Improving Oily Skin Serum/Moisturizer Texture, Moisture, and Stability

Question

I am developing a serum/moisturizer for oily skin with whitening actives (Safe-B3, GlucoBright, Activated Resorcinol S, MSH White Absorb, Willow Bark Extract, Bisabolol, Cyclomethicone, Reservoir-Tech).

I previously attempted to use Satin Cream Maker at 2% for texture, but the formula still separates and is not thick enough. The texture also feels dry/tight after drying.

I have the following questions:

Can I add Squalane to the formula to increase moisture and improve the skin feel after drying, while still retaining the whitening results?
How can I improve the formula's texture to prevent separation, increase thickness, and reduce the dry/tight feel after drying? What emulsifier/thickener combination and usage percentage would be suitable for this type of formula for oily skin?

MySkinRecipes Expert · Accepted Answer

Hello,

Thank you for your continued questions and for sharing your formula development progress. We're happy to assist you further.

Regarding your questions:

Adding Squalane for moisture and retaining whitening results: Based on your skin type (oily), adding Squalane is not recommended as it is an oil and can increase oiliness, which is not suitable for oily skin. To add moisture and improve skin feel without adding oil, we recommend using a water-soluble humectant. As previously suggested, MOIST24 (Glycereth-26) at 5% is a suitable option. It will help with hydration and improve the skin feel after the serum dries without contributing to oiliness. The whitening ingredients in your current formula (Safe-B3, GlucoBright, Activated Resorcinol S, MSH White Absorb, Willow Bark Extract) are effective and should be kept to maintain the desired brightening results.
Improving texture (separation, thickness, skin feel) and using emulsifiers/thickeners:
- You are correct that increasing Satin Cream Maker to 2% could help with thickness and emulsification, but as you observed, it might not be sufficient to prevent separation completely and achieve the desired viscosity.
- To address the separation issue and achieve a better texture (thicker but still fast-absorbing), the staff previously recommended replacing Satin Cream Maker entirely. The suggested approach is to use Butter Cream Maker at 3% along with AnyGel (Dehydroxanthan Gum) at 0.5-1% (adjust based on desired thickness). This combination is more effective for emulsifying a formula with oil content and providing viscosity. This method requires heating during mixing.
- Regarding your question about Gel Maker/thickener usage: AnyGel is a thickener that works well in conjunction with an emulsifier like Butter Cream Maker in formulas containing both water and oil phases. The cream maker handles the emulsification (preventing separation), and the thickener increases the viscosity.
- To improve the dry/tight feeling after the serum dries, adding a humectant like MOIST24 at 5% is the recommended approach for oily skin, as mentioned in point 1. This will provide hydration and a smoother feel without adding oiliness.

In summary, to improve your formula's texture (prevent separation, increase thickness, improve skin feel) while keeping it suitable for oily skin and maintaining whitening results:

Do not add Squalane.
Replace Satin Cream Maker with Butter Cream Maker (3%) and use heat for mixing.
Add AnyGel (0.5-1%) to increase viscosity.
Add MOIST24 (5%) to improve hydration and skin feel after drying.
Keep your current whitening and treatment actives (Safe-B3, GlucoBright, Activated Resorcinol S, MSH White Absorb, Willow Bark Extract, Bisabolol, Cyclomethicone, Reservoir-Tech).

We hope this helps with your formula development!