Formulation Advice for Oily Skin

Based on your original formula and the feedback received, here's a breakdown of the ingredients and suggestions for optimizing the formula for oily skin:

Ingredient to Remove

• Vitamin B5 (Panthenol) 5%: As suggested, it is recommended to remove Vitamin B5 at this concentration. While Vitamin B5 is a good humectant and helps with skin barrier function and wound healing, using it at a high concentration like 5% can feel sticky or greasy on the skin, which is not ideal for oily skin types.

Ingredients to Keep and Their Benefits for Oily Skin

These ingredients can be beneficial for oily skin or address other concerns without contributing to excess oiliness:

• Glucosamine 4% (e.g., GlucoBright™ Acetyl Glucosamine): Works with Vitamin B3 to help with whitening and reducing dark spots. It also stimulates the skin's natural Hyaluronic Acid production for gentle moisture and can help reduce acne breakouts.
• Azelaic acid 10% (e.g., Liquid Azelaic™): This is excellent for oily and acne-prone skin. It helps brighten the skin, reduce dark spots, significantly reduce oiliness by controlling sebum production, and reduce acne.
• Licochalcone A 1.0% (e.g., Licorice Extract): Known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant properties. It helps reduce skin inflammation, redness from acne, and irritation. It also helps control facial oiliness.
• Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) (e.g., Safe-B3™, Extreme-B3™): A versatile ingredient that helps reduce wrinkles, redness, and dark spots. It strengthens the skin barrier, fights irritations, and importantly for oily skin, helps reduce sebum excretion.
• Gotu kola 5% (e.g., Pure-TECA™ Centella Asiatica Extract): Provides strong anti-inflammatory and anti-irritation benefits, which can be helpful for acne-prone and irritated oily skin.
• Apple stem cell 5% (e.g., Apple Stem Cell Extract): Primarily focuses on anti-aging by helping to slow down the aging process of skin cells and keeping the skin looking youthful.

Suggested Additions for Enhanced Oil Control

To further combat oiliness, consider adding:

• MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane): This ingredient is known for its oil control properties by helping to reduce the oil production of the sebaceous glands.
• L-Carnitine (Carnitine): Can help reduce oiliness on the face by controlling the oil production of the pores (reducing sebum production). It also helps accelerate skin cell turnover gently.

By removing the higher concentration of Vitamin B5 and incorporating ingredients like MSM and L-Carnitine, you can create a formula that is better suited to manage oily skin while still providing benefits for other skin concerns like acne, dark spots, and aging.