Formula Review for Sensitive Skin with Whitening Goal

Thank you for sharing your formula and details about your skin type (sensitive) and goal (whitening). Here is an evaluation of your proposed cream formula:

Your formula includes several good ingredients for whitening and moisturizing:

• Perfect-C™ (Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate): An oil-soluble Vitamin C derivative known for its whitening and antioxidant properties. The concentration of 5% is within the effective range.
• Sym White (Phenylethyl Resorcinol): Another effective whitening agent that inhibits melanin production. The concentration of 0.5% is also within the recommended range.
• Grape Seed Oil: Provides moisturizing and antioxidant benefits.
• MOIST24 (Glycereth-26): A humectant that helps retain skin moisture.
• Disodium EDTA: A chelating agent that helps improve formula stability.
• Light Cream Maker™: An emulsifier suitable for creating a light cream texture.
• Phenoxyethanol: A preservative to protect the formula.

Considerations and Recommendations

1. Ingredient Placement in Mixing: You have listed MOIST24 in the oil phase. MOIST24 (Glycereth-26) is a water-soluble ingredient and should be mixed into the water phase, not the oil phase.

2. pH Compatibility: Perfect-C™ is most stable and effective in a pH range of 5.0-5.5. Sym White is recommended for formulas with a pH between 4-5 for optimal stability. Combining these two ingredients requires careful pH adjustment of the final formula to find a balance that maintains the efficacy and stability of both actives, ideally aiming for a pH around 4.5-5.5. You will need to check and adjust the pH after mixing.

3. Suitability for Sensitive Skin: While the ingredients are effective, using two potent whitening agents like Perfect-C™ at 5% and Sym White at 0.5% might be too irritating for sensitive skin. For sensitive skin, it is often recommended to start with lower concentrations of actives or use only one primary whitening ingredient. You might consider reducing the concentration of one or both, or adding soothing and anti-inflammatory ingredients to the formula.

4. Mixing Method Correction: Based on the solubility of MOIST24, the mixing steps should be adjusted. A suggested method is:

   • Water Phase: Mix Water, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, and MOIST24. Stir until dissolved.
   • Oil Phase: Mix Grape Seed Oil, Perfect-C™, Sym White, and Light Cream Maker™. You can gently warm this phase (not exceeding 50°C) if needed to help dissolve ingredients like Sym White, but Light Cream Maker™ works without heat.
   • Combine the phases: Slowly add the oil phase to the water phase while stirring continuously until a cream forms.
   • Check and adjust the pH of the final cream to be between 4.5-5.5.

Conclusion

The formula has potential for whitening and moisturizing. However, for sensitive skin, carefully consider the concentration of whitening actives and adjust the mixing method to correctly incorporate MOIST24 into the water phase. Always check the final pH and perform a patch test before using the cream on your face.