Combining Anti-Aging Ingredients for Sensitive Skin

Subject: Regarding combining ingredients and formulation

Hello, thank you for your questions.

Here are the answers regarding combining ingredients in your formulation:

1. Can two penetration enhancers be used together?
   Yes, it is generally possible and common practice to use more than one penetration enhancer or solvent together in a formulation, such as DMI and Ethoxydiglycol. This can help optimize the solubility and delivery of various active ingredients.

2. Can Quick Coll and Pep Coll be used together? Which is better?
   Yes, Quick Coll (Copper Lysinate Prolinate) and Pep Coll (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5) can be used together. They are both effective anti-aging peptides that work through different mechanisms to support collagen synthesis and skin repair. Combining them can potentially offer broader anti-aging benefits. It's not accurate to say one is definitively "better" than the other; the choice or combination depends on the specific formulation goals and individual skin response. For your concerns (dryness, wrinkles, sensitive skin), using both might be beneficial, provided the overall formulation is suitable for sensitive skin.

3. Is using many anti-wrinkle ingredients too much?
   While it might seem beneficial to include many anti-wrinkle ingredients, using too many different actives, especially at high total concentrations (like the list you provided, which totals around 50% actives/functional ingredients), can potentially lead to several issues:

   • Compatibility and Stability: Different ingredients might not be compatible, leading to reduced efficacy or formulation instability over time.
   • Skin Sensitivity: A high concentration of multiple actives increases the risk of irritation, redness, or other adverse reactions, particularly for sensitive skin.
   • Diminishing Returns: The skin can only absorb and utilize a certain amount of active ingredients. Using too many might not provide significantly better results compared to a well-chosen selection of a few key actives at optimal concentrations.
   • Formulation Complexity: Creating a stable, effective, and pleasant-to-use product becomes much more challenging with a very complex mix of ingredients.
     For sensitive skin, it is often recommended to start with a simpler formulation containing a few well-chosen actives targeting your primary concerns (wrinkles, dryness, sensitivity) at recommended usage rates. You could select a few key peptides, moisturizers, and soothing ingredients rather than trying to include everything.

4. How to mix Ectoine?
   Ectoine is highly water-soluble. It should be dissolved in the water phase of your formulation before combining with other phases (like oil phase or emulsifiers, depending on your product type). Do not just add the powder and expect it to mix in without proper dissolution in the appropriate solvent (water).

The list of ingredients you provided includes many excellent actives for anti-aging and moisturizing. However, the total concentration is very high. For sensitive skin, consider simplifying the formula slightly or starting with lower concentrations of some actives to see how your skin responds before increasing.

We have noted your intention to order more ingredients. Please feel free to ask if you have further questions about specific ingredients or formulation steps.