Improving Your DMAE Skin Tightening Formula

It sounds like you've experimented with a DMAE gel formula and encountered some common challenges, particularly stickiness. Here's a breakdown of the issues and potential solutions based on your experience and the discussion:

1. Addressing the Sticky Feeling

The primary reason for the stickiness you're experiencing is likely the high concentration of DMAE (SkinTight MD™) Liquid (20%) in your gel formula. DMAE itself can contribute to a tacky feel at higher percentages.

To reduce the stickiness, you have two main approaches:

• Reduce the concentration of DMAE: Lowering the percentage of DMAE in your formula will directly help decrease the sticky sensation.
• Modify the texture with feel modifiers: Incorporating ingredients known for providing a smooth, slippery, or powdery feel can counteract the stickiness. Examples include Cyclopentasiloxane (Low-Odor Cyclomethicone), PowderCream™ (Water Absorbing PMMA), or AminoSilk™ (Lauroyl lysine).

2. Exploring Alternative Bases (Cream or Silicone)

Switching the base from a gel using Pro Polymer™ (Gel Maker) to a cream using Fractionated Coconut Oil and Light Cream Maker™, or to a silicone base, are indeed viable options to potentially improve the skin feel. These bases can offer different textures (e.g., more emollient, slippery).

• Cream Base: Using Fractionated Coconut Oil (a lightweight oil) with an emulsifier like Light Cream Maker™ could result in a less sticky feel compared to the current gel, as the oil phase can provide slip. However, the final texture depends on the specific ratios and other ingredients used. Experimentation is key.
• Silicone Base: A silicone base, potentially incorporating ingredients like Cyclopentasiloxane (Low-Odor Cyclomethicone), is well-known for providing a smooth, non-greasy, and slippery feel, which could effectively mask the stickiness from DMAE. You would need to formulate this as a water-in-silicone or silicone-in-water emulsion, or a primarily silicone-based product.

Determining which base feels "better" is subjective and depends on personal preference. You would need to create test batches of each type to compare the textures directly.

3. Recommended Percentage for PowderCream™

If you decide to incorporate PowderCream™ (Water Absorbing PMMA) into your formula (either the original gel or a new base) to improve the slip and reduce stickiness, a good starting point is 5%. You can adjust this percentage up or down based on the desired level of slipperiness. The maximum recommended usage rate for PowderCream™ is typically 15%, but using it at this higher level is usually reserved for specific product types like makeup powders where a very powdery feel is needed.

Remember that when modifying a formula, especially changing the base or adding new ingredients, stability testing is recommended to ensure the product remains consistent over time.

Ingredients mentioned in the original formula:

• Water
• DMAE (SkinTight MD™) Liquid
• Safe-B3™ (Vitamin B3, Niacinamide)
• Pep®-Coll (Palmitoyl tripeptide-5)
• Pro Polymer™ (Gel Maker)
• Phenoxyethanol (Extra Pure)

Ingredients mentioned as alternatives/solutions:

• Cyclopentasiloxane (Low-Odor Cyclomethicone)
• PowderCream™ (Water Absorbing PMMA)
• AminoSilk™ (Lauroyl lysine)
• Fractionated Coconut Oil
• Light Cream Maker™

Consider the interaction of these ingredients and adjust your formula gradually to achieve the desired texture and performance.