Gel Formula for Combination Skin (Night Cream) with AHA, B3, Zinc PCA

Question

I am developing a gel formula for a night cream targeting combination skin concerns such as brightening, reducing dark spots, controlling acne and oiliness, tightening pores, providing hydration, and promoting exfoliation.

The proposed formula includes:

Water
Propylene Glycol
Panthenol
Glucosamine
Vitamin B3
Lactic Acid (AHA) 88%
Phenoxyethanol
Zinc PCA
Allantoin
Xanthan Gum

After removing green tea extract from the formula, I want to confirm if I can simply increase the water percentage to 75.5% and keep the other ingredients the same, without needing to add any other substances.

MySkinRecipes Expert · Accepted Answer

Gel Formula for Combination Skin (Night Cream)

Based on your discussion and the confirmation from the staff, the final gel formula you can use for a night cream for combination skin is as follows:

Water: 75.5%
Propylene Glycol: 10%
Panthenol: 3%
Glucosamine: 4%
Vitamin B3: 2%
Lactic Acid (AHA) 88%: 2%
Phenoxyethanol: 1%
Zinc PCA: 1%
Allantoin: 0.5%
Xanthan Gum: 1%

This formula is designed to address your combination skin concerns with ingredients targeting various benefits:

Brightening / Reducing Dark Spots: Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) and Glucosamine work well together to help reduce the appearance of dark spots and improve skin tone evenness.
Reducing Acne / Oiliness / Tightening Pores: Zinc PCA helps control skin oiliness, reduces acne inflammation, and promotes faster skin healing (like acne scars). This contributes to reducing acne and oiliness, and makes pores appear tighter. Vitamin B3 also helps reduce facial oiliness.
Skin Hydration: Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5) and Propylene Glycol are good humectants that help retain moisture in the skin, making it soft and smooth. Panthenol also helps strengthen the skin barrier and prevent moisture loss.
Skin Exfoliation / Smoothness: Lactic Acid (AHA) accelerates the exfoliation of dead skin cells, resulting in smoother skin and a more even tone. Glucosamine also offers gentle exfoliating properties.
Reducing Irritation: Allantoin and Panthenol have soothing properties, helping to calm the skin and promote healing.

Regarding the texture, using 1% Xanthan Gum will create a gel consistency with a certain level of viscosity. The exact viscosity can vary depending on the specific type of Xanthan Gum used (e.g., extra clear, smooth texture type will feel different from a regular type).

Important Caution:

Since this formula contains Lactic Acid, which is an acid, it is crucial to measure the pH of the formula after mixing and adjust it to an appropriate level. Generally, formulas with AHA should have a pH not exceeding 4.0 for optimal AHA efficacy. However, to ensure compatibility with other ingredients in this specific formula, it is recommended to adjust the pH to around 4.0 as advised by the staff. If the pH is lower than 4.0 after mixing, you can gradually add a base like Triethanolamine to raise the pH.