Herbal Cream Formulation Guide

Creating a herbal cream involves combining different types of ingredients to form a stable emulsion. Here's a basic guide:

Basic Cream Structure

A typical cream formulation consists of:

1. Water Phase: Contains water-soluble ingredients (like humectants, some extracts, water itself).
2. Oil Phase: Contains oil-soluble ingredients (like oils, butters, waxes, some extracts).
3. Emulsifier: A substance that helps mix the water and oil phases together to form a stable cream.
4. Active Ingredients: The beneficial ingredients like herbal extracts.
5. Preservative: Essential to prevent microbial growth in the water-containing product.

Incorporating Herbal Ingredients

• Turmeric Extract: You can incorporate turmeric extracts for their skin benefits. Based on the products found:
  • WhiteCumin™ 2x (liquid form) is water-soluble and can be added to the water phase.
  • WhiteCumin™ (powder form) is soluble in glycol or oil and can be added to the oil phase or a glycol phase before mixing.
  • The usage rate for these extracts is typically low (e.g., 1-4% for WhiteCumin™ 2x, 0.1-1.0% for WhiteCumin™).
• Plai Oil: If using an oil like Plai oil, it would be part of your oil phase.

General Mixing Steps

1. Heat the water phase and oil phase separately to a similar temperature (usually around 70-75°C) to melt solid oils/waxes and ensure proper emulsification.
2. Add the heated oil phase to the heated water phase while stirring continuously.
3. Mix with a homogenizer or high-shear mixer until a stable emulsion forms.
4. Cool the mixture while stirring. Add heat-sensitive active ingredients (like some extracts) and the preservative when the cream has cooled down (usually below 40°C).
5. Continue stirring until the cream reaches room temperature.

Remember to start with a basic cream base formulation (including water, oil, emulsifier, and preservative) and then add your desired herbal extracts at the recommended usage rates.

For detailed guidance on basic cream making, please refer to beginner resources on cosmetic formulation.