Information Regarding Your Eye Gel and EGCG Toner Formulation

Thank you for your detailed questions about formulating an eye gel and an EGCG toner. Based on the product descriptions available, here is some information about the ingredients you mentioned:

Eye Gel Formulation Ingredients

• REGU®-AGE (Product ID: 211): This ingredient is designed to reduce dark circles and puffiness around the eyes and make the skin stronger. It is recommended for use at 2-5% in eye care products.
• Pep®-Eye (Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5) (Product ID: 8181): This peptide is popular for eye area products and is shown to inhibit glycation (a cause of eyebags) and vascular permeability (a cause of dark circles). The recommended usage rate is 1-5% (3% recommended).
• Pal-GHK, Pal-GQPR (eq Matrixyl 3000) (Product ID: 51): This peptide blend helps stimulate collagen synthesis, reduce wrinkles, and increase skin elasticity. It is recommended for use at 3-5% (3% recommended).
• Safe-B3™ (Vitamin B3, Niacinamide) (Product ID: 74): Vitamin B3 is beneficial for reducing wrinkles, dark spots, increasing moisture by stimulating collagen and ceramide production, strengthening the skin barrier, and reducing oiliness. It can also help with dark circles by increasing blood flow. It can be used at 1-10% (5% recommended, up to 10% for the Safe-B3 type without flushing).
• GlucoBright™ (Acetyl Glucosamine) (Product ID: 116): This ingredient works well with Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) to whiten skin, remove dark spots, and stimulate Hyaluronic Acid production for moisture and wrinkle reduction. It is recommended at 1-8% (4% recommended in combination with Niacinamide 2-4%).
• Beta Glucan (Saccharomyces cerevisiae extract) (Product ID: 221): This ingredient helps protect skin from irritation, reduces wrinkles, increases elasticity, and strengthens the skin barrier. It is recommended at 1-10% (3% for healthy skin, 5% for irritated/sensitive skin).
• Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (eq Argireline) (Product ID: 45) and Acetyl Octapeptide-3 (eq. SNAP-8) (Product ID: 8048): These peptides work by reducing muscle contraction to help reduce wrinkles, particularly expression lines. Argireline is recommended at 3-10%. SNAP-8 is described as having the same behavior as Argireline but being more effective, also recommended at 3-10%. Matrixyl (Product ID: 51) can be used with Argireline.

Addressing Your Eye Gel Questions:

1. N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine with B3: Yes, based on the description for GlucoBright (Acetyl Glucosamine), it is specifically recommended for use with Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) to enhance whitening and dark spot reduction effects.
2. Using Hada Labo as a base: Most of the ingredients you listed are water-soluble or dispersible in water. Using a water-based product like Hada Labo as a base is generally feasible for incorporating these ingredients. However, predicting the exact outcome, stability, or potential for separation in a custom mixture with a pre-made product is difficult without specific formulation expertise and testing. The ingredients should generally be mixed into the water phase below 40°C.
3. Formula Suitability and Adjustment: The combination of ingredients you selected targets dark circles, puffiness, and wrinkles using various mechanisms (improving circulation, stimulating collagen, reducing muscle contraction, reducing pigmentation, hydrating, and strengthening the skin barrier). Based on the described properties of the individual ingredients, this formula incorporates actives known to address your concerns. However, I cannot confirm the optimal percentages or overall effectiveness of your specific custom blend. Adjustments would typically involve balancing the concentration of actives based on desired intensity and potential for irritation, while ensuring overall formula stability.
4. Mixing Order: Generally, water-soluble ingredients are dissolved in the water phase. Many active ingredients like peptides and extracts are added in the final step at temperatures below 40°C. The specific order can depend on the overall formula and ingredient properties, but adding dissolved powders/liquids to the base and mixing gently is a common approach.
5. Separation: As mentioned, using a pre-made base like Hada Labo and adding multiple actives at relatively high percentages might lead to stability issues or separation. While shaking before use might help, it doesn't guarantee the actives remain evenly dispersed or stable over time. This is a common challenge in DIY formulations.
6. Matrixyl with Argireline or SNAP-8: The description for Matrixyl mentions it can be used with Argireline. SNAP-8 is presented as a more effective alternative to Argireline. Adding either could potentially enhance the wrinkle-reducing effects by targeting muscle contractions, in addition to Matrixyl's collagen-stimulating effects.

EGCG Toner Formulation

• Hi-EGCG™ (Green Tea Extract) (Product ID: 729): This ingredient contains EGCG, a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage, repair skin from UV rays, reduce acne by controlling oil and inflammation, and improve skin elasticity. The recommended usage rate is 1-5%. It is water-soluble.

Addressing Your EGCG Questions:

1. Calculation for 100g: To achieve a specific percentage of an ingredient in a total weight of 100g, you would multiply the desired percentage (as a decimal) by the total weight. For example, if you wanted 2% EGCG in 100g, you would need 0.02 * 100g = 2g of the EGCG ingredient. However, the "20%" mentioned on the website likely refers to the concentration of EGCG within the raw material itself (e.g., Hi-EGCG™ contains at least 3% EGCG, Pure-EGCG™ contains 98%). You should use the recommended usage rate for the specific EGCG product you have (e.g., 1-5% for Hi-EGCG™) and calculate based on that percentage of the total 100g formula.
2. Compatibility: The description for Hi-EGCG™ recommends using ActiveProtec™ OX at 1% in the formula to help prevent metal ions from degrading the EGCG. It also states that the formula should not contain any type of Vitamin E. The finished product should be protected from light (e.g., in an opaque bottle).
3. Solubility: Yes, the description for Hi-EGCG™ states it is water-soluble. You can typically add the required amount to the water phase of your toner and mix until dissolved.

Please note that while I can provide information based on product descriptions, I cannot offer specific guidance for creating or troubleshooting custom cosmetic formulations. DIY formulations require careful consideration of ingredient compatibility, stability, preservation, and safety, which often involves specialized knowledge and testing.