Improving Your Whitening and Moisturizing Formula

You have created a formula aimed at whitening and moisturizing that you find effective but causes some irritation and could have a smoother texture. The staff has provided valuable advice to address these points.

Addressing Skin Texture

To achieve a smoother, silkier skin feel, the staff recommends adding Silicone Gel (Ultra-Clear) to your formula. You can start with 5% and increase up to 7-10% if needed, incorporating it in the final step. This ingredient is known for improving spreadability and providing a soft, non-sticky feel.

Addressing Skin Irritation

The staff's advice on irritation depends on whether the irritation is caused by this specific formula or was a pre-existing condition.

• If the irritation is caused by this formula: The staff suggests that Tranexamic Acid and Activated Resorcinol might be the culprits, as they can cause irritation in some individuals or when combined at certain concentrations. They recommend removing these two ingredients and replacing them with less irritating whitening alternatives. Recommended alternatives include:

  • Perfect-C™ (Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate)
  • WhiteCumin™ 2x (Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane)
  • Ume Extract (Anti-Glycation)
  • Yeast Radiance™
    You can use one or a combination of these at around 3% total concentration, adjusting the percentage if using multiple alternatives.

• If the irritation was pre-existing: The staff advises identifying and removing the source of the prior irritation (e.g., other products, medications). Additionally, you can incorporate ingredients known for reducing skin irritation into your formula. Examples of such ingredients include Pep-Calm™ (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8) or Portulaca Extract.

Adding More Active Ingredients

You asked if adding more active ingredients would improve efficacy. While your current formula already contains several potent actives for whitening and moisturizing, adding more ingredients, especially additional whitening agents, could potentially increase the risk of irritation, which is the primary issue you are facing.

The staff's recommendation to swap out potentially irritating whitening agents for gentler alternatives is a strategy to maintain or enhance efficacy while prioritizing skin comfort. Focusing on resolving the irritation and improving texture as advised by the staff is the most effective way to optimize your current formula. Once your skin is comfortable, you can assess the whitening and moisturizing results and consider further adjustments if necessary, but adding more actives while experiencing irritation is not recommended.

Therefore, the best next steps are to implement the staff's suggestions for texture improvement and irritation reduction before considering adding anything else.