Understanding Cloudiness in Marine Plankton Serum

You've observed that previous batches of your serum made with Marine Plankton (Lifting, Tightening) turned cloudy after a few days, while your latest batch remained clear. This difference suggests a change in one or more factors influencing the stability of the formulation.

Based on the properties of Marine Plankton extract and general cosmetic formulation principles, here are potential reasons for the cloudiness:

• Incompatibility with Other Ingredients: Marine Plankton extract contains polysaccharides. These can sometimes react or be incompatible with other ingredients in your serum, such as certain thickeners, emulsifiers, preservatives, or other active ingredients. This incompatibility can lead to precipitation or aggregation, causing cloudiness.
• pH Level: The description for Marine Plankton (Lifting, Tightening) indicates it is soluble in water within a pH range of 3.5-6.5. If your previous serum batches had a pH outside this range (either too low or too high), it could cause the extract to become unstable and precipitate, resulting in cloudiness. Check the pH of your formulations.
• Microbial Contamination: Bacterial or fungal growth in the serum can cause turbidity or cloudiness, along with potential changes in odor or texture. If previous batches lacked adequate preservation or were prepared under less sterile conditions, microbial contamination could be the cause. Your latest batch might have better preservation or hygiene.
• Ingredient Concentration: Using too high a concentration of Marine Plankton or other ingredients that interact with it could potentially lead to instability and cloudiness.
• Preparation Method: The order in which ingredients are added, the mixing speed, or the temperature during preparation can sometimes affect the final stability and appearance of a serum.
• Storage Conditions: While less likely to cause cloudiness within a few days unless extreme, improper storage (like exposure to high heat or direct sunlight) could potentially contribute to the degradation or instability of ingredients over time.

Since your latest batch is clear, it's probable that a variable in your previous batches (another ingredient, pH, concentration, preparation method, or hygiene/preservation) was the cause of the cloudiness. Reviewing your formulation steps, ingredient sources, concentrations, and pH for both the cloudy and clear batches will help identify the specific reason.