BHA Face Wash Formulation Guidance

Hello, I understand you want to formulate a BHA face wash to address oily skin, large pores, and acne concerns. Based on the staff's advice and the product information obtained, here are the conclusions and further recommendations:

Suitable Ingredients for a Face Wash (Wash-off Product)

According to the principle of wash-off products, active ingredients do not remain on the skin long enough to exert their full effects. Therefore, the focus should be on essential cleansing ingredients and ingredients that can be effective even with short contact time.

The ingredients you selected that are suitable for use in a face wash include:

• Salicylic Acid (BHA): This is your main desired ingredient. It has properties that help exfoliate skin cells and reduce clogged pores.
• Propylene Glycol: Serves as a good solvent for Salicylic Acid, especially the powder form, which does not dissolve directly in water and needs to be dissolved in a solvent first.
• Polysorbate 20 (Tween 20): Helps to solubilize and disperse ingredients that are not water-soluble, such as Salicylic Acid dissolved in Propylene Glycol, allowing them to mix well with the water-based cleanser base.
• Decyl Glucoside and Cocamidopropyl Betaine: These are gentle surfactants used for cleansing the skin. You can choose to use either one or a combination of both. Both are suitable for acne-prone and oily skin.

Ingredients Recommended for Use in Leave-on Products Instead

Other ingredients you selected, such as Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Tea Tree Oil, Green Tea Extract, Urea, Calendula Extract, Natural Betaine, and Kojic Acid, will provide maximum benefits when used in leave-on skincare products. This is because they require time to penetrate and act on the skin. Including these ingredients in a face wash would not be cost-effective and would not yield significant results.

Simple BHA Face Wash Mixing Order

For a simple face wash formula containing powdered Salicylic Acid, you can mix it as follows:

1. In a separate container, dissolve Salicylic Acid in Propylene Glycol. Gentle heating may help with dissolution. Add Polysorbate 20 and stir until the Salicylic Acid is completely dissolved.
2. In the main container, prepare the water phase.
3. Slowly add the surfactants (Decyl Glucoside and/or Cocamidopropyl Betaine) to the water, stirring gently to combine and avoid excessive foaming.
4. Gradually pour the dissolved Salicylic Acid mixture (in Propylene Glycol and Polysorbate 20) into the main mixture (water + surfactants), stirring consistently until well combined.
5. Adjust the pH of the formula to a range suitable for facial skin and BHA (generally, adjust to a pH of around 4-5 for BHA efficacy, but be mindful of potential irritation in a wash-off product. Test the pH using pH paper or a pH meter).
6. Add the preservative according to the manufacturer's recommended usage rate and stir to combine as the final step.

Precautions:

• Start with a low concentration of Salicylic Acid, such as 0.5-1% in a face wash, and test for sensitivity or irritation on your skin.
• pH adjustment is crucial for BHA to work effectively, but for a face wash, gentleness to the skin must also be considered.
• Cosmetic mixing should be done in clean, sanitized containers using appropriate tools.

I hope this information is helpful for formulating your face wash. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.