Advice on a Failed Formulation

Thank you for sharing your formulation details and questions. It's understandable to be concerned when a batch doesn't turn out as expected, especially with valuable ingredients.

Based on the information you provided and the staff's response, here's an explanation of what likely happened and answers to your questions:

Addressing Your Questions:

Question 1: Why did Xanthan Gum not maintain viscosity, and does this mean it's not alkali-resistant?

The staff's response correctly identifies the core issue: the very high concentration of Triethanolamine (4.59%) is the primary reason your cream turned liquid and separated. While Xanthan Gum is generally stable across a wide pH range, including alkaline conditions, the extreme level of alkali in your formula likely caused the Butter Cream Maker (the emulsifier) to fail. Emulsifiers are crucial for keeping oil and water phases mixed in a cream. When the emulsifier system breaks down, the product loses its structure and separates, regardless of the thickener used.

So, the problem wasn't necessarily that Xanthan Gum isn't alkali-resistant, but rather that the excessive alkali concentration destabilized the entire emulsion system, particularly affecting the emulsifier.

Question 1.1: How can I fix this to get the cream texture back and maintain stability?

Unfortunately, due to the extremely high concentration of Triethanolamine (4.59%), which is significantly above the recommended maximum usage level (typically up to 2.5% and regulated by authorities like the FDA), this batch cannot be safely fixed or used. Adding more acid (like Lactic Acid) to lower the pH would neutralize some of the Triethanolamine, but the resulting salts and the initial high concentration of alkali have already compromised the stability and safety of the formulation. The staff also advises against using this batch because of the high Triethanolamine level.

Question 2: Will the ingredients in this formula cause irritation because there are many of them?

Yes, several ingredients in your formula have the potential to cause skin irritation, especially when combined or used at high concentrations. The staff specifically mentioned Resorcinol and Triethanolamine as potential irritants. Additionally, using multiple potent active ingredients (like Undecylenoyl phenylalanine, Perfect C, Resveratrol, 4MSK, Resorcinol, etc.) in a single formula increases the overall likelihood of irritation for sensitive skin, even if each ingredient is within its typical usage range. The high level of Triethanolamine further exacerbates this risk.

Question 3: Will the high amount of Triethanolamine cause irritation or allergy?

Yes, the amount of Triethanolamine you added (4.59%) is very high and exceeds the maximum recommended and regulated limit (2.5%). This high concentration is a significant concern for skin safety and is very likely to cause irritation or sensitization, especially with prolonged use. The staff also confirmed that Triethanolamine can cause skin irritation and the amount used is not suitable for application.

Conclusion:

The failure of your cream's texture is primarily due to the excessive amount of Triethanolamine used to adjust the pH, which caused the emulsifier (Butter Cream Maker) to fail. More importantly, the resulting high concentration of Triethanolamine makes this batch unsafe to use due to the high risk of skin irritation and exceeding regulatory limits.

It is strongly recommended not to use this batch of product. For future formulations, carefully adjust the pH incrementally with small amounts of pH adjuster, monitoring the pH as you go, to avoid overshooting the target pH.