Formulation Issue Analysis

Based on the ingredients and the issue you encountered, the problem likely lies in the interaction between Magnesium Sulfate in Part A and the Silky Serum Base Plus in Part B.

Here's a breakdown of what happened and how to fix it:

Your formulation uses Silky Serum Base Plus, which is a base designed to create a serum texture by coordinating water and oil/silicone phases. Its composition (Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone) suggests it functions as a water-in-silicone or water-in-oil emulsifier system.

You added Magnesium Sulfate to your water phase (Part A). Magnesium Sulfate is an electrolyte (a salt). Many emulsifiers, particularly those used in water-in-silicone or water-in-oil emulsions, are sensitive to electrolytes. When you added Part A (containing Magnesium Sulfate) to Part B (containing the Silky Serum Base Plus and Dimethicone), the electrolytes from the Magnesium Sulfate likely disrupted the structure that the Silky Serum Base Plus was trying to form or maintain, causing the emulsion to break and the mixture to become thin and watery instead of thickening into a serum.

The description for Magnesium Sulfate explicitly states it's "not suitable/should not be used in formulas oil-in-water" and is commonly used in water-in-oil formulas as an emulsion stabilizer. While the Silky Serum Base Plus description mentions adding Magnesium Sulfate for stability in one example formula, it suggests adding it at the last step after the base has formed a texture, not pre-mixing it in the water phase.

Recommended Solutions

To achieve the desired serum texture, you should adjust your method based on the likely incompatibility of pre-mixing Magnesium Sulfate in the water phase:

1. Option 1: Omit Magnesium Sulfate (Simplest Approach)

   • If the primary purpose of the Magnesium Sulfate was not critical for a specific function other than potentially stability (which it hindered in this case), the easiest solution is to remove it from your Part A.
   • Mix Part A (Water, Lift-Now, Wrinkle-Lax, Safe-B3, GlucoBright, Preservative) thoroughly.
   • Mix Part B (Silky Serum Base Plus, Dimethicone, MSH White) thoroughly.
   • Slowly add Part A to Part B while stirring continuously, as you did before. The serum base should now be able to form the correct texture without the electrolyte interference.

2. Option 2: Add Magnesium Sulfate at the End (If Magnesium Sulfate is Necessary)

   • Prepare Part A by mixing Water, Lift-Now, Wrinkle-Lax, Safe-B3, GlucoBright, and the Preservative. Do not add Magnesium Sulfate to Part A initially.
   • Prepare Part B by mixing Silky Serum Base Plus, Dimethicone, and MSH White.
   • Slowly add Part A (without Magnesium Sulfate) to Part B while stirring continuously until a uniform serum texture is formed.
   • In a separate small container, dissolve the Magnesium Sulfate in a minimal amount of water.
   • Slowly add the dissolved Magnesium Sulfate solution to the finished serum mixture while stirring continuously until fully incorporated. This follows the suggestion in the Silky Serum Base Plus description to add Magnesium Sulfate at the last step for stability.

Important Mixing Tip from Silky Serum Base Plus Description: When adding the water phase to the base, divide the water into several portions and add them little by little, stirring well after each addition before adding the next portion. Avoid adding a large amount of water at once, as this can make it harder for the base to form the desired texture.

By addressing the interaction between Magnesium Sulfate and the Silky Serum Base Plus, you should be able to successfully create your serum formulation with the correct viscosity.