Formulation Questions Answered

Here are the answers to your questions regarding formulating with Beeswax and Candelilla Wax, and the pH of pomade:

1. Heating Beeswax

Heating Beeswax to 67-70°C should not damage it. While Beeswax typically melts around 62-63°C, it is common practice in formulations containing waxes with higher melting points (like Candelilla Wax, which melts around 70-72.5°C) to heat the entire oil/wax phase to a temperature sufficient to melt all solid components. Heating to around 70-75°C is generally recommended for mixing waxes into the oil phase, ensuring everything is fully liquid and can be properly incorporated without affecting the quality of the Beeswax.

2. Heating Oils with Different Melting Points

When heating ingredients with different melting points in the same phase (like waxes and oils in the oil phase), you should heat the entire phase to a temperature that is at least a few degrees above the melting point of the ingredient with the highest melting point. This ensures all solid components are completely melted and miscible. For a phase containing Beeswax and Candelilla Wax, heating to approximately 70-75°C is appropriate as it will melt both waxes and allow for proper mixing with your oils.

3. pH of Pomade

Traditional pomades are typically oil-based and contain very little to no water. pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of water-based solutions. Therefore, for traditional oil-based pomades, measuring or adjusting pH is not relevant or necessary.

If you are making a water-based pomade (which contains a significant amount of water), the pH is relevant and should generally be adjusted to be compatible with the skin, typically within the range of 4.5 to 6.5. The digital pH meter you purchased will be useful for measuring the pH of the water phase or the final product if it is water-based.

I hope this helps with your formulation!