Formulating a Serum Similar to Estee Lauder ANR and Ingredient Safety During Pregnancy

Question

I understand that Starfish Extract has similar properties to Retinal. I would like to know if it has the same negative effects on fetuses as Retinal.
I am interested in creating a serum similar to Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex. The ingredient list is:
- Water
- Bifida Ferment Lysate
- Methylgluceth-20
- Peg-75
- Butylene Glycol
- Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
- Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract
- Tripeptide-32
- ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE
- Lactobacillus Ferment
- Cola Acuminata Extract
- retinyl palmitate
- Pantethine
- caffeine
- Glycereth-26
- Sodium rna
- Squalane
- Oleth-3 Phosphate
- Oleth-3
- Oleth-5
- Bisabolol
- Choleth-24
- Ceteth-24
- Hydrogenated Lecithin
- Anthemis Nobilis
- Sodium Hyaluronate
- Tocopheryl Acetate
- Lecithin
- Xanthan Gum
- Tea-Carbomer
- Trisodium EDTA
- Bht
- Phenoxyethanol
- Methylparaben
- Benzyl Alcohol
- Green 5
- Yellow 5
- Red 4
What other active ingredients should I add to make the formula closer to the original?
I have a proposed formula:
- Repair Activator 10%
- Vitamin B3 5%
- beta glucan 5%
- MOIST24 5%
- Hyaluronic Standard 0.3%
- Starfish Extract 1.6%
- PE-1 Aqua 3%
- Rose Hip Oil 2%
- Argan Oil 2%
- Phenoxyethanol SA 0.5%
- EDTA 0.2%
- Laureth-23 5%
Can this formula be made into a clear serum?

MySkinRecipes Expert · Accepted Answer

Starfish Extract and Pregnancy

Based on the information provided, Starfish Extract has no known adverse effects on fetuses. While topical Retinal is generally recommended to be avoided during pregnancy, current data suggests that only oral forms of Vitamin A have been shown to affect fetuses.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum Formulation

The core component of the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum is Bifida Ferment Lysate. To create a similar formula, you can select other ingredients based on your desired properties. Ingredients like Caffeine, Bisabolol (Chamomile extract), and Squalane can be considered to make your formula closer to the original.

Your Proposed Serum Formula and Clarity

Regarding your proposed formula:

The presence of oils (Rose Hip Oil, Argan Oil) in the formula will prevent it from being a clear serum. A clear serum is generally not achievable with significant oil content unless the oil percentage is very low, which is not recommended for dry skin.
PE-1 Aqua should not be used in conjunction with oils like Rose Hip Oil or Argan Oil.
Laureth-23 is not suitable for this type of application.

For dry skin, making a cream formula is recommended. You can adjust the total percentage of Rose Hip Oil and Argan Oil up to 10% combined, which is suitable for dry skin needing an occlusive layer. You can use Light Cream Maker (1%) as an emulsifier to create the cream texture.