Improving Your Serum Formulation

It sounds like you've created a serum targeting wrinkles and hydration using Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, DMAE, and Double Hyaluron Liquid. It's common to encounter issues with homemade formulations, such as strong odors or texture/feel problems.

Addressing the Strong Smell

Some active ingredients can have a noticeable odor. You have a couple of options to manage this:

• Using an Odor Absorber: You can add an ingredient like Odor-Kill™ to your formula. This works by absorbing unpleasant smells from the ingredients. The suggested usage rate is typically low, around 0.3-0.5%.
• Using Fragrance: If you prefer to add a pleasant scent, you can incorporate a fragrance. Since your serum likely has a water base (given the ingredients), you will need a solubilizer to properly disperse the oil-based fragrance in the water phase. Flora Solve™ Clear is designed for this purpose. You would mix the fragrance with Flora Solve™ Clear first (typically 2-5 parts Flora Solve™ Clear to 1 part fragrance) before adding this mixture to your main serum formula.

Important Note: Based on the product information, Odor-Kill™ can absorb fragrance as well. Therefore, you should generally not use both Odor-Kill™ and fragrance in the same formula if your goal is to have a noticeable fragrance. Choose one method to address the odor.

Increasing Moisturization

You mentioned that the serum feels drying and you need to follow up with an oil. To make the serum itself more moisturizing, consider these additions:

• Increase Double Hyaluron Liquid: Double Hyaluron Liquid contains both standard and nano-sized hyaluronic acid, providing hydration at different skin depths. If you are not already using it at a high concentration, you could try increasing the percentage. For very dry skin, a concentration of 10-20% is recommended.
• Add an Emollient or Oil: To provide a more occlusive layer that helps trap moisture and reduce dryness, you can add an oil or emollient to your formula. Since your base is likely water-based, you would need an emulsifier to create a stable cream or lotion that combines water and oil phases. If you want to keep it as a serum but add some oil feel, you might need a suitable solubilizer or consider a different type of base. Examples of oils or emollients that can add richness and a skin-coating feel include Jojoba Oil, Olive Oil, or a synthetic ester like LipidSoft™ Film. LipidSoft™ Film is known for its ability to coat the skin well and is often used in richer formulations.

By adjusting the concentration of Double Hyaluron Liquid and potentially incorporating a suitable oil or emollient with an emulsifier (if making a cream/lotion), you can improve the moisturizing properties of your serum.

Remember to always test new formulations on a small area of skin first.