Multi-Benefit Skin Essence Formulation for Whitening, Acne, Anti-Aging, and Pores

Guidance for Creating a Multi-Benefit Skin Essence

I understand you want to create a skin essence that primarily targets whitening, reducing dark spots, and addressing acne concerns, while also providing some benefits for wrinkles and pores, all in a single product for convenient use by everyone in your household. Combining multiple active ingredients into one formula to address diverse concerns is challenging but achievable if compatible ingredients are selected and concentrations are appropriately adjusted.

Based on the ingredients you initially chose and the feedback you received, the formula has been refined to be more feasible and cover the issues you want to address, considering the compatibility of the key ingredients.

Skin Essence Formula (Revised)

Here is the revised list of ingredients with suggested percentages for this essence formula:

• For Whitening and Reducing Dark Spots:
  • Stabilized Vitamin C (AA2G™): 10%
  • Alpha Arbutin: 2%
  • Azelaic Acid (Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate): 10%
  • Tranexamic Acid: 3%
  • Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide): 5%
• For Anti-Acne and Reducing Skin Irritation:
  • Green Tea Extract: 5%
  • Licorice Extract: 0.5%
  • Tea Tree Oil (Australian - Water Soluble): 5%
• For Anti-Aging and Pore Tightening:
  • Witch Hazel (Alcohol Free) Plus Allantoin: 5%
  • Syn-Coll: 3%
• Preservative:
  • Phenoxyethanol: 1%

The total percentage of ingredients listed in this revised formula is 10 + 2 + 10 + 3 + 5 + 5 + 0.5 + 5 + 5 + 3 + 1 = 49.5%.

Answers to Your Questions

1. Can Bio-Yeast Essence™ be used at a higher percentage?
   As the staff explained, Bio-Yeast Essence™ is a concentrated extract, different from the filtrate found in some products like SK-II. Using it at 1% is considered sufficiently effective. However, it was omitted in this revised formula to simplify the product with many other active ingredients you want to include. If you wish to add Bio-Yeast Essence™, you might need to slightly reduce the percentage of another ingredient or accept a slightly higher total active load (which would mean less water).
2. Are there too many ingredients? Will the essence be heavy? Is this formula feasible?
   Your initial list of ingredients was very extensive, which could lead to a heavy texture and potentially increased irritation. This revised formula has reduced the number of ingredients and adjusted percentages to be more appropriate. Combining this many active ingredients at these concentrations is still a relatively complex and challenging formula for a beginner, but it is feasible to achieve successfully. The texture of the essence will depend on the specific ingredients and the overall base, but with many water-soluble ingredients and oil-controlling actives, the resulting essence is unlikely to feel excessively oily, though it might have a slightly substantial feel.
3. Is it suitable for oily skin? Will it leave an oily residue?
   The revised formula includes several ingredients beneficial for oily skin and acne concerns, such as Niacinamide, Azelaic Acid, Green Tea Extract, Tea Tree Oil, and Witch Hazel. These ingredients help control oil, reduce inflammation, and improve pore appearance. Therefore, this formula is quite suitable for oily skin. The final texture is unlikely to leave a significant oily residue, but individual skin responses may vary. It's always recommended to patch test on a small area before applying to the entire face.
4. What percentage of water should I use?
   Water (which is typically the main component) is used to make up the remaining percentage of the formula to reach 100%. In the suggested revised formula, the listed ingredients total 49.5%. Therefore, you will need to use water at a percentage of 100% - 49.5% = 50.5% of the total weight of your batch.
5. What is the mixing order for all the ingredients?
   For a water-based essence with these active ingredients, a general mixing order is as follows:
   • Measure the required amount of water (50.5% of your total batch size).
   • Gradually add the water-soluble powder ingredients to the water and stir or use a mixer until they are completely dissolved (e.g., Stabilized Vitamin C (AA2G™), Alpha Arbutin, Azelaic Acid (Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate), Tranexamic Acid, Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide)). Gentle warming might help some ingredients dissolve, but check specific instructions for each ingredient. Assume cold process unless specified.
   • Add the liquid extracts and solutions (e.g., Green Tea Extract, Licorice Extract, Tea Tree Oil (Water Soluble), Witch Hazel (Alcohol Free) Plus Allantoin, Syn-Coll). Stir well after adding each ingredient.
   • Add the preservative (Phenoxyethanol) and stir well.
   • Crucially: Check and adjust the pH of the final mixture. Many of these active ingredients are most stable and effective within a specific pH range (often slightly acidic, e.g., pH 4.0-5.5). You will need a pH meter or accurate pH strips and potentially a small amount of a pH adjuster (like a very diluted citric acid or sodium hydroxide solution) to bring the pH into the desired range. This step is vital for the performance and safety of your product.
   • Stir the entire mixture thoroughly one last time.

Additional Tips for Beginners:

• Start Small: It's highly recommended to make a small test batch first to check the texture, compatibility, stability, and how your skin reacts before making a larger quantity.
• Cleanliness: Always maintain clean equipment and work in a clean environment to prevent contamination.
• pH Measurement: Measuring and adjusting the pH is extremely important for this formula to ensure the active ingredients work effectively and to minimize potential irritation.

This formula is complex and contains active ingredients at high concentrations. A thorough understanding of each ingredient's properties and the mixing process is essential. Enjoy making your essence!