Adding Active Ingredients to Lotion Base

Adding multiple active ingredients like Vitamin C, Vitamin B3, Glucosamine, Glutathione, and Arbutin to an existing lotion base requires careful consideration of compatibility, recommended usage rates, and solubility. As the staff mentioned, the total percentage of added ingredients should be calculated so that the base plus added ingredients equals 100%.

Here are the typical recommended usage rates and key considerations for each ingredient based on product information:

• Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide): Typically used at 1-10%, with 5% being a common recommendation for benefits like whitening, anti-aging, and oil control. It is water-soluble and stable in a pH range of 3-8 (optimally 4.0-7.0).
• Glucosamine (Acetyl Glucosamine): Often used at 1-8%, with 4% recommended when combined with Niacinamide for synergistic whitening and hydration effects. It is water-soluble and stable in a pH range of 3-7.
• Alpha Arbutin: Recommended usage is 0.2-2%, with 2% often used for skin brightening. It is water-soluble and should be added in the final step below 30°C, stable in a pH range of 3.5-6.5. Avoid pH above 8.
• Glutathione: Used at 1-3%, with 2% recommended for whitening and antioxidant benefits. It is water-soluble (some forms like Extrasol are more soluble) and prefers a pH range of 3-6, avoiding temperatures above 40°C.
• Vitamin C: L-Ascorbic Acid is highly effective but unstable in water and requires a low pH (ideally 3.5-4.0). For easier mixing into an existing lotion base, stable water-soluble derivatives are often preferred. However, based on the available product information, some stable Vitamin C derivatives (like Ascorbyl Glucoside and Ethyl Ascorbic Acid) are noted as being incompatible with Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide). Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) is stable at a higher pH (7-9), which may not be compatible with Glutathione or Alpha Arbutin.

Combining the Ingredients:

Combining all five ingredients into a single lotion base can be challenging due to potential incompatibilities and differing optimal pH ranges, particularly with Vitamin C and Glutathione.

• Vitamin B3, Glucosamine, and Alpha Arbutin are generally compatible and can be combined within a pH range of approximately 4.0-6.5.
• Glutathione prefers a slightly lower pH (3-6) and is sensitive to heat.
• Based on the product descriptions, mixing common stable water-soluble Vitamin C derivatives with Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) is not recommended.

Given these compatibility issues, it may be difficult to create a single stable and effective lotion containing all five ingredients at their optimal concentrations while maintaining the integrity of each active.

Recommendation:

Consider focusing on a combination of Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide), Glucosamine (Acetyl Glucosamine), and Alpha Arbutin. These three ingredients are compatible and offer significant skin brightening and anti-aging benefits when used together. You can add these to your lotion base according to their recommended usage rates (e.g., 5% Niacinamide, 4% Acetyl Glucosamine, 2% Alpha Arbutin). Dissolve the powders in a small amount of the lotion base's water phase before mixing into the main base, as the staff suggested.

If you wish to incorporate Vitamin C or Glutathione, you might need to consider using them in separate formulations or researching other forms of these ingredients that might offer better compatibility.

Calculating Proportions:

To add ingredients to your lotion base, determine the total percentage of the active ingredients you want to add. For example, if you add 5% Niacinamide, 4% Acetyl Glucosamine, and 2% Alpha Arbutin, the total is 11%.

If you want to make 100g of the final product:

• Active Ingredients: 11g (5g Niacinamide + 4g Acetyl Glucosamine + 2g Alpha Arbutin)
• Lotion Base: 89g (100g - 11g)

Always start with lower concentrations and test stability and skin reaction before increasing the percentage.