Troubleshooting Homemade Gel Formula: Allergy, Clogged Pores, and Texture Issues

Hello. I understand your concern about experiencing allergic reactions after using the product. It's difficult to pinpoint the exact ingredient causing the allergy in a multi-ingredient formula, as everyone's skin reacts differently. Based on the staff's previous advice to try removing Acne Bee and Mahad Extract first, as Acne Bee is oil-based and Mahad Extract is highly concentrated, this is a good starting point for testing. Further recommendations: 1. Stop using on the affected area immediately: The most important thing is to stop applying the gel to the areas with rash, around the mouth, or darkened lips. Allow the skin in these areas to recover. 2. Consider patch testing (if possible): If you want to identify the exact cause, you could try making new formulas excluding one suspected ingredient at a time, or try applying highly diluted suspected ingredients (like Acne Bee, Mahad Extract) to a small area of your forearm to observe the reaction (Patch Test). However, performing a self-administered Patch Test requires caution. 3. Try a formula without Acne Bee and Mahad Extract: Following the staff's suggestion, try making the original formula but exclude Acne Bee 5% and Mahad Extract 5%. Add plain water to make up the remaining 10% to reach 100%. Then, try using this new formula on areas other than around the mouth/lips to see if the allergic reaction still occurs. * If the reaction disappears, it indicates you might be allergic to either Acne Bee or Mahad Extract, or both. * If the reaction persists, you may need to consider reducing or removing other ingredients one by one, such as Green Tea Extract (although removed from the latest formula, it was 10% in the previous one, which is quite high), Vitamin B3, or NAG, etc. 4. Regarding small clogged pores and stickiness: Small clogged pores might be due to the product texture not being suitable for your skin or certain ingredients that can cause clogging. Stickiness might be related to the type and amount of the gelling agent (Pro Polymer) or other ingredients. The staff recommended increasing Pro Polymer to 1.5-2.0% to address the softening caused by Zinc PCA, which might also help with the stickiness. However, the rash/darkening around the mouth/lips seems to be a more severe reaction and should be addressed first. While it's a shame to waste the product, your skin health is the most important thing. If adjusting the formula still results in allergic reactions or you are unsure, you should stop using it and consult a dermatologist.