Resolving Separation in Your Hair Serum Formula

It appears your hair serum formula, using Cyclotetrasiloxane, Hair Silk, and SiliSolve, is separating. This is a common issue when creating water-in-silicone emulsions and is often related to the mixing procedure.

SiliSolve is designed to bind water with silicone. The key to successfully emulsifying with SiliSolve is the mixing method.

Correct Mixing Procedure:

1. Combine SiliSolve with the silicone phase (Cyclotetrasiloxane and Hair Silk). Stir or blend until homogeneous.
2. Prepare the water phase by mixing water with any water-soluble ingredients.
3. Crucially, add the water phase to the silicone/SiliSolve phase gradually, little by little, while continuously stirring or blending. Do not add the water all at once, as this will make it difficult to emulsify and can lead to separation.

Following this procedure should help your water and silicone phases combine properly.

Additionally, please note the following regarding your ingredients:

• The recommended usage rate for SiliSolve is 0.5-1%. Your formula uses 1.25%, which is slightly above the typical recommendation, but the mixing method is likely the primary cause of separation.
• According to the product information, Cyclotetrasiloxane is not allowed for use in cosmetics. A common alternative silicone for cosmetic formulations is Cyclopentasiloxane. You may want to consider substituting Cyclotetrasiloxane with Cyclopentasiloxane in your formula.
• SiliSolve is best for water-silicone systems with minimal oil (should not exceed 3% oil). If your formula contains other oils in addition to the silicones, you might consider using SiliSolve Plus, which is designed to emulsify water, oil, and silicone and can handle up to 30% oil (including silicones).

By adjusting your mixing technique and considering the ingredient notes, you should be able to achieve a stable, homogeneous hair serum.