Formulating a Serum with Double Hyaluron Liquid Base

Using Double Hyaluron Liquid as a base for mixing active ingredients is a great approach, especially for water-soluble actives. It provides hydration and is easy to work with.

Regarding the ingredients you want to add:

• Calendula Extract (Water Soluble)
• Willow Bark Extract (Natural Salicylic Acid)
• Vitamin B5 (Panthenol)

These three ingredients are water-soluble and are compatible with the Double Hyaluron Liquid base. You can easily mix them directly into the base.

Recommended Usage Percentages:

Based on typical usage rates for these ingredients:

• Calendula Extract: Recommended usage is 1-5%.
• Willow Bark Extract: Recommended usage is 1-10% (3% for general benefits, 5-10% for exfoliation/dark spots).
• Vitamin B5 (Panthenol): Recommended usage is 1-10% (1-3% is commonly used for skin benefits; higher concentrations above 5% can feel sticky).

Calculating Your Formula:

Your understanding of the percentage calculation is correct. If you decide to use, for example, 5% of each of the three active ingredients:

• Calendula Extract: 5%
• Willow Bark Extract: 5%
• Vitamin B5: 5%
• Total Active Ingredients: 5% + 5% + 5% = 15%

The remaining percentage would be your Double Hyaluron Liquid base:

• Double Hyaluron Liquid: 100% - 15% = 85%

So, a formula using 5% of each of these three actives would be 15% actives and 85% Double Hyaluron Liquid. This is a valid way to calculate your formula.

You can adjust the percentages of the active ingredients within their recommended ranges based on the desired intensity of the benefits, ensuring the total percentage of actives plus the base adds up to 100%.

Mixing Method:

Since all these ingredients are water-soluble and some are sensitive to heat, the best method is a cold process. Simply weigh out the required amount of Double Hyaluron Liquid, then add the calculated amounts of Calendula Extract, Willow Bark Extract, and Vitamin B5. Stir gently until everything is fully mixed and dispersed.

Other Ingredients You Have:

• Vitamin E (Oil-Soluble): Standard Vitamin E (like Tocopheryl Acetate or dl-alpha tocopherol) is oil-soluble. Double Hyaluron Liquid is a water-based product. Mixing oil into a water base requires an emulsifier to create a stable mixture (like a lotion or cream). The emulsifiers you mentioned (Laureth-23 and Ap wax) are typically used for creating emulsions (lotions/creams) and often require heat, which is not suitable for a simple serum base or for heat-sensitive actives. Therefore, oil-soluble Vitamin E cannot be easily added to this Double Hyaluron Liquid serum base without changing the formulation type significantly and requiring emulsification.
• Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8) and Leuphasyl (Pentapeptide-18): These are water-soluble peptides and can be added to the Double Hyaluron Liquid base. Their recommended usage is typically 3-10% each. If you choose to add them, you would include their percentage in the total active percentage and reduce the percentage of the Double Hyaluron Liquid base accordingly. However, for a beginner, it might be simpler to start with the initial three actives first before adding more complex ingredients like multiple peptides.

In summary, starting with Double Hyaluron Liquid as your base and adding Calendula Extract, Willow Bark Extract, and Vitamin B5 at your desired percentages (e.g., 3-5% each) is a straightforward and effective way to create a custom serum. Mix them cold into the base. Oil-soluble Vitamin E is not suitable for this type of water-based serum.