Formulating Skin Brightening Lotion with Vitamin B3 and Glutathione

How to Make a Skin Whitening Lotion with Vitamin B3 and Glutathione

To create a skin lotion aimed at brightening the skin using Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) together with Glutathione, you can consider the properties and mixing methods of both ingredients as follows:

Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide)

• Properties: Niacinamide is highly beneficial for the skin, particularly in reducing dark spots, redness, and post-acne marks. It helps even out skin tone and makes the skin look brighter. It also helps strengthen the skin barrier, increase moisture, and reduce facial oiliness.
• Mixing: Niacinamide is water-soluble and can be added to the water phase of the lotion formula. It can withstand heat, but prolonged high heat should be avoided. The optimal pH range is 4.0-7.0.
• Usage Rate: Typically used at 1-10%. For high-purity grades like Safe-B3™ or Extreme-B3™, it can be used up to 10% without causing flushing or redness.

Glutathione

• Properties: Glutathione is a highly effective antioxidant. Regarding skin brightening, studies show it can inhibit melanin production, but its direct whitening effect when applied topically may be limited. It can also play a role in stabilizing Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid), which is a known skin whitening agent.
• Mixing: Glutathione is also water-soluble but sensitive to heat and pH. It should be mixed in water, avoiding heat. The temperature should not exceed 40°C, and the optimal pH is between 3-6. If the temperature is higher or the pH is outside this range, glutathione will degrade faster. Some types of glutathione may have a distinct odor.
• Usage Rate: For powder types (e.g., Glutathione (L-Glutathione) (Extrasol) or Glutathione (L-Glutathione Reduced)), the usage rate is typically 1-3%. For liquid types (e.g., L-Glutathione Liquid), a higher rate like 5-10% might be used.

Recommendations for Mixing in Lotion

When formulating a lotion containing both ingredients, it's advisable to prepare the water phase with Niacinamide dissolved first. Once the overall mixture has cooled down (temperature not exceeding 40°C), then add Glutathione and mix thoroughly. Adjust the pH of the formula to be suitable for both ingredients (which may require considering a pH range that works reasonably well for both; Niacinamide is quite flexible with pH, but Glutathione requires a slightly acidic to neutral pH).

In summary, Niacinamide is a key ingredient with clear effects in helping to brighten skin and reduce dark spots. Glutathione can be included to provide antioxidant benefits to the formula.