Body Oil Formulation: Ingredient Percentages, Texture, and Mixing Process

Subject: Analysis and Recommendations for Your Body Oil Formula

Hello!

Thank you for providing your body oil formula ingredients. Here's an analysis and recommendations based on your questions:

1. Appropriate Percentage for Each Ingredient:

Based on the ingredients listed and typical oil formulations, here are suggested percentage ranges. The total percentage of all ingredients should add up to 100%. Mineral oil will form the bulk of the formula.

• Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum): This will be your primary base oil. A starting point is 80% or higher. The final percentage will be the remainder after adding all other ingredients.
• Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil (Argan Oil): A beneficial plant oil. Use at 5-10%.
• Fragrance & Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde: These provide scent. The total fragrance amount depends on the desired intensity and regulatory limits for specific fragrance components. A typical range for total fragrance is 0.5 - 5%. Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde is a specific fragrance component.
• BHA (Salicylic Acid) / BHT: The product you linked as "BHA" (ID 148) is described as a spoilage preventative, not Salicylic Acid. As recommended by the staff, BHT is a suitable antioxidant for oils. Use BHT at 0.01%.
• Benzophenone-3: This is a UV filter. It can be used to protect the product from UV degradation or to provide some level of UV protection to the skin. The percentage depends on its intended purpose and regulatory limits (often up to 6% for UV protection). For product stability, a lower percentage might suffice. Consider a range like 0.5 - 6%.

• CI 47000 (Yellow): This is an oil-soluble colorant. Use at 0.1 - 0.5% depending on the desired color intensity.

• Example Percentage Allocation (adjust based on your specific needs and desired properties):*

• Mineral Oil: ~80%
• Argan Oil: 10%
• Fragrance (total): 4%
• Benzophenone-3: 5%
• BHT: 0.01%
• CI 47000: 0.1%
• Total: 99.11% (Adjust Mineral Oil slightly to reach 100%)

2. Making the Oil Lighter and Easily Absorbed:

Mineral oil is relatively heavy. To make the body oil feel lighter and absorb more easily, you can replace a portion of the Mineral Oil with lighter emollients or oils. Consider adding or substituting with ingredients like:

• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride: A very light, non-greasy ester derived from coconut oil.
• Isopropyl Myristate (IPM) / Isopropyl Palmitate (IPP): Light, fast-spreading esters.
• Squalane: A very light, skin-compatible oil.
• Cyclomethicone / Dimethicone: (If you are open to silicones) These provide a silky, non-greasy feel and improve spreadability.

You would typically replace 10-30% or more of the Mineral Oil with one or a blend of these lighter ingredients, adjusting until you achieve the desired feel.

3. Mixing Process (Heat and Order):

Most of these ingredients are oil-soluble. Gentle heating is required for ingredients that are solid at room temperature to ensure they dissolve properly.

• Heat: You will likely need gentle heat (e.g., a warm water bath, around 40-50°C) to dissolve solid ingredients like BHT and Benzophenone-3. You can dissolve these in a small portion of your base oil (Mineral Oil) or another suitable oil first.
• Mixing Order:
  1. Combine the main base oil (Mineral Oil).
  2. In a separate container, gently heat a small amount of the base oil and dissolve the solid ingredients (BHT, Benzophenone-3). Ensure they are fully dissolved.
  3. Add the dissolved solid mixture to the main batch of Mineral Oil and mix well.
  4. Add the liquid oils (Argan Oil) and mix.
  5. Add the colorant (CI 47000) and mix until evenly dispersed.
  6. Allow the mixture to cool down significantly (ideally below 30°C) before adding the fragrance components (Fragrance, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde) to prevent them from evaporating or degrading.
  7. Mix thoroughly after adding fragrance.

Ensure all ingredients are fully dissolved and the mixture is homogeneous before packaging.

Hope this helps with your formulation!