Pillow Spray Formula Review: Solubility and Scent Longevity
คำถาม
Hello, please help review a pillow spray formula before ordering production. The formula is:
1. Essential Oil 2%
2. Witch Hazel 15%
3. Phenoxyethanol 1%
4. DI Water (balance)
Can Witch Hazel be used instead of Flora Solve Clear? And if I want the scent to last longer, should I add a fragrance fixative?
คำตอบ
Formula Review for Pillow Spray
Thank you for submitting your proposed pillow spray formula for review. Based on the ingredients and percentages provided:
- Essential Oil 2%
- Witch Hazel 15%
- Phenoxyethanol 1%
- DI Water (Balance)
Your formula is missing a crucial component: a Solubilizer. Essential oils (2%) are not soluble in water or Witch Hazel (which is mostly water). Mixing 2% essential oil into a base that is 97% water-based (15% Witch Hazel + 82% DI Water) will cause the mixture to separate, appear cloudy, or have the oil floating on top. This is undesirable for a spray product.
Regarding your specific questions:
Can Witch Hazel be used instead of Flora Solve Clear?
- No, they have different functions. Witch Hazel is a natural extract with astringent properties and serves as part of the water-based diluent in your formula. Flora Solve Clear, on the other hand, is a Solubilizer. Its purpose is to help essential oils or fragrances disperse and dissolve properly in water-based systems, resulting in a clear and stable product. You need a solubilizer like Flora Solve Clear to make the essential oil mix with the water/witch hazel base.
If I want the scent to last longer, should I add a fragrance fixative?
- Yes, you can add a fragrance fixative. Fragrance fixatives help reduce the evaporation rate of fragrance molecules, making the scent last longer. Adding a fragrance fixative to your pillow spray formula can help achieve a longer-lasting scent. However, adding it might require slight adjustments to the formula, potentially including the amount of solubilizer needed.
Summary and Recommendation:
Your proposed pillow spray formula needs to be adjusted by adding a Solubilizer like Flora Solve Clear to properly incorporate the essential oil into the water/witch hazel base.
If you wish for the scent to last longer, you can consider adding a fragrance fixative.
A typical water-based fragrance spray formula would include:
- Essential Oil/Fragrance Oil
- Solubilizer (e.g., Flora Solve Clear) - typically needed in a ratio greater than the oil/fragrance amount.
- Preservative (e.g., Phenoxyethanol)
- Base (e.g., DI Water, Witch Hazel, or a combination)
It is recommended to make a small test batch to adjust the solubilizer amount until the mixture is clear and stable.
การตอบกลับติดตาม
คำถาม:
I am interested in creating a pillow mist and would appreciate your review and suggestions for improving my current formula. What should I add or adjust in the following formulation?
Witch Hazel: 20 mlDistilled/RO Water: 29 mlEssential Oils: 25–30 drops (≈1 ml)Polysorbate 20orSolubol: 1 ml
คำตอบ:
Pillow Mist Formula Review
Thank you for sharing your pillow mist formula. It's great that you've included a solubilizer like Polysorbate 20 or Solubol, which is essential for mixing essential oils with water-based ingredients. Your current formula is:
- Witch Hazel: 20 ml
- Distilled/RO Water: 29 ml
- Essential Oils: 25–30 drops (≈1 ml)
- Polysorbate 20 or Solubol: 1 ml
Recommendations for Improvement
While this formula is a good start, we recommend adding a preservative to ensure the stability and safety of your product, especially since it contains water. Without a preservative, your pillow mist could become contaminated with bacteria or mold over time.
1. Add a Preservative
We highly recommend adding Phenoxyethanol (Extra Pure) to your formula. It is a widely used and safe preservative for cosmetic products. Its typical usage rate is 0.5-1.0% of the total formula. For your 51 ml formula (20ml Witch Hazel + 29ml Water + 1ml Essential Oil + 1ml Solubilizer), this would be approximately 0.25 ml to 0.5 ml of Phenoxyethanol.
- Phenoxyethanol (Extra Pure) is effective against bacteria, though it's often combined with other preservatives for broad-spectrum protection against fungi. For a simple pillow mist, it should be sufficient.
2. Solubilizer Ratio
Ensure that the ratio of your solubilizer (Polysorbate 20 or Solubol) to essential oil is sufficient to create a clear, stable solution. While you have 1 ml of solubilizer to 1 ml of essential oil, some essential oils may require a higher ratio (e.g., 2-5 parts solubilizer to 1 part essential oil) to fully dissolve and prevent cloudiness or separation. It's best to test this in a small batch to find the optimal ratio for your specific essential oil blend.
- Polysorbate 20 is soluble in water and glycerin. For a clearer and more stable solution, especially if you encounter turbidity, you might consider Flora Solve™ Clear, which is designed for superior performance in solubilizing fragrances and essential oils in water-based systems.
3. Fragrance Fixative (Optional)
If you want the scent to last longer, you can consider adding a fragrance fixative. Products like AromaLock™ (Fragrance Encapsulation Service) can encapsulate fragrances, making them last longer and providing good water solubility. This is an advanced option for enhancing scent longevity.
Revised Formula Suggestion (Example)
Here's an example of how your formula could be adjusted:
- Witch Hazel: 20 ml
- Distilled/RO Water: 28.5 - 28.75 ml (adjust for preservative)
- Essential Oils: 1 ml
- Polysorbate 20 or Solubol: 1-5 ml (adjust based on testing)
- Phenoxyethanol (Extra Pure): 0.25 - 0.5 ml
Always perform a small test batch to ensure clarity, stability, and desired scent strength before scaling up production. You can find links to all mentioned products below this answer.
ผลิตภัณฑ์ที่เกี่ยวข้องที่กล่าวถึง
Phenoxyethanol (Extra Pure)
Flora Solve™ Clear (Fragrance Solubilizer)
Purified Water, TDS Limit 1PPM)
Polysorbate 20 (Tween 20)
