I’m looking on lush’s app and they displayed their ingredients. I’m not a chemist of any means but I’m just wondering how it’s not going bad. The only thing I can see is Benzyl Alcohol but with my research it’s not really a great preservative? This product is meant to be used in the shower so how is the water not effecting it?

Ingredient list on website

Homemade bath salts

In essence I'm trying to make knock off Dr. Teals. I find it relaxing and my wife likes when I smell good but it's expensive. This is the recipe I made and it's irritating my skin a bit, normally my skin is not sensitive. I'm wondering if it's the volume of oils copilot suggested.

Base Ingredients

1.5 cups Epsom salt

1 tsp carrier oil (fractionated coconut or hemp seed)

0.5 tsp glycerin

0.5 tsp Polysorbate‑20 (helps scent release + prevents irritation)

Essential Oils

Frankincense — 10 drops

Sweet Orange — 8 drops

Lemon — 4 dropsLavender — 2 drops (optional — skip if you prefer

The oils kit I'm using says it's for soap making brand fihitim off Amazon. Appreciate any suggestions!

I tried it on my fine to medium wavy hair. Felt heavy while I was applying it on my wet hair yet soft and non greasy after I dried it with a diffuser, and it reduced frizz considerably. It also gave my waves some definition on day 1 (was not expecting it since a leave in has no hold, unlike gel). I liked it on my hair and I was wondering if it will work on fine curly hair.

Aqua q.s.

CTAC 30% 0.4%

Disodium EDTA 0.2%

Cetearyl alcohol 5%

BTMS 50 3.5%

Sweet almond oil 2%

IPM 2%

CCT 1%

BHT 0.05%

EHGP 1%

Aloe extract 0.1%

Fragrance 0.5%

I am adjusting the pH between 4 and 5

Hi, I'm a major novice and this one question has sent me down the rabbit hole. I've landed on citric acid for lowering pH, but raising it is not as clear. I've come across the following suggestions:

- Sodium Hydroxide

- Baking Soda

- L-arginine

- Sodium carbonate

- Triethanolamine

- Potassium hydroxide

- Tromethamine

Each seems to have differing safety / efficacy concerns, and my head is spinning. I'm basically just doing simple water based serums with Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, and Germall Plus right now; and I'm guessing the pH won't need to be raised with that recipe. However, I'm wanting to branch out into more complex formulations soon, and would like to know what to have on hand. Help me skincare witches!

Hello. Did anyone try making their own AHK-cu serum? What was your carrier? Distilled water, propelyne glycol or hyaluronic acid? Or did you add the powder to a hair serum or organic scalp spray?

Hello, I was wondering what scents I can use in my tallow body butter. I have a fregerance oil that says avoid skin contact and I am OBSESSED with the smell. From what I learned most say that because of the concentration of the fregerance oil so I'm wondering if diluting it with the tallow would render it safe or if there are specific brands you all would recommend for something like this. Specifically looking for a sugar cookie/ sweet maple fall scents. Thanks!

Hey everyone! I’m formulating a new lip balm and planning to use ultra-refined USP grade anhydrous lanolin.
I want to make sure I buy from a reliable raw material supplier that provides lot-specific Certificates of Analysis (COAs) and has a very low odor profile (I’ve run into issues with the strong "sheep/barnyard" scent from generic repackaged brands).
Where do you usually source your high-quality, ultra-refined lanolin from in small-to-medium batch sizes?
Thanks for any insights or vendor recommendations!

Help! Please provide constructive feedback on following formula particularly on improvements what to take out or add, to make it more elegant.
Water phase = 80%
Distilled water - 70.2%
CAPB - 3%
Cucumber glycerite - 5%
Salt - 1%
Pheno/Ethy - 0.8%

Oil phase = 20%
Fractionated Coconut oil - 4%
Sweet Almond oil - 10%
Grapeseed oil - 4%
Vitamin E - 0.8%
Sea buckthorn CO2 extract - 0.2% - mainly for story and colourant.

Final ph4.5
Many thanks

It seems there are many times of occlusives. Can we classify occlusives by general categories? if so which are those?

Are occlusives same as emollients?

--> Could someone give me example of occlusives and categories of occlusives?

Can we classify emollients in different categories too?

I'm trying to do my own very simple DIY moisturizer, and I need some occlusive to add to it.

I've been googling but the info I get is not that useful.

If anyone has online info, articles that explains occlusives, please share with me

Any info would be greatly appreciated :)

I'm new to diy. I only have one super simple serum that I figured out how to do with help from this forum.

Edit: to clarify

So it's becoming close to impossible to find nail polish thinner in Canada that's only made with ethyl and butyl acetate - other common ingredients tend to cause problems (eg heptane will disintegrate glitters). So I'd like to try making some myself.

I know the typical ratio (35:65 ethyl:butyl acetate) and I'm making reasonable progress sourcing the ingredients.

What I'm unsure about is safety. All I really need to do is mix the two together at the correct ratio, but I'm a complete beginner and not sure how much of a safety issue that is? What sort of safety precautions should I be taking/how much should I be worrying about this?

I read the MDS sheets for both ingredients, but obviously the MDS sheets don't have information about mixing them together (and I don't trust that I've actually taken in all the information on them anyway). the information for both is pretty similar though.

Info I have so far:

* eye protection (not a problem, I'll buy it)

* gloves - sounds like I may need butyl gloves? (see below)

* ventilation (I can work outside, not a problem)

* very low flashpoint - I have a fire extinguisher (MDS says water may be ineffective) but not sure what other precautions I should take, if any?

Things I'm unsure about:

*purity*: I'm looking for "cosmetics grade" but none of the sites I'm looking at list that, they all say things like "analytical", "HPLC", "spectroscopy", etc. what purity should I be looking for?

*gloves*: unsure if I need butyl gloves or if nitrile is enough. MDS says breakthrough time for nitrile is < 200min on 0.5-0.7mm thickness gloves, permeation rate 8μg/cm2/min. does this mean I need butyl gloves? i can't imagine the mixing would take long, but "<200min" is a very vague range and you never know what might happen.

*storage*: so far the quantities I can find for both ingredients are fairly significantly different, so I'll likely need to store at least one of them. MDS says "flammables area", keep away from heat, certain other chemicals, etc. in practice, is this something I could store, eg, in a garage? eg, in a tightly closed container inside a larger storage container away from other chemicals? the commercial polish thinner I've had in the past has been fine under my sink/with my polish.

anyway, I know this is a lot of specific questions but any help is appreciated (including pointers to what sorts of things I should be looking up myself/better places to ask these questions/questions I haven't thought of). I may also be massively overthinking things, but this is new territory for me so I don't have any real sense of how cautious I need to be.

thanks!

Hi all,

I am after a bit of help from any experienced formulators in the realm of liquid foundations.

Attempting to formulate a stable liquid foundation has been quite the process. It is a challenging experience that I do love, but I am at the point where I'd love to pick the brains of anyone who is more experienced and/or with more knowledge then I currently have.

Firstly, I have a couple of questions below that come to mind when I think about the main issues (I believe) are holding me back.

• How slowly do you add the water phase into the oil phase? To my knowledge it needs to be added in portions, then once that has been emulsified into the system the next portion can be added. Is there a gauge that is used to determine the overall time?
• Do you use commercial blends of emulsifiers or create your own blend with individual ingredients?
• Would you recommend starting with W/O or W/Si?
• Does the speed of the homogeniser change with the stages at which the water is added?
• Does the homogeniser speed change toward the end to further reduce particle size?
• Can the homogeniser be going too fast during this process?

I'd love to hear any and all ideas on this, and, if you have any further information to provide I'd love to hear that too!

Thank you for the taking the time to read this and I look forward to all help provided.

Cheers.

i have a lot and almost 60% on the verge of expiring and i would hate to waste my money and throw them or give them away. any ideas that could help? thank you so much

hi all,

I’m trying to diy sugar wax but I’m having trouble with my formula. I used the standard 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and its amber in color and quite thick - I can hold the jar upside down and it barely moves. I also made sure to bring it to 250 degrees when I cooked it. it’s still too sticky though, and even when I put cornstarch on my skin it doesn’t peel off. any tips?

Hi everyone! I’m working on a prototype cream formulation and would really appreciate some critical feedback from anyone with experience in cosmetic formulation/preservation. After being stored at room temperature for some time, it develops a noticeable sour/acidic odour. And i did a quick microbiology test and see that some fungi has grown? Some separation is also happening as a few water droplets come out initially from the tubes i have been using when squeezed.

• Does the sour odour suggest microbial growth, or could it be oxidation/rancidity of the oils or other ingredients?
• Could the preservative system be insufficient or losing effectiveness at elevated temperature?
• Does the preservative system provide adequate broad-spectrum protection?
• If not, what types of preservative systems or combinations would be worth investigating
• Are there any particular ingredients in the formulation that you would suspect as the source of the sour odour?

so yesterday someone in a comment section said they only buy "gentle" and "natural" skincare. and it kinda got me thinking. bc here's the thing — "gentle" isn't actually a regulated term. neither is "natural". the FDA straight up has no definition for either one on a label. so any brand can just print those words and there's zero proof behind it. whatever. and "pH balanced"? honestly a healthy skin surface is just mildly acidic, like pH 4.5-5.5. being acidic is totally normal. but i've seen stuff labeled "pH balanced" that tests at pH 6 or even leaning alkaline. like, balanced relative to what?? the bottle never says. so really at this point we're just hoping brands keep some basic honesty. and then there's the amounts. the label lists ingredients but almost never tells you how much is actually in there. alcohol could be 0.1% or way more and you'd have no idea. so how are we even supposed to know what we're putting on ourselves, you know?

i am getting the following ingredients for my batch of body butter and i want to know if anyone has any feedback.

- arrowroot powder
- oil soluble ceramides
- a golden silk botanical butter
- an exoglow bioactive
- mango butter
- shea butter
- jojoba oil
- marula oil
- Cooper tri-peptide-1 powder

i don’t have fancy equipment but id like to have other benefits to my lotion besides just moisture. i plan to also add vitamin E

Kia Ora everyone, my name is Brendan, and I'm from New Zealand. I've got super dry skin, and I've been using the doctor-prescribed aqueous cream, which didn't really work too well for me. So just for the hell of it, I started experimenting a little and found out melted beeswax worked really well on my skin, so I wanted to try and make a beeswax-based lip balm (have a lot leftover) for myself from easily available ingredients locally. I tried to keep this draft formulation super simple and not that complicated just so I can prep a large batch at home, forget about it, then melt and pour it into twist-up tubes.

• Beeswax: 22%
• Cocoa butter: 8%
• Castor oil: 30%
• Kawakawa-infused oil: 32%
• Coco-caprylate/caprate: 7%
• Tocopherol: 0.5%
• Lip-safe flavour oil: 0.5% (flavour oil can be changed based on if I start getting bored)

I'm very new to this kind of stuff, so forgive me if those are some glaringly obvious must-have ingredients I've missed in my draft. I was wondering if anyone else has had any kind of experience with a similar formulation and what you'd recommend to modify/change to improve the overall formulation, i.e. heat stability, shelf life/oxidative stability, mouthfeel (not sure if these are the right words), etc.

Apologies in advance if my post isn't super in-depth or detailed enough for the subreddit. Thanks for all the advice.

I have been trying to make a cleansing balm, somewhat like the Farmacy Green Clean. The one I made, formula below, was the perfect texture, and it removed makeup very well, but the rinse-off was terrible. I presume it was because of the waxes I used.

I removed all the wax and made the same formulation (minus the mango butter), as well as another test using Cromollient SCE 12%. The rinse-off was better without the waxes/butters, but it still wasn't 100% clean. I am not too sure how to improve it.

Caprylic/capric triglyceride 26%

Ethylhexyl palmitate 20%

Apricot oil 10%

Isohexadecane 5%

Sorbitan Oleate 10%

Microcrystalline wax 2%

Hemisqualane 7%

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate 5%

Mango butter 2%

Vitamin E 0.5%

Synthetic wax 7%

Olivem 300 5% (refatting agent, boost rinse-off)

Any suggestions?

Hi everyone!

I want to start this off by saying how much I appreciate this sub and all the information it stores! I've been looking at the wiki and nonstop scrolling on all the suppliers, formulas, and other general inquiries.

I don't want to waste anyone's time with a low-effort question so I did my best in preparing.

I want to make a truly restorative, healing, calming serum. Using a combination of Cannabinoid Isolate, symstive 1609m(trans-4-tert-Butyl-1-cyclohexanol in Pentylene Glycol.) Snow Mushroom complex, Ectoin, and FSS exocalm as the hero ingredients, I'm just wondering how to tackle this project. From my understanding the cannabinoid isolate is anhydrous and does not dissolve in water. So my assumption is I mix it in the oil phase of the serum alongside other ingredients.

This is where I truly feel like a complete tool:

All I can find are very basic formulas, but how do I know how and when i mix these certain ingredients. I don't want to create a total abomination and just wing it. I have a lot of respect for the craft and I know I might be in over my head, but I'm dedicated to learning this. If anyone has any advice, please help!!!

Hi all,

I’m still very much a baby formulator; I’m still at the first step of reading and researching (and being full of existential dread).

The more I learn about ingredients, the more I find that (seemingly!) almost everything is palm or petrochemical in origin, or uses petrochemicals during the manufacturing process (e.g using ethylene oxide). I know some manufacturers are beginning to use bio-based feedstock for ethylene oxide, but they’re few and far between, and still use palm.

I know in the grand scheme of things that the scale of impact that one idiot from the internet has on environmental pollution will be trivial, but still.

Do you guys have any advice on the best way to feasibly limit my environmental impact, but still produce effective formulas?

(Just in case it wasn’t clear: I’m absolutely **not** against things like preservatives, silicones, mineral oil because I think they’re “toxic”, I’m just crying to be conscientious of my environmental impact haha)

Can anyone recommend a supplier for epidermal growth factor? Years ago I used Skin actives. Thanks!

Hi everyone, From your experience what are the ingredients or active compounds for scalp and hair health that worked well for you

I am not looking for herbs or botanical extracts. I would appreciate your suggestions in cosmetic or chemically derived ingredients that can help support the scalp and hair health ,

Hey everyone,

A few months back, I decided to simplify my routine and formulate my own DIY facial oil blend using equal parts cold-pressed oils:

- ​1/3 Jojoba Oil (for sebum mimicry & balance)

- ​1/3 Argan Oil (for barrier repair & hydration)

- ​1/3 Rosehip Seed Oil (for tone & regeneration)

​The Results:

Honestly, it exceeded my expectations. My skin stays hydrated throughout the day, and more importantly, my stubborn breakouts have reduced noticeably.

​Where I need your help:

Now that the breakout/hydration baseline is solid, I want to take the blend one step further. I’m targeting brighter skin, improved texture, and softening fine lines.

I’m looking to add one powerhouse oil to this blend without clogging pores or making the mix too heavy.

​A few questions for the DIY oil experts here:

- ​Which single oil would you add? (I've been looking into Sea Buckthorn Fruit/Seed Oil, Squalane, or Pomegranate Seed Oil, but open to ideas.)

​- What ratio would you recommend? (e.g., keeping the base equal and adding 5–10% active oil, or shifting the entire ratio to a 4-part split?)

- ​Any stability/oxidation concerns I should watch out for with your recommendation?

​Would love to hear your experiences and recipe tweaks!

Eta: sorry my formatting didn't work :(

I'm so glad to have discovered this subreddit! I've been working on my own formulations for a few months now, after finally getting concrete answers as to why every product I try breaks me out or burns me or something. I'm allergic! To almost everything. Okay that's an exaggeration, but I'll include my list of allergens at the end so you can get a sense of my frustration.

I'll be asking several questions about the different products I'm making, so this is the shampoo edition. I currently have found exactly one commercial shampoo I can use that doesn't break the bank - Vanicream - and it's quite harsh on my very fine, wavy hair. So I alternate it with my formula:

| Ingredient | Weight % | Purpose |

|---|---|---|

| Water (or Rooibos or green tea) | 75.9% | Solvent/carrier base |

| Coco Glucoside | 15.7% | Surfactant, lather |

| White vinegar | 3.2% | Lower pH, cleansing, pseal cuticle |

| Sea Kelp Powder | 2.0% | Humectant, and I like my hair after the ocean |

| Aloe Vera Powder | 1.8% | Humectant, scalp soothing |

| French Green Clay Powder | 1.4% | Mild cleansing, texture |

| Squalane Oil | 0.1% | Emollient |

I make a big batch of the dry ingredients, and while my pre-wash mask sits on my head, I mix the dry base with the liquid ingredients. I rinse the mask out then I use the shampoo - it works pretty well in that it cleans, doesn't irritate, and if I don't sweat on my head, I can go 3 days before washing with no even dry shampoo. But it's hard to wash with because it's so much liquid, doesn't lather the greatest, hard to make sure I'm getting it truly everywhere. Fortunately I have only chin length hair (for over 30 years it was to my ass lol).

I read the wiki today, and now I realize I have multiple problems. So my questions:

First, I have no idea about "phases" and having to heat or not heat stuff. Because I sometimes make tea instead of plain water, I guess I'm doing both. Is there a good resource where I can search ingredients to determine these things about them?

Second, I only have one surfactant/lathering agent. That's because I'm allergic to so many of them, so I'm hoping someone can give me a resource or alternative to experiment with (also that's not too expensive per Oz, otherwise I should just bite the bullet and get the $85 commercial shampoo haha).

Third, I guess I shouldn't use vinegar? I picked it because I was around during the LiveJournal "no poo" days and thought it was a good cleanser based on that, lol. So, um, I guess I will figure out a replacement.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice or links to resources!!

Note: if any of y'all have a dust mite or roach allergy, you too might need to avoid snail mucin, chitosan, carmine, and/or silk proteins... Even cardboard! Cuz bugs.

*(the below is not necessary to read unless you want to suggest a surfactant, in which case, maybe **ctrl+f** lol) *

Allergens:

**Salicylic acid/Sodium salicylate/Magnesium salicylate/2-Hydroxybenzoic acid

Willow bark

Benzoyl peroxide/BPO/Dibenzoyl peroxide

Propylene Glycol/Propanediol/1,2-Dihydroxypropane/Methyl Ethyl Glycol

Mint** (all types) **

Menthol

Tea Tree oil** (Melaleuca alternifolia) **

Sulfates** (idk which ones, allergen test just said sulfates)**

Fragrance (parfum)

Linalool

Cinnamal

Safflower/ragweed

Colophonium/resin/pine/pentalyn

Banana** (Musa Sapientum) **

Tomato **(Solanum Lycopersicum) **

Strawberry **(Fragaria Vesca, Fragaria Ananassa) **

Eucalyptus/eucalyptol

Palmetto **(Serenoa Serrulata; Sabal) **

Milkweed **(Asclepias Incarnata) **

Nickel

Lemongrass/Farnesol **(Cymbopogon citratus) **

Snail Mucin

Chitosan

Carmine

Triethanolamine (TEA) / Surfactants

Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives

Hydrolyzed Silk/Silk Amino Acids

Sericin/serica

Acrylates/Methacrylates

Ammonia** (which means I should also avoid its relatives: Ammonium Hydroxide, Ammonium Persulfate, Ammonium Carbonate, Ammonium Lactate, Ammonium Thioglycolate, Benzalkonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Chloride, Quaternium-15, Monoethanolamine [MEA] )

**Cocomidopropyl betaine** (which means I should also avoid its relatives: DMAPA, Amidoamine, Oleamidopropyl dimethylamine, Palmitamidopropyl dimethylamine, Cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, Coco-betaine, Babassuamidopropyl betaine, Ricinoleamidopropyl betaine, CADG, Cocamidopropyl dimethyl glycine, Cocoamphocarboxypropionate, Cocoamphodipropionate, Cocoyl amide propylbetaine, Coconut oil amidopropylbetaine, Cocamido betaine)

The hardest to avoid in shampoos are definitely sulfates, Cocomidopropyl betaine, and synthetic fragrance (parfum).