Night cream formulation for sensitive skin - Ingredient feedback and base selection

Subject: Re: Inquiry about face cream formulation for sensitive skin

Thank you for your detailed inquiry about your night cream formulation for sensitive, acne-prone, combination skin with concerns about anti-aging, barrier strength, texture, hydration, and brightness.

The staff has asked two important clarifying questions:

1. What mixing tools do you have, and can you use heat (hot process) or do you need a cold process formulation?
2. Could you describe the moisture level of your skin in more detail (e.g., oily T-zone, dry cheeks, overall normal)?

Knowing the answers to these questions will help provide more specific recommendations for both the ingredients and the cream base.

Regarding your proposed ingredient list:
You have included many excellent ingredients known for their benefits in barrier repair, soothing, hydration, and anti-aging, such as Panthenol, Centella, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Ceramides, Cholesterol, Allantoin, Japanese Cedar, and Reservoir Tech. These align well with your goals for strengthening the skin barrier and soothing sensitivity.

However, the list is quite extensive, and some ingredients are included at relatively high concentrations. For sensitive skin, a complex formula with many different active extracts can increase the risk of irritation or unexpected reactions.

• Witch Hazel (10%): Even alcohol-free, 10% is a high concentration and could potentially be drying or irritating for sensitive skin over time.
• Ginseng (5%) and White Tea (5%): These are high concentrations for botanical extracts and could be stimulating or irritating for sensitive skin.
• Onion Extract (2%): While beneficial, it could also potentially cause irritation in sensitive individuals.
• Copper Peptide (3%): GHK-Cu is typically effective at much lower concentrations (e.g., 0.1-1%). Using 3% might not provide additional benefits and could potentially be irritating or affect formula stability.

Recommendations for Ingredients:

• Simplify: Consider reducing the number of botanical extracts. You might achieve similar benefits with fewer ingredients, reducing the risk of irritation and simplifying the formulation process. Perhaps focus on Centella, Bifida Ferment Lysate, and Japanese Cedar for soothing and barrier support, and select one or two key antioxidants/anti-aging extracts if desired, at lower concentrations.
• Adjust Concentrations: Lower the concentration of Witch Hazel, Ginseng, White Tea, and Copper Peptide.
• Vitamin C: Adding Vitamin C for brightening is a good idea, but for sensitive skin, it's best to use a stable, gentle derivative like Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, or Ascorbyl Glucoside, rather than L-Ascorbic Acid, which requires a low pH that can irritate sensitive skin. You could consider adding a derivative at a suitable concentration (e.g., 1-3% for SAP/MAP, 2-5% for Ascorbyl Glucoside).

Recommendation for Cream Base:
The choice of cream base (emulsifier and thickeners) is crucial for achieving the desired texture (soft, non-sticky, fast-absorbing, non-greasy). Different bases work with different mixing methods (hot vs. cold process) and yield different textures.
To recommend a suitable base, we need to know:

1. Whether you can use heat for mixing (hot process) or need a cold process method.
2. More details about your skin's moisture level (as asked by the staff).

Once you provide the information requested by the staff, we can offer more specific guidance on adjusting your ingredient list and recommending a suitable cream base to achieve your desired night cream for sensitive skin.