Serum Formulation for Sensitive Skin: Acne, Brightening, and Hydration

Ingredient Recommendations for Sensitive Skin Serum

I understand you're looking to create a serum that addresses multiple skin concerns, including acne, oiliness, strengthening the skin barrier, gentle exfoliation, DNA repair, brightening, hydration, and plumping, specifically for sensitive skin. Combining various ingredients in a formula requires knowledge of compatibility, stability, and appropriate pH levels, which can be quite complex. However, I can certainly recommend key ingredients that meet your needs and are suitable for sensitive skin.

Here are some ingredient types and specific product names that would be beneficial for your serum:

• For Gentle Exfoliation: I recommend the PHA (Polyhydroxy Acid) group, which has larger molecules than AHAs, resulting in less irritation and making them suitable for sensitive skin. Examples include Malt-Exfo™ (Maltobionic acid) or Natural PHA (Gluconolactone). These ingredients help exfoliate dead skin cells, revealing smoother skin, while also helping to retain moisture and providing antioxidant benefits.
• For Acne, Oiliness Control, Barrier Support, and Brightening: Safe-B3™ (Vitamin B3, Niacinamide) is a multi-functional ingredient that addresses several concerns. It helps reduce acne inflammation and facial oiliness, stimulates the production of ceramides and collagen in the skin, strengthening the skin barrier, reducing water loss, and keeping the skin hydrated. It also helps reduce redness and dark spots, leading to a brighter complexion.
• For Skin Barrier Repair and Hydration: Ceracare™ Liposome-3 (Liposome Ceramide Complex, 3 Types) is a ceramide complex in liposome form that helps reinforce the skin barrier structure, reducing water loss and making the skin stronger and more resistant to irritants. It also provides deep hydration to the skin.
• For DNA Repair: Repair Activator™ WS (Bifida Ferment Lysate) is an extract from Bifida Ferment Lysate fermentation that helps stimulate the skin's DNA repair process when damaged by UV light, resulting in stronger and more youthful-looking skin.
• For Hydration and Plumping: 4D Hyaluronic Acid is a blend of hyaluronic acids with different molecular sizes that helps replenish and retain moisture in all layers of the skin, making the skin look plump, elastic, and smoother.

Considerations for Formulation:

• It's advisable to start with lower concentrations of active ingredients, especially if your skin is very sensitive.
• Always perform a patch test on a small area of skin before applying the serum to your entire face.
• When combining multiple ingredients, consider their compatibility and the appropriate overall pH level of the formula. This may require adjusting the pH using acid/base adjusters.
• Some ingredients, such as Perfect-C™ (Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate), which is an oil-soluble Vitamin C effective for brightening, should not be used with Niacinamide in the same formula and have pH restrictions for mixing. If you are already using Niacinamide for its multiple benefits, it might be better to use Niacinamide as the primary brightening agent instead of this form of Vitamin C to keep the formula less complex and reduce the potential for irritation.

Choosing these ingredients will help you create a serum with properties that meet your needs for sensitive skin.