Serum Formulation Review

Based on the ingredients listed and the forum discussion, this serum formulation is generally usable and can help with skin brightening.

Key Considerations:

• For Oily Skin: As recommended in the forum, if the user has oily skin, it is advisable to reduce the concentration of Perfect-C™ (Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate) from 5% to 3%. This is because Perfect-C™ is oil-soluble, and a higher concentration might feel sticky on oily skin.
• Mixing Issues: The issue of undissolved particles or difficulty forming a smooth gel is likely due to the presence of Azelaic Acid (Liquid Azelaic™), which can interfere with the gel-forming ability of Pro Polymer™.
• Mixing Instructions: The recommended method to avoid this issue is to ensure very thorough mixing, potentially for 15-30 minutes, until the gel is completely smooth. Alternatively, for easier mixing, you can create the gel base with Pro Polymer™ and Distilled Water first, ensuring it is smooth, and then gradually add the Azelaic Acid (Liquid Azelaic™) while continuing to mix.
• Usability of Current Batch: If the current batch has now dissolved completely after continued mixing, it should be usable.
• Ingredient Compatibility: Note that Pure MSM™ (Methylsulfonylmethane) description mentions it is not suitable for use with Vitamin C (like Perfect-C™) in the same formula as it may cause Vitamin C to oxidize faster. While the forum discussion did not highlight this, it is a factor to consider for long-term stability, although the formula was deemed compatible for whitening effects.

Formula Ingredients:

• Perfect-C™ (Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate) 5% (adjust to 3% for oily skin)
• ODA-White Plus™ 2%
• Azelaic Acid (Liquid Azelaic™) 5%
• Phenoxyethanol SA (Optiphen Plus) 0.5%
• Pro Polymer™ (Gel Maker) 1.5%
• Methylsulfonylmethane (Pure MSM™) 3%
• Purified Water to 100%