyl alcohol. Therefore the final texture will be creamier, while original product is probably waxier/harder (due to Stearic Acid). It is fine if it’s your intention.

[fareloz]

60% sticks most likely a dispersion of very fine powder in some waxy base, not a solution.

[fareloz]

Both ways are very subjective, but to me verifying AI responses takes much more time than google search on trusted sources. I think to use AI efficiently you need to be an expert in the knowledge domain to eyeball AI errors. Then you can use it as automation. Otherwise much easier would be ask here)

[fareloz]

You are missing ‘peptide’ part. OP uses not collagen, but collagen peptides.

[fareloz]

Then you have your answer: if it works for you - go with it.

(But without studies we can’t be sure if the effect if from Niacinamide or very high amount of Glycerin)

[fareloz]

When I change ingredients and can’t afford relabeling, I highlight it very strongly on my website lol.

Seems a bit illegal, no?

[fareloz]

You never know how much you will need to use to achieve the correct pH. It can vary batch from batch.

Ingredients after 1% line can be listed in any order, so I don’t think this is a good argument.

[fareloz]

I wouldn’t say stearic acid gives nice feel. It creates soapy textures

[fareloz]

Are you actually a cosmetic chemist? Because Azelaic Acid is almost insoluble in water

[fareloz]

In strongly acid solution ascorbic acid decomposes to furfural and carbon dioxide (Herbert et al., 6; Lamden and Harris, ll)

Sodium metabisulfite decomposes in 150 °C of heat releasing toxic gasses when decomposed

[fareloz]

What about glass jars? They much easier to sterilize - just boil them and then rinse with ethanol.

[fareloz]

Perplexity doesn’t generate own answers, it summarizes google search with AI. You can do it with OpenAI’s ChatGpt too, just enable “Search” mode.

[fareloz]

Maybe licorice extract darkens over time?

[fareloz]

Ferulic Acid is show to stabilize ascorbic acid, not the derivatives.

Tocopherols are oil-soluble, so I don’t see how it should stabilize water-soluble active.

[fareloz]

Aha… Then I see why cosmetic grade is more expensive. Thnx!

[fareloz]

Sepimax Zen? According to their marketing materials it should tolerant to acids and high glycol content

[fareloz]

Indeed. Acidic pH is good for bacteria that causes cavities, so I would be surprised to find acidic toothpaste

[fareloz]

For us the difference between cosmetic grade and food typically comes down to micro spec- lower for cosmetics than it is for food

Lower micro spec for cosmetics grade means less microbes allowed or more microbes allowed? (sorry, not native English speaker)

[fareloz]

Also, there is no such thing as “allergy free” skincare, because people are so unique that there are even people, who can develop allergy to plain water. That’s why there is no “allergy free” skincare. Correct term is “hypoallergenic” (which they also use) which mean products that do not contain common strong allergens (like citrus fragrances). But to you as a specific person this means nothing because you might have no allergy to strong allergens, but have an allergy to some regular ingredient like glycerin.

You must realize that all skincare on the market is SAFE. Personal sensitivity is PERSONAL, so the website is no help to you, you have to know your own allergens by tries and errors.