High-Zinc Balm with Manual Mixing

Creating a stable cream or lotion with a high percentage of Zinc Oxide typically requires a high-speed blender to properly emulsify the ingredients and disperse the zinc oxide evenly. With only simple mixers like a milk frother or cake mixer, achieving a stable cream is very challenging.

However, making a balm is a more feasible option for manual mixing. A balm is usually an oil-based or anhydrous (water-free) product thickened with waxes.

For a high-zinc balm that can be made with manual mixing, you can use:

• Zinc Oxide Powder: This is the form of zinc oxide that can be dispersed into the melted oil and wax mixture. You would need to stir continuously as the balm cools to keep the powder suspended.
• Waxes: Such as Natural White Beeswax or Yellow Beeswax, to give the balm structure and consistency.
• Oils and Butters: To provide the base texture and skin feel.

Regarding EGCG: EGCG is a water-soluble ingredient. Incorporating it into an anhydrous balm base is difficult because it will not dissolve in the oils and waxes. It may remain as undissolved particles, affecting the texture and potentially reducing its effectiveness or distribution. If you want to include EGCG, you would typically need a small water phase or a suitable solvent, which complicates manual mixing and stability in a balm.

Therefore, while a high-zinc balm is achievable with manual mixing, effectively incorporating EGCG into it without specialized equipment is problematic. You might consider making a high-zinc balm separately and perhaps a simple water-based serum with EGCG to apply beforehand, or accept that the EGCG may not be perfectly dispersed in the balm.

To make a simple balm:

1. Melt your chosen waxes and butters.
2. Add your liquid oils.
3. Carefully weigh and add the Zinc Oxide powder to the melted oil/wax mixture.
4. Stir continuously while the mixture cools and solidifies to prevent the Zinc Oxide from settling.