Hair Serum Formulation Assistance

Thank you for sharing your hair serum formulation and the issue you encountered.

You observed a white precipitate forming when you added Biotinyl-GHK to your mixture of Water, Pure-EGCG™, Niacinamide, Pisum Sativum Extract, Natural Moisturizing Amino Acids, and Panthenol.

Cause of Precipitation

The most likely cause of the white precipitate is an incompatibility or interaction between Biotinyl-GHK (a peptide) and one or more of the other ingredients in the mixture, particularly Pure-EGCG™. Pure-EGCG™ has low solubility in water and is a polyphenol. Peptides can sometimes interact with polyphenols, leading to the formation of insoluble complexes that appear as precipitation. While pH can also cause peptides to precipitate (at their isoelectric point), the immediate precipitation upon addition suggests a direct interaction is more probable in this case.

How to Fix the Precipitation

To troubleshoot and potentially resolve this issue, you can try changing the order of addition:

1. Combine Distilled Water, Niacinamide, Pisum Sativum Extract, Natural Moisturizing Amino Acids, and Panthenol. Mix until dissolved and homogeneous.
2. Add Biotinyl-GHK to this mixture and mix gently until dissolved. Observe if precipitation occurs at this stage.
3. If no precipitation occurs in step 2, then add Pure-EGCG™ (which may need to be dispersed in a small amount of water first) to the mixture and mix well. See if precipitation occurs now.

If precipitation occurs when Biotinyl-GHK is added (step 2), the issue might be the overall pH of the mixture or a combined effect of the other ingredients. You could try checking the pH of the mixture before adding Biotinyl-GHK and adjusting it to around 5.5, which is a good pH for hair and scalp and generally compatible with your ingredients (Niacinamide, Panthenol, Natural Moisturizing Amino Acids are stable in the 4-7 range).

If precipitation occurs when Pure-EGCG™ is added (step 3), it strongly suggests an interaction between Biotinyl-GHK and Pure-EGCG™. This specific interaction can be challenging to avoid completely without modifying the formula or potentially using a different form of EGCG if available.

Adding Adenosine Liposome

Regarding your question about adding Adenosine Liposome, yes, you can include it in your formula.

• Compatibility: Adenosine Liposome is stable in formulations with a pH range of 3.5-6.5. The other ingredients in your formula (Niacinamide, Panthenol, Natural Moisturizing Amino Acids) are generally compatible with a pH in this range (specifically 4-7 for Niacinamide and Panthenol, 6-7 for Natural Moisturizing Amino Acids). By targeting a final pH of around 5.5 for your hair serum, you should be within the stable range for all these ingredients, including Adenosine Liposome.
• Mixing: Adenosine Liposome is a liquid dispersion. It should be dispersed in the water phase of your formula. Ensure the water phase is within the 3.5-6.5 pH range when adding it.
• Storage: Please note that Adenosine Liposome should be stored in the refrigerator (6-8°C) for long-term stability.

You can add Adenosine Liposome after all other water-soluble ingredients have been incorporated and the pH is adjusted.

Remember to perform stability testing on your final formulation to ensure there is no separation or precipitation over time.