Review of Oil Serum Formulation and Ingredient Compatibility

Subject: Review of Oil Serum Formulation for Anti-Aging, Brightening, and Moisturizing

Hi Su,

Thank you for sharing your oil serum formulation for review. It targets anti-aging, brightening, and moisturizing for combination skin.

Regarding your questions:

1. Do active ingredients need to be oil-soluble? Yes, for a stable oil serum (which is an anhydrous, or water-free, formulation), the active ingredients and other components must be soluble or dispersible in the oil phase. Water-soluble ingredients will not dissolve properly and can lead to separation or instability in the product.

2. Should other ingredients be added? Let's look at your current list:

   • Fractionated Coconut Oil: Excellent base oil for an oil serum, suitable for combination skin.
   • Oil Thick™ Clear: An effective thickener for oil phases.
   • Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate): A good oil-soluble antioxidant and moisturizer.
   • WhiteCumin™ (Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane): An oil-soluble active for brightening and antioxidant benefits.
   • Mild Preserved Eco: A suitable preservative blend that works in oil systems.

   However, the ingredient Hydro Protein (Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein) is typically water-soluble. Including a water-soluble ingredient like this in an oil-based serum will likely cause the product to separate or become cloudy and unstable over time.

   Recommendation: I strongly recommend removing the Hydro Protein from this oil serum formulation. If you wish to include protein-based or other moisturizing/skin-conditioning ingredients, you would need to find oil-soluble alternatives, or consider formulating a different type of product (like an emulsion) that can incorporate both oil-soluble and water-soluble ingredients.

   The current oil-soluble actives (Vitamin E, WhiteCumin) are suitable for your goals. If you want to enhance the anti-aging or brightening effects further, you could consider adding other oil-soluble actives, but ensure they are compatible and stable in the formulation. However, addressing the Hydro Protein issue is the priority for stability.

In summary, the formula has good potential, but the Hydro Protein is likely incompatible. Focus on oil-soluble ingredients for an oil serum.

Hope this helps!

Best regards,
Gemini