Formulation with SkinTight MD™ Liquid: Water Content, Solubility, and Emulsification in Silicone Base
Question
Regarding a silicone-based serum formulation with the following structure:
- SkinTight MD™ (Liquid) 20%
- Dimethicone 10%
- Cyclomethicone 20%
- Silicone gel 5%
- Additional water 30%
- 5 other active ingredients
Could you please confirm:
- How much water is contributed by SkinTight MD™ (Liquid) at 20% usage?
- What is the total water content in this proposed formula?
- Will the other 5 active ingredients dissolve in this amount of water (total water content)?
- Is an emulsifier necessary for this silicone-based serum formulation which contains water?
Answer
Hello,
Thank you for your question.
Regarding SkinTight MD™ liquid, as previously mentioned by the staff, the raw material contains 80% water.
If you use SkinTight MD™ liquid at 20% in your formula, it will contribute 20% * 80% = 16% water to your final product.
Based on your proposed formula structure (20% SkinTight MD, 10% Dimethicone, 20% Cyclomethicone, 5% Silicone gel, and planning to add 30% water), the total water content in your formula would be 16% (from SkinTight MD) + 30% (added water) = 46%.
Regarding your concern about the solubility of the other 5 active ingredients, whether they will dissolve in this amount of water (46%) depends entirely on the specific properties of those 5 ingredients (e.g., are they water-soluble, oil-soluble, etc.). Without knowing what those ingredients are, it is not possible to confirm if they will dissolve.
Also, please remember the previous advice from the staff: since your formula contains water (from SkinTight MD and added water) and silicone oils, you will need a suitable emulsifier to combine them into a stable serum.
As a beginner, you might find it easier to start with a cream or gel base formulation, as suggested before, before attempting a silicone-based serum with an aqueous phase.