Adjusting Cream Formulation with Light Cream Maker™

Based on your questions and the information available, here are the answers regarding adjusting your cream formulation, specifically when using Light Cream Maker™:

1. Adding More Light Cream Maker™ After Mixing

Yes, you can add more Light Cream Maker™ immediately after mixing all ingredients if you find the texture is not thick enough. The suggestion to add an extra 0.5-1% is a common way to adjust viscosity.

Regarding your concern about the total percentage exceeding 100%:

• It is true that adding more of one ingredient without reducing others will technically push the total percentage slightly over 100% (e.g., to 101-102%).
• However, for minor adjustments like adding 0.5-1% more thickener, this small deviation is generally considered negligible and is unlikely to cause significant issues with the overall formula performance or stability.

Important Consideration: When adding more Light Cream Maker™ after the initial mixing, you will need to mix or stir the cream for a longer period to ensure the additional thickener is fully dispersed and integrated. Insufficient mixing after adding more can result in a flaky texture when the cream is applied to the skin.

2. Adding Water Gradually and Stopping Early

Regarding the method where Light Cream Maker™ is mixed with the oil phase first, and then water is added gradually:

• Stopping water addition early: It is generally not recommended to stop adding the water phase before the full amount specified in the formula has been added, even if the desired thickness seems to be reached prematurely. Doing so will significantly alter the intended ratios of all ingredients in the formula, not just the water and thickener. This can lead to an unbalanced formula and potential stability issues down the line.
• The staff's response indicates that adding the full amount of water should not necessarily make the cream liquid. If it does, potential causes could be the purity of the water used or, more commonly, insufficient mixing time or technique.
• When using the gradual water addition method (especially with hand mixing), it is important to add the water slowly and mix thoroughly after each addition, allowing the cream to form and thicken before adding the next portion. This helps ensure proper emulsification and thickening. If using a high-speed mixer, you can often add the water phase all at once.
• If, after adding all the water and mixing sufficiently, the cream is still too thin, then you would apply the principle from point 1: add a small amount (e.g., 0.5-1%) of additional Light Cream Maker™ and mix thoroughly until the desired consistency is achieved.

In summary, minor adjustments to thickener percentage (like adding 0.5-1% more Light Cream Maker™) after initial mixing are possible and the slight percentage deviation is usually not a concern, provided you mix well. However, altering the formula by not adding the full amount of a phase (like water) is generally not advisable as it significantly changes the intended ingredient ratios.