Formulating Acne Treatment Gels with Willow Bark, Acne Bee, and Mandelic Acid

## 3 Acne Treatment Gel Formulas and Recommendations\n\nIt is understood that you wish to create three separate acne treatment gel formulas to compare the effectiveness of the main ingredients: Willow Bark Extract, Acne Bee Extra, and Mandelic Acid. This is a good approach to understanding the results of each ingredient.\n\nThe three active ingredients have slightly different mechanisms for addressing acne problems, making them suitable for different skin types and acne characteristics.\n\n* Willow Bark Extract (Natural Salicylic Acid)\n * Properties: Extract from willow bark containing natural Salicylic Acid. It helps gently exfoliate skin cells, dissolve clogged pores, reduce inflammation, and has antibacterial properties. It also helps reduce skin irritation better than synthetic Salicylic Acid.\n * Suitable for: All acne types, especially clogged pores, inflammatory acne, and skin that is relatively sensitive or easily irritated by common Salicylic Acid.\n * Precautions: Avoid high heat during mixing. The formula should have a pH in the range of 4.0-6.5.\n\n* Acne Bee™ Extra\n * Properties: Extract from royal jelly containing the key substance 10-hydroxydecanoic acid (10-HDA) in concentrated form. It helps reduce facial oiliness, control excess oil production, reduce acne formation, and has antibacterial activity against P.acnes bacteria, one of the causes of acne. The Extra version contains 4x more 10-HDA than the standard type. Research shows that using 0.75% (equivalent to 3% standard) reduces oiliness for up to 6 hours. Using for 3 weeks significantly reduces skin oiliness, with results seen from 7 days and peaking at 2 weeks. Long-term use does not dry out the skin but helps balance it.\n * Suitable for: Oily to very oily skin and those with acne problems related to excess oil. Using the appropriate concentration for the skin\'s oiliness level will help balance the skin in the long term without causing dryness.\n * Precautions: Avoid heat above 65°C during mixing. It should be added in the final step. The formula should have a pH in the range of 4.0-5.5 for optimal efficacy. For long-term storage, the raw material should be kept in the refrigerator (5-8°C).\n\n* Mandelic Acid\n * Properties: An AHA acid derived from bitter almonds. It has a larger molecular size than Glycolic Acid, causing it to penetrate the skin slower and thus be less irritating. It helps gently exfoliate skin cells, has good antibacterial properties, and effectively reduces post-acne dark spots and redness, especially when used with Salicylic Acid.\n * Suitable for: Skin with inflammatory acne, post-acne dark spots, and those who want exfoliation but are prone to irritation from stronger AHAs.\n * Precautions: Avoid heat above 60°C during mixing. For general consumer use, the concentration should not exceed 10%, and the formula pH should not be lower than 3.5. Mandelic Acid powder is easily hygroscopic (absorbs moisture) and should be kept away from humidity.\n\n### Basic Acne Treatment Gel Formulas (for testing)\n\nHere are basic gel formulas that you can adapt to test the effectiveness of each ingredient. These proportions are just a starting point; you can adjust the concentration of the active ingredient and gelling agent as needed.\n\nBasic Gel Components:\n\n* Gelling Agent (e.g., Pro Polymer)\n* Preservative (e.g., Mild Preserved Eco)\n* Purified Water (Distilled Water)\n* pH Adjuster (e.g., Triethanolamine or Sodium Hydroxide to increase pH, Citric Acid or Lactic Acid to decrease pH)\n\nFormula 1: Willow Bark Extract Gel\n\n| Ingredient | Proportion (%) | Notes |\n| :------------------------- | :------------- | :----------------------------------------------- |\n| Willow Bark Extract | 5-10 | Choose desired concentration (e.g., 5%) |\n| Pro Polymer | 0.8-1.5 | Adjust for desired thickness (e.g., 1%) |\n| Mild Preserved Eco | 1 | Preservative |\n| Purified Water | Up to 100 | Remaining portion |\n| pH Adjuster | Little | Adjust final pH to be in the range of 4.0-6.5 |\n\nInstructions:\n\n1. Slowly sprinkle Pro Polymer into purified water. Stir or blend until fully dispersed and allowed to swell.\n2. Add a small amount of pH adjuster to neutralize Pro Polymer and form the gel. Stir until combined.\n3. Add Willow Bark Extract and Mild Preserved Eco. Stir until combined.\n4. Measure the pH and adjust it to be in the range of 4.0-6.5.\n5. Package in a clean container.\n\nFormula 2: Acne Bee™ Extra Gel\n\n| Ingredient | Proportion (%) | Notes |\n| :------------------- | :------------- | :----------------------------------------------- |\n| Acne Bee™ Extra | 1-2 | Choose concentration based on skin oiliness (e.g., 1.5%) |\n| Pro Polymer | 0.8-1.5 | Adjust for desired thickness (e.g., 1%) |\n| Mild Preserved Eco | 1 | Preservative |\n| Purified Water | Up to 100 | Remaining portion |\
| pH Adjuster | Little | Adjust final pH to be in the range of 4.0-5.5 |\n\nInstructions:\n\n1. Slowly sprinkle Pro Polymer into purified water. Stir or blend until fully dispersed and allowed to swell.\n2. Add a small amount of pH adjuster to neutralize Pro Polymer and form the gel. Stir until combined.\n3. Add Mild Preserved Eco. Stir until combined.\n4. Add Acne Bee™ Extra in the final step. Stir gently until combined (avoid high heat).\n5. Measure the pH and adjust it to be in the range of 4.0-5.5.\n6. Package in a clean container.\n\nFormula 3: Mandelic Acid Gel\n\n| Ingredient | Proportion (%) | Notes |\n| :------------------- | :------------- | :----------------------------------------------- |\
| Mandelic Acid | 5-10 | Choose desired concentration (e.g., 8%) |\
| Pro Polymer | 0.8-1.5 | Adjust for desired thickness (e.g., 1%) |\
| Mild Preserved Eco | 1 | Preservative |\
| Purified Water | Up to 100 | Remaining portion |\
| pH Adjuster | Little | Adjust final pH to be 3.5 or higher |\n\nInstructions:\n\n1. Dissolve Mandelic Acid in a portion of the purified water (can use slightly warm water not exceeding 60°C to aid dissolution, but ensure it cools down before combining with other parts).\n2. Slowly sprinkle Pro Polymer into the remaining purified water. Stir or blend until fully dispersed and allowed to swell.\n3. Add a small amount of pH adjuster to neutralize Pro Polymer and form the gel. Stir until combined.\n4. Combine the prepared Mandelic Acid solution with the gel base. Stir until combined.\n5. Add Mild Preserved Eco. Stir until combined.\n6. Measure the pH and adjust it to be 3.5 or higher (for self-use, not exceeding 10% concentration).\n7. Package in a clean container.\n\nAdditional Precautions for all 3 Formulas:\n\n* Maintain cleanliness of equipment and workspace.\n* Weigh/measure ingredients accurately.\n* Check the pH of the final formula with a pH meter to ensure it is within the appropriate range for the stability and efficacy of each active ingredient.\n* Avoid using heat higher than specified for each ingredient.\n\nExperimenting with and comparing the results of these three gel formulas on your own skin will help you determine which ingredient works best for your inflammatory acne problems.