Formula Analysis and Recommendations

Thank you for providing your formula for a wash-off cream mask and describing your skin concerns. This formula includes several beneficial ingredients for addressing moisture loss, wrinkles, lack of firmness, and pores.

Here's an analysis of your formula and answers to your questions:

Ingredient Analysis

Your formula incorporates ingredients known for various skin benefits:

• Moisturizing and Hydrating: Avocado Oil, Rice Vitamin (Inositol), Japanese Cedar Extract, Witch Hazel Plus Allantoin, and Rose Water contribute to skin hydration and barrier support, which is good for your concern about lack of moisture.
• Anti-aging and Firming: Wild Yam Extract (Diosgenin), Japanese Cedar Extract, Coffee Extract, and Rose Water have properties that can help improve skin firmness and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
• Pore Appearance: Witch Hazel Plus Allantoin is known for its astringent properties, which can help tighten the appearance of pores.
• Soothing and Reducing Irritation: Witch Hazel Plus Allantoin and Natural Bisabolol (Chamomile Extract) can help calm the skin.
• Exfoliation: Pineapple Enzyme (Bromelain) helps to gently exfoliate dead skin cells, which can improve skin texture and help with clogged pores.
• Antioxidant: Apple Phloretin and Coffee Extract provide antioxidant protection.

For your concern about acne (clogged pores), Witch Hazel and Pineapple Enzyme can be helpful. However, Avocado Oil can be comedogenic for some skin types, and the total oil percentage might be a bit high for areas prone to breakouts, especially the oily T-zone.

Regarding the concentrations you've chosen:

• Wild Yam Extract (3%) is higher than the recommended usage rate (0.1-0.5%).
• Apple Phloretin (3%) is also higher than the recommended usage rate (0.1-2%, with 1% recommended). Note that Apple Phloretin's significant whitening effect is typically seen when combined with Vitamin C and Ferulic Acid; used alone, its primary benefit is antioxidant.
• Coffee Extract (4%) is slightly above the recommended maximum of 3% for facial use.
  Using higher concentrations increases the potential for irritation, particularly in a leave-on product.

Can this formula be used as a night cream?

While converting to a leave-on product like a night cream would allow many of the active ingredients more time to work on concerns like wrinkles, firmness, and moisture, this specific formula is not recommended for use as a night cream primarily due to the inclusion of Pineapple Enzyme (Bromelain).

Pineapple Enzyme is an exfoliant designed to remove dead skin cells. While beneficial in a wash-off mask for a short contact time, leaving an enzymatic exfoliant on your skin overnight can lead to over-exfoliation, irritation, redness, and sensitivity, especially given your skin's tendency towards acne and potential sensitivity.

Additionally, the oil content (11%) might be too rich for overnight use on oily and acne-prone areas of your face, potentially contributing to clogged pores.

Is heat needed for the oil phase?

No, heat is not necessary for the oil phase when using Satin Cream Maker™. This emulsifier is designed for cold process or heat-free formulations.

Applying heat to the oil phase could potentially degrade some of the sensitive ingredients in your formula, such as Avocado Oil and potentially reduce the activity of the Pineapple Enzyme (which should avoid temperatures above 40°C, although this is less relevant if using it as a wash-off mask).

Your proposed method of mixing the oil phase ingredients together without heat and then combining with the water phase containing Satin Cream Maker™ is appropriate for this emulsifier. Ensure thorough mixing to properly emulsify the two phases.

Summary

Your formula contains a good selection of ingredients for a wash-off mask targeting moisture, aging, and pores. However, due to the exfoliating enzyme, it is not suitable as a night cream. The oil phase does not require heat for mixing with Satin Cream Maker™. Consider adjusting the concentrations of Wild Yam Extract, Apple Phloretin, and Coffee Extract closer to the recommended levels, and be mindful of the oil content for your acne-prone areas. If you wish to create a night cream, you would need to remove the Pineapple Enzyme and potentially adjust the oil phase and ingredient concentrations.