Gel Formulation Issue with Electrolytes

It appears the reason your gel did not form is due to the interaction between DMAE (SkinTight MD™) Liquid and Pro Polymer™ (Gel Maker). As noted in the replies and the product description for Pro Polymer, ingredients containing high levels of electrolytes, such as DMAE, can significantly reduce the effectiveness of Pro Polymer in forming a gel.

Pro Polymer creates a gel structure through a polymeric mechanism, and electrolytes interfere with this process, causing the mixture to remain liquid or much thinner than intended.

Recommended Mixing Procedure for Formulas with Electrolytes:

To successfully create a gel with Pro Polymer when using ingredients like DMAE, you should follow a specific mixing order:

1. Combine all ingredients except those containing high electrolytes (in your case, DMAE).
2. Add the Pro Polymer to this mixture and stir until a smooth gel texture is fully formed. This may require using a higher concentration of Pro Polymer than in formulas without electrolytes (the Pro Polymer description suggests 2-3% or more, depending on the electrolyte load. You used approximately 2%, so you might need slightly more).
3. Once the gel base is formed, gradually add the electrolyte-containing ingredient (DMAE) while continuing to stir.

Adding the electrolyte last helps to minimize its interference with the initial gel formation by the Pro Polymer.

Addressing Your Current Mixture:

Since you have already mixed all ingredients together, including the DMAE, simply adding more Pro Polymer might eventually thicken the mixture, but it will likely take much longer and require more vigorous mixing compared to the recommended method. The foaming you observed could also be related to the mixing method and the presence of ingredients that reduce surface tension.

For the best chance of success with your current ingredients, you could try adding small amounts of Pro Polymer gradually while stirring, but be aware it may take considerable time and effort to hydrate and form a gel in the presence of DMAE. Alternatively, for a more reliable outcome, it is highly recommended to start over and follow the mixing procedure outlined above, separating the DMAE until the gel base is formed.

As the staff also suggested, if you are new to formulating, you might consider making the formula without DMAE first to practice gelling with Pro Polymer before attempting the more complex formula with electrolytes.

Your formula includes several beneficial ingredients:

• Disodium EDTA: A chelating agent that helps stabilize the formula by binding to metal ions.
• Panthenol (Pro Vitamin B5): Known for its moisturizing, soothing, and wound-healing properties. It can also work synergistically with DMAE for skin tightening.
• Wrinkle-Fill™ (Acetyl-Tyrosine): An amino acid derivative that can work with peptides or DMAE to help reduce wrinkles and improve skin firmness and collagen levels.
• DMAE (SkinTight MD™) Liquid: An active known for its skin tightening, firming, and antioxidant benefits.
• Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (Argireline): A peptide that helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles caused by muscle movement, particularly around the eyes and forehead.
• Pep®-Coll (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5): A peptide that stimulates collagen production to help reduce wrinkles and improve skin firmness.
• Active Resveratrol™: An antioxidant that can help reduce wrinkles, improve skin tone, and reduce inflammation.

By adjusting your mixing method to account for the DMAE, you should be able to achieve the desired gel texture for your formulation.