Adding Vitamin C and Rose Hip Oil to a Whitening Body Lotion Formula

Recommendations for Improving Your Whitening and Moisturizing Body Lotion Formula

Regarding the lotion formula you wish to develop for skin whitening and moisturization, targeting normal skin with freckles, your initial ingredient list is a good starting point: Alpha Arbutin 2%, Vitamin B3 5%, GlucoBright 4%, Tranexamic Acid 3%, MOIST72 4%, Light Cream Maker 1%, Phenoxyethanol 1%.

Here are some additional recommendations and answers to your questions about adding Vitamin C and Rose Hip Oil:

Adjusting Existing Ingredient Percentages

• MOIST72: For normal skin, using MOIST72 at 4% might feel sticky, as noted by user cosmeceutical7. We recommend trying to reduce the percentage of MOIST72 to 2-3% initially to achieve a more comfortable texture. If your skin still feels insufficiently moisturized, you can gradually increase it in subsequent batches.
• Light Cream Maker: Light Cream Maker is an O/W (Oil-in-Water) emulsifier and thickener that requires an oil phase in the formula. Adding Rose Hip Oil, as you intend, will provide the necessary oil component for the Light Cream Maker to function correctly.

Adding Vitamin C

You want to add Vitamin C to enhance whitening and antioxidant benefits. Choosing a stable Vitamin C that is compatible with your lotion formula is crucial.

Based on your existing ingredients, particularly Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) at 5%, which works well in a pH range of 4-7, some Vitamin C types that are unstable in this pH range or have compatibility issues with Niacinamide will not be suitable for this formula.

• Perfect-C™ (Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate) and Ethyl Ascorbic Acid are stable and highly effective Vitamin C derivatives. However, they have limitations: they should not be used with Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) in the same formula as it may reduce efficacy or cause stability issues. Perfect-C™ is oil-soluble, and Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is water-soluble, but both have compatibility concerns with B3.
• Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP) and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) are water-soluble and highly stable Vitamin C derivatives that can be used with Vitamin B3. However, both of these work best and are most stable in a slightly alkaline pH range (pH 7-9). Your other ingredients like Alpha Arbutin (pH 3.5-6.5), GlucoBright (pH 3-7), and Tranexamic Acid (pH 3-8) generally perform optimally in a slightly acidic to neutral pH. Adjusting the formula's pH to 7-8 for MAP or SAP stability might reduce the efficacy of Alpha Arbutin and GlucoBright.

Conclusion for Vitamin C:

If you want to add Vitamin C in this formula while keeping Vitamin B3, and you require stability, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP) or Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) are the possible options. However, you will need to adjust the formula's final pH to 7-8, which might impact the effectiveness of other ingredients.

As suggested by user cosmeceutical7, Perfect-C™ is a good Vitamin C, but since your formula already contains Niacinamide, using Perfect-C™ in this specific formula is not recommended.

If you want to use a highly effective and stable Vitamin C without the compatibility issues with Niacinamide and a pH suitable for your other ingredients, creating a separate Vitamin C lotion might be a better approach. Alternatively, if you choose to include it in this formula, consider using MAP or SAP at a moderate percentage (e.g., 3%) and adjusting the pH accordingly.

If you choose to use MAP or SAP in this formula, we recommend a percentage of around 3% and adjusting the final pH of the formula to 7-8.

Adding Rose Hip Oil

Rose Hip Oil is a beneficial oil for skin nourishment, repair, and moisturization. It is suitable for normal to dry skin. Adding Rose Hip Oil to your lotion formula will enhance its nourishing and moisturizing properties and serve as the necessary oil phase for the Light Cream Maker.

For normal skin, using Rose Hip Oil at a percentage of 3-5% is a good starting point. If your skin is on the drier side, you can increase it up to 5% or more. However, if your skin is rather oily, using a higher percentage might result in a greasy feel.

Summary and Suggested Initial Formula Adjustment

Based on your ingredients and the additional recommendations, here is a suggested initial adjusted formula (you can modify this based on your testing and personal preference):

• Alpha Arbutin: 2%
• Vitamin B3 (Safe-B3™ or Extreme-B3™): 5%
• GlucoBright™: 4%
• Tranexamic Acid (Trans-White™ or Nano-TXA™): 3%
• MOIST72™: 2-3% (Adjust based on perceived stickiness on your skin)
• Rose Hip Oil (Virgin, Fresh or Extra Virgin): 3-5% (Adjust based on desired moisturization/oiliness)
• Light Cream Maker™: 1%
• Phenoxyethanol (Extra Pure or Phenoxyethanol SA): 1%
• Vitamin C (Choose MAP or SAP if combining in this formula): 3% (and adjust final pH to 7-8)
• Purified Water or other remaining ingredients: Adjust to make a total of 100%

Additional Considerations:

• If you choose to add MAP or SAP Vitamin C, remember to adjust the final pH of the formula to 7-8 and consider adding about 0.05% Disodium EDTA for stability.
• If you prefer not to adjust the pH to 7-8 for MAP/SAP or wish to use other highly effective Vitamin C derivatives like Perfect-C™ or Ethyl Ascorbic Acid that are incompatible with Niacinamide in this formula, it is recommended to make a separate Vitamin C lotion.
• You should try making a small batch first to test the texture and feel on your skin and adjust the percentages of MOIST72 and Rose Hip Oil to best suit your skin type.
• Using multiple whitening ingredients in one formula can be effective but may also increase the risk of irritation. Always perform a patch test before applying to your entire body.

We hope this information is helpful in developing your lotion formula!