Ingredient Compatibility, Formulation Adjustments, and Vitamin A Concentration

Asked by: joy5000 On: September 08, 2013 Product Type: Cosmetics

Question

I have a base gel that already contains 5% Vitamin B3. I have skin concerns including acne, redness, and freckles. I have three questions:

  1. Can I add the following ingredients to this base gel (which already contains 5% Vitamin B3) at the recommended usage percentages? Will they interact negatively? Or should I separate the base gel to mix Delentigo separately?

    • Delentigo
    • Green Tea Extract
    • Licorice

  2. Regarding my BHA toner made with Water + EDTA + BHA, Timed-Release, can I add Green Tea Extract to this formula? Or is it sufficient to use only BHA in the toner?

  3. A product states it contains Retinly Palmitate (vitamin A) 100,000 IU per ounce. What percentage of Vitamin A does this represent? What does this concentration mean in terms of grams?

Answer

Subject: Advice and Review

Thank you for sharing your positive experience with the Encapsulated Salicylic Acid (BHA, Timed-Release) toner! It's great to hear it's helping with clogged pores and reducing breakouts.

Regarding your new ingredients and questions:

  1. Mixing ingredients in the base gel:

    • You can add Delentigo, Green Tea Extract, and Licorice to your base gel that already contains Vitamin B3 (5%). These ingredients are generally compatible.
    • IMPORTANT: Do not add the BHA (Encapsulated Salicylic Acid) to this base gel mixture. BHA should be used in a separate formula, as you have been doing with your toner.
    • This combined gel (Base Gel + B3 + Delentigo + Green Tea + Licorice) can help address your concerns with acne, redness, and freckles.

  2. Adding Green Tea Extract to BHA toner:

    • While it is technically possible to add Green Tea Extract to your BHA toner (Water + EDTA + BHA), it is generally recommended to keep them separate.
    • The reason is that BHA products are sometimes used for a short contact time (e.g., 1-2 hours) before rinsing, whereas ingredients like Green Tea Extract are typically used in leave-on treatments. Keeping them separate allows for more flexibility in how you use each product.
    • Based on the ingredients, pH compatibility is unlikely to be a major issue if you choose to mix them, but separation is preferred for usage flexibility.

  3. Vitamin A concentration conversion:

    • A product labeled with Retinyl Palmitate 100,000 IU per ounce means it contains approximately 0.03 grams of retinol equivalent per ounce.
    • The conversion is based on 1 IU of Vitamin A being equivalent to 0.3 micrograms (μg) of retinol.
    • 100,000 IU * 0.3 μg/IU = 30,000 μg = 0.03 grams.
    • Caution: Avoid using products containing Vitamin A (like Retinyl Palmitate) in the same routine or at the same time as BHA products, as this can increase the risk of skin irritation.

Hope this helps with your formulations!

Tags

Compatibility Concentration Formulation Adjustment Gel Toner