Adjusting a High-Active Cream Formula and Addressing Texture Issues

Asked by: sirinapha.wa On: February 26, 2015 Product Type: Cosmetics

Question

I saw a cream formula and want to modify it. The original formula is as follows:

  1. Repair Activator 10%
  2. Activated Resorcinol 1%
  3. Vitamin b3 5%
  4. Glucosamine 4%
  5. Pep-coll 5%
  6. DMAE (SkinTight MD) Powder 5%
  7. Azelaic Acid (Liquid Azelaic) 10%
  8. light cream 1.5%
  9. Satin Mousse (Silky Cream Maker) 1%
  10. Preservative 1%
    Remaining: Water

I understand that modifying or adding ingredients requires careful consideration. Based on this formula, what are the key technical points I need to consider regarding ingredient solubility, cream makers/thickeners, and potential texture issues like stickiness or pilling, especially given the high percentage of active ingredients like DMAE and Azelaic Acid?

Answer

Hello! I understand you're interested in modifying a cream formula you saw to better suit your needs. Based on the conversation you provided, especially the detailed feedback from user cosmeceutical7 (C7), here's a summary of the key points regarding the feasibility and challenges of modifying the formula:

Modifying or adding ingredients to a formula is possible, but it requires careful consideration of several factors to ensure the cream has a good texture and remains stable. Based on the formula you shared and C7's advice, here are the main points to consider:

  • Ingredient Solubility: Some ingredients, like Activated Resorcinol, need to be dissolved in the oil or emollient phase before mixing.
  • Cream Makers/Thickeners: Light Cream Maker and Satin Mousse serve similar functions (creating cream texture). Generally, you would choose one. Since your formula includes several active ingredients at high percentages, particularly DMAE and Azelaic Acid, which tend to thin the cream, you might need a higher amount of thickener than the 1-1.5% originally listed. C7 suggests using about 2-3% Light Cream Maker or 1.5-2% Pro Polymer to create a thicker gel texture.
  • Texture Issues: Some ingredients, such as DMAE, can make the cream feel sticky. If you find it sticky, you can improve the texture by adding powder emollients like MatteSilica, SiliSilk, or AminoSilk in an appropriate amount (C7 suggests starting at 3%) to make the cream feel smoother and less sticky.
  • High Active Ingredient Percentage: As both yut_moka and C7 mentioned, combining many active ingredients at high total percentages (nearly 40% in this case) can lead to texture problems like incompatibility, stickiness, or pilling. Reducing the amount of active ingredients or focusing on fewer actives targeting specific concerns might make the formulation process easier and result in a more usable cream.

In summary, modifying the formula is possible, but you need to consider the properties of each ingredient, the mixing method, and the overall impact on the formula's texture and stability, as advised by the experienced users in the thread. Experimenting with small batches and adjusting based on the feedback would be very beneficial.

Tags

Cream Formulation Adjustment High Active Content Stickiness Texture