Improving Skin Feel and Texture in Tinted Body Butter Formulations

To improve the skin feel of your tinted body butter and move beyond Arrowroot, you have several professional options depending on the specific texture you want to achieve. Arrowroot is a great natural option, but it can sometimes feel slightly "starchy" or inconsistent.

Here are the best alternatives to enhance the feel of your formulation:

1. For a Silky, Premium Feel: Lauroyl Lysine

AminoSilk™ (Lauroyl Lysine) is an amino acid-derived powder that is highly recommended for luxury body butters. It provides an incredibly soft, silky feel and is naturally hydrophobic, which helps the product stay on the skin longer and improves the "spread" of the pigments.

2. For a Smooth, "Ball-Bearing" Slip: PMMA or Nylon-12

If you want the butter to glide effortlessly without any drag:

• SoftTouch 7™ (PMMA): These are tiny spherical beads that provide a "ball-bearing" effect, giving the butter a very professional, high-slip finish and a soft-focus (blurring) effect on the skin.
• Nylon-12: Offers a creamy, velvety feel and helps reduce the greasiness of the mango and kokum butters effectively.

3. For a Natural Upgrade: Rice Starch

Ricesorb™ (Rice Starch) is a significant upgrade over Arrowroot or Corn Starch. The particle size is much smaller and more uniform, resulting in a much smoother application and a more refined matte finish without any grittiness.

4. For Maximum Oil Absorption & Matte Finish: Silica

MatteSilica 5™ is excellent if you find the butter feels too heavy or oily. It has a very high oil-absorption capacity and provides a sophisticated matte look, which is particularly helpful in a tinted product to prevent a "shiny" or "greasy" appearance.

5. For Better Adhesion and Creaminess: Magnesium Stearate

Magnesium Stearate can be used in combination with the starches above. It improves the "cling" of the tint to the skin and adds a lubricious, creamy texture to the butter itself.

6. For a Luxury "Velvet" Texture: Silicone Elastomer Powder

Silicone Elastomer Powder creates a unique, cushiony, velvet-like feel. It is excellent at transforming a heavy butter into a sophisticated "powder-to-cream" texture.

Suggested Usage:
You can replace the Arrowroot 1:1 with Rice Starch, or use a blend (e.g., 50% Rice Starch and 50% Lauroyl Lysine or PMMA) to achieve a custom skin feel. Since your recipe contains Isododecane and Coco-Caprylate, these powders will disperse easily in your oil phase.