Formula Review

Body Lotion Formula

Goal: Lightweight lotion for dry skin, providing moisture, whitening, reducing dark spots, and evening skin tone.

Review:
The ingredients selected for your body lotion formula are generally well-suited for the stated goals.

• Moisturization: Ingredients like 4D Hyaluronic Acid, WaterLock™, Natural Moisturizing Amino Acids, Creatine 100, and Squalane (Olive) work together to provide hydration and help retain moisture, addressing the dry skin concern.
• Whitening and Dark Spots: Safe-B3™ (Vitamin B3, Niacinamide) and GlucoBright™ (Acetyl Glucosamine) are an excellent combination known for their synergistic effect in reducing hyperpigmentation and improving skin tone. Willow Bark Extract also contributes to reducing dark spots through its gentle exfoliating properties and can help with overall skin clarity.
• Texture and Feel: Sensitive Cream Maker™ is a gentle emulsifier that can help create a lightweight lotion texture while incorporating the oil phase (Squalane).
• Stability and Preservation: ActiveProtec™ OX is a good addition to help protect the whitening agents from oxidation and maintain formula stability. Mild Preserved Eco™ provides preservation.

Compatibility and Considerations:

• pH: The optimal pH range for Safe-B3™ and GlucoBright™ is 3-7 (best 4-7), while Willow Bark Extract prefers 4.0-6.5. Sensitive Cream Maker™ and Mild Preserved Eco™ are stable in the 4-9 range. Aiming for a final formula pH between 4.0 and 6.5 would be ideal for the efficacy and stability of the active ingredients.
• Mixing Method: Sensitive Cream Maker™ requires heating to 70°C to melt and emulsify. Some water-phase ingredients like Safe-B3™, GlucoBright™, Willow Bark Extract, Creatine 100, and Mild Preserved Eco™ are sensitive to prolonged heat or high temperatures. It is recommended to create the emulsion with the Sensitive Cream Maker™ and Squalane, heat the water phase separately (excluding heat-sensitive ingredients), combine and emulsify, then add the heat-sensitive water-phase ingredients after the emulsion has cooled down below 40-50°C.

Overall, the lotion formula is well-designed to meet your objectives, provided the pH is controlled and ingredients are incorporated using appropriate mixing techniques.

Scalp Serum Formula

Goal: Strengthen scalp, nourish hair roots, stimulate hair growth, lightweight, non-greasy, address dry/itchy scalp, dandruff, oily hair, thin hair, and hair loss.

Review:
Your scalp serum formula includes a comprehensive blend of ingredients targeting various scalp and hair concerns.

• Scalp Health (Dryness, Itchiness, Dandruff, Barrier): Skin-mimic™ (Skin Barrier Restoration) provides ceramides and lipids to repair the scalp barrier and reduce dryness and irritation. Allantoin soothes irritation and supports tissue repair. Ectoine offers protection, repair, anti-irritation, and specific benefits for scalp health and hair follicles. Urea at 5% provides significant moisturization and can help with mild exfoliation, which is beneficial for a dry, flaky scalp with dandruff. Natural Moisturizing Amino Acids and Calcium Pantothenate also contribute to scalp hydration and health. Zinc Pyrithione is a key anti-fungal and anti-microbial agent specifically included to address dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis.
• Hair Growth and Strength: N-Acetyl Cysteine strengthens hair roots and reduces hair loss. Hydrolyzed Pea Protein nourishes hair. Biotinyl-GHK (Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1) and Pure-Biotin™ are included to accelerate hair growth and strengthen hair roots. Encapsulated Caffeine also stimulates hair growth and helps prevent hair loss.
• Texture: The formula is water-based, aiming for a lightweight, non-greasy texture, which is suitable for oily hair concerns.
• Urea/Biotin/Triacetin: The inclusion of Urea (5%) and Triacetin (0.5%) at the recommended ratio (1:10 Triacetin:Urea) is appropriate for enhancing the penetration of Pure-Biotin™ and stabilizing the Urea.

Compatibility and Considerations:

• pH: N-Acetyl Cysteine requires a pH between 3-6. Allantoin is best at pH 4-8. Ectoine is stable over a wide range (1-9). Mild Preserved Eco™ is stable at pH 4-9. Zinc Pyrithione's efficacy can be pH-dependent, but its stability is more affected by other ingredients. Aiming for a final pH between 4 and 6 would help maintain the stability and efficacy of N-Acetyl Cysteine and be within the range for other ingredients.
• Mixing Method: N-Acetyl Cysteine, Biotinyl-GHK, and Pure-Biotin™ are sensitive to heat and light. Pure-Biotin™ also requires refrigeration for long-term storage. Zinc Pyrithione and Pure-Biotin™ are insoluble powders that need thorough high-speed blending to disperse evenly in the formula and prevent settling. It is highly recommended to use a cold process for this serum or add all heat/light-sensitive and insoluble ingredients after the main water phase has been prepared and cooled down, followed by thorough blending.
• Zinc Pyrithione Compatibility: Zinc Pyrithione is incompatible with non-ionic surfactants and oxidants. Ensure that other ingredients in the formula do not fall into these categories. The formula does not contain the Sensitive Cream Maker™ or ActiveProtec™ OX from the lotion formula, which is good as ActiveProtec™ OX contains EDTA, incompatible with Zinc Pyrithione.
• Biotin Stability: Pure-Biotin™ is sensitive to light/UV. While the formula includes ingredients for efficacy, it does not contain a UV filter. If the product is packaged in a clear bottle, the Biotin may degrade over time. Using an opaque bottle is recommended.
• Preservation: Hydrolyzed Pea Protein is a natural protein source that can be prone to microbial growth. While Mild Preserved Eco™ is included, a challenge test is absolutely essential to confirm that the preservation system is effective for this specific formula composition and can prevent microbial contamination throughout the product's shelf life.

Overall, the scalp serum formula is comprehensive and addresses multiple concerns. Careful attention to mixing procedures (cold process/post-cooling addition, thorough blending) and pH control is necessary. Packaging in an opaque container is advisable for Biotin stability, and a challenge test for preservation efficacy is crucial.

Summary

Both formulas are thoughtfully designed with ingredients that align with your desired product characteristics and benefits. Pay close attention to the pH adjustments and mixing instructions for specific ingredients, especially the heat-sensitive ones and the insoluble powders, to ensure the stability and efficacy of the final products. Conducting stability and challenge tests on the final formulations before production is highly recommended.