Cloudiness and Precipitation in High Alcohol Spray Formula
Question
I have a formula consisting of Water 28.9%, Alcohol 70%, synthetic Fragrance 0.1%, and Flora Solve 1.0%. Initially, the mixture is clear, but after leaving it overnight, a white precipitate forms and the liquid becomes cloudy. I tried increasing the Flora Solve concentration to 2.0% while keeping the Fragrance at 0.1%, but the precipitation still occurred. What is causing this issue?
Answer
Formulation Issue with High Alcohol and Flora Solve
You are experiencing cloudiness and precipitation in your formulation containing 70% alcohol, water, 0.1% fragrance, and Flora Solve™ Clear.
Based on the product description, Flora Solve™ Clear (Fragrance Solubilizer) is designed to solubilize fragrances in water or water gel without using alcohol as a solvent. It works by creating micro-emulsions in aqueous systems.
Your formula contains a very high concentration of alcohol (70%). This high alcohol content is likely interfering with the intended function of Flora Solve, which is not designed for systems where alcohol is the primary solvent. While alcohol itself is a good solvent for many fragrances, the combination with water and a solubilizer meant for aqueous systems can lead to instability over time, resulting in the precipitation you observed.
Increasing the amount of Flora Solve did not resolve the issue because the core problem lies in the incompatibility of Flora Solve with the high alcohol concentration, not in needing more solubilizer for a water-based system.
For a formulation with 70% alcohol and a small amount of fragrance (0.1%), the alcohol should typically be sufficient to keep the fragrance dissolved. If you are still seeing precipitation, it might suggest that the specific fragrance concentrate you are using contains components that are not fully soluble even in 70% alcohol, or there could be impurities or other factors contributing to the instability.
