Formulating Cream/Serum with Peptides and Actives for Post-Laser Care

Question

I have questions about formulating a cream and a serum using several active ingredients, primarily for post-laser care: Can the following ingredients be mixed into a single cream formula? Is there any ingredient that acts as a chelating agent? Should Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) be separated from other actives, or can they all be mixed together in one cream for post-laser purposes? If I want to add Phospholipid, will it interfere with the function of PE-1 Aqua? The website mentions that adding other penetration enhancers might reduce the effectiveness of PE-1 Aqua, and Phospholipid is listed under penetration enhancers. Can they be used together? Regarding the procedure for using Satin Cream Maker: Should I sprinkle it into the Water phase and mix until the cream texture forms before adding the oil phase (like PE-1 Aqua), or should I just mix it until dispersed and then add PE-1 Aqua and continue mixing until the cream texture forms? If I want to adjust the formula to a light, non-sticky serum texture, can I use Silky Serum Base Plus to create the serum base with the following formula? Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) 3% Matrixyl 3000 5% Centella 2% Repair Activator 10% Cell-Energy 2% MOIST24 5% PE-1 Aqua 2% Water 61% Silky Serum Base Plus 10%

MySkinRecipes Expert · Accepted Answer

Hello,

Regarding your formula and questions:

Compatibility and Chelating Agents: The ingredients in your original formula can be mixed together. Based on the list provided, there are no ingredients that act as strong chelating agents that would negatively impact Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu). You can mix all the ingredients into a single cream product. For post-laser use, focusing on ingredients that stimulate collagen production is beneficial. The staff suggested considering Vitamin C instead of MOIST72, although MOIST24 (Glycereth-26) is in your formula, not MOIST72 (Saccharide Isomerate). Your current actives like Copper Peptide, Matrixyl 3000, Centella, Repair Activator, and Cell-Energy are suitable for post-laser care as they support skin repair and collagen.
Phospholipid and PE-1 Aqua: Phospholipid and PE-1 Aqua work through different mechanisms and do not interfere with each other. You can use them together. However, as the staff mentioned, if you have undergone ablative laser treatment (like CO2 laser) that creates micro-channels in the skin, penetration enhancers may not be necessary as ingredients will penetrate well on their own.
Satin Cream Maker Procedure: To use Satin Cream Maker, first disperse or blend it thoroughly until it is completely dissolved in the water phase. After it is fully dissolved, then add the oil phase (like PE-1 Aqua) into the water phase and continue mixing until the cream texture forms.
Serum Formula with Silky Serum Base Plus: Yes, you can adjust the formula to a serum texture using Silky Serum Base Plus as proposed. Your adjusted formula looks like this:
- Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) 3%
- Matrixyl 3000 5%
- Centella 2%
- Repair Activator 10%
- Cell-Energy (Adenosine) 2%
- MOIST24 5%
- PE-1 Aqua 2%
- Water 61%
- Silky Serum Base Plus 10%
The proposed procedure is generally correct: mix PE-1 Aqua into Silky Serum Base Plus, then gradually add the water phase containing the dissolved actives while mixing. However, please note that to properly emulsify and create a stable serum texture with Silky Serum Base Plus (or Silky Serum Base), you will need to use a blender, not just manual stirring, as indicated by the staff.