Formulation Feasibility and Alpha Arbutin pH in Serum

Question

I would like to ask about the feasibility of the following serum formulation (100 ml volume):

Water 95%
Alpha Arbutin 2%
Bio-Yeast Essence™ 2%
Hyaluronic Nano Molecule 0.5%
Hyaluronic Standard Molecule 0.5%

Is this formulation possible? Also, since Alpha Arbutin has a slightly acidic to neutral pH, will adding 2% make the formula too acidic for the other ingredients? If so, can I add a pH adjuster, or should I omit Alpha Arbutin?

Answer 1

Formulation Feasibility and pH Concern

Regarding your proposed formulation with Water 95%, Alpha Arbutin 2%, Bio-Yeast Essence™ 2%, Hyaluronic Nano Molecule 0.5%, and Hyaluronic Standard Molecule 0.5% (total 100 ml):

Yes, this formulation is possible to create.
The resulting texture will be quite liquid, with only a slight viscosity provided by the Hyaluronic Acid Standard Molecule.
It is important to add a preservative to this formula to prevent microbial growth.

Regarding your concern about the pH of Alpha Arbutin:

At a concentration of 2%, Alpha Arbutin will cause the pH of the formula to decrease slightly, but not significantly enough to cause issues for the other ingredients or irritate the skin.
Therefore, you do not need to adjust the pH or remove Alpha Arbutin from the formula due to pH concerns.

Answer 2

Update 2026-05-24

The original answer is still broadly valid: this can be made as a water-based serum, and the texture will be a light watery serum or light gel rather than a thick gel. Please add a suitable preservative because the formula is mostly water and contains hyaluronic acid plus yeast/protein-derived material. If a preservative is added, reduce the water percentage accordingly so the total remains 100%.

Alpha Arbutin at 2% is within the current catalog usage range and is not expected to make this formula too acidic by itself. However, the finished formula pH should still be measured after all powders are fully dissolved and the Hyaluronic Acid Standard is fully hydrated. A practical target is about pH 5.0–6.0, which fits the overlapping compatibility range for Alpha Arbutin, Yeast Radiance™, and the listed hyaluronic acid grades. A pH adjuster is only needed if the measured finished pH falls outside the target range.

The old Bio-Yeast Essence™ name may now need to be checked against the current product page or replaced with the appropriate current yeast-based ingredient, such as Yeast Radiance™, before production. For sale or larger-scale production, perform stability testing and preservative challenge testing.