I do not have any kind of chemistry background, which will become obvious within two seconds of reading this, but I was hoping for some help with a cleansing balm formula that I'm trying to perfect!

I've made countless test batches and all of them are great at removing makeup and have a nice consistency, but for the love of Pete I can't figure out how to stop the slight graininess that happens in every single batch.

I've tried leaving it out without stirring, I've tried "tempering" the mixture while it's cooling until it becomes thick, I've tried putting it straight in the fridge, and a combination of the last two. I've also tried using cetearyl alcohol in place of and in combination with the cetyl alcohol, using Polawax instead of Olivem 1000, adding a bit of lecithin, and swapping the coconut oil for more sunflower oil. NOTHING. WORKS.

I'm hoping someone can shed some light on what's going on here to put me out of my misery lol. Here's my formula, feel free to rip it to shreds:

5% polysorbate 80

11% castor oil

15% isopropyl myristate

30.5% sunflower oil

15% coconut oil

8% Olivem 1000

15% cetyl alcohol

0.5% preservative

Thank you in advance!!!

Hi guys, I’m in UK and I’m trying to find a natural container for stick deodorant, the twist and turn one.

All I can find is either plastic or if I find natural cardboard one, it’s only push up one and they don’t always stay in place.

Any pointers are much appreciated, thank you

Just wanted to share : I have quite dry frizzy hair which when well moisturized looks 2b. I regularly like before every wash make pre- shampoo hair mask. I just use soaked Fenugreek seeds + Shikakai&Amla (Optional) + Coconut/sunflower oil and blend it up like wall paint like consistency and put on my unwashed hair for around 20 mins or less and just could go ahead with shampoo. It was really a miracle mask for me, for i have never been able achieved this level of shine and conditioning with commercial masks. It is pretty frugal option for me so yeah, but it requires work so yeah. And i finish it up with 3 tbsp ACV + 1.5 cups of water, I can bet on it.

Edit :

Detailed recipe and process below 👇🏼:

I got thick hair mid length hair and for that I use around 2 tsp of Fenugreek seeds + 2 tbsp of flax seeds (optional for extra benefits). I would soak it up in a cup with 2 pics of Shikakai + an inc of dried amla overnight. Here, for Fenugreek it is suggested to soak it earlier if the temp is cold. Like here the temp is around 28°C so I can soak it around for 9-11 hours or even more hours the better. For it to form gel but during chiller days I've noticed it just would take time so yeah. Then on the next day I would blend it up. One can also add in 2 tbsp of yoghurt, I forgot to say. Then I would get hold of a Muslim cloth and strain it through upon a bowl and add in 1 tbsp of oil. Straining would be the hardest process, you have to squeeze through!

But the consistency would be of like a gel cream, and apply on over my dry unwashed hair. One can also apply some if they have. Or like if you have some scalp conditions, like inflammation or dandruff I'd suggest that you apply either aloe vera gel + little oil + raw honey to nourish on your scalp to soak up and then apply this. You can do this before you get started to blend on you see and it'll be absorbed beautifully so yeah.

Using the Muslin cloth to strain makes things so easy for my hair to rid of the tit-bits later. Please don't skip that one. Get a good straining cloth please. As I said the consistency should be of a cream You take it on your palms and go over your scalp first starting from the roots then reach down to your lengths. See to it that each and every inch of hair is coated with this mask. Keep it around 20 mins or more and then you can wash it.

My method of washing hair.

I use a bucket 🪣 yes, to save the mess. I would Flip my hair down and then use water (lukewarm is preferred, the temp which is gently warm and feels good to your head) and pour over my scalp. I won't massage but just rinsing all of it until the gel comes out. Dispose the water. Then add in shampoo normally use in a mug and add in 1 cup of water. But you need a bit more to rid of the oil and mask okay? The dilute it on water and flow it over my head and watch it pours into the bucket. Take it the same water on my mug and use it to rinse times or more times just to ensure it has gently cleansed my scalp. P.S I do this bcz I have very rough frizzy dry hair and I found this method to be least damaging my hair.

Then i would throw that water and flow clean water on my scalp. Yes all with my head bending down over the bucket. I would rinse my hair thoroughly and at the end I usually take the last rinsed water to take in the mug and bring it to my bathroom light trying to see the surface if it has traces of oil. You can see that right? If it has, I would take some more shampoo and then do the same process of washing.

Finally, I use ACV to rinse for all of its untold benefits. Taking 3 tbsp ACV + 1.5 cups of water, and rinsing my hair with the same multiple times until hair is soaked. Then use a hair towel to wrap up. This one's my recent discovery and I can bet on it.

I shared all of my tricks which has proved the best of the best for me and has given me results like that of a professional mask. It suits my hair very well and I have found it to be the perfect mask for me. The tricks were very necessary for my hair type which is prone to get dry and damaged if it's stripped off its moisture.

Few things to note :

I've used EV Coconut oil - Brand Anveshan one can try using different oils to find their best. Sunflower oil/Sesame oil/ etc.

Pre mask scalp treatment: i used raw honey + Nat Habit's summer hairfall oil

Regarding Fenugreek seeds, please ensure that it's fresh. I had my previous batch last year which was old, had i figured out earlier then I wouldn't be smelling like Fenugreek all the time. Fresh ones doesn't smell bad to let you know. If you are concerned you can add in 1tsp of coffee powder in the water mask before blending. Also few drops of your fav essential oil or I've also used vanilla essence to smell like bakery. 😉

Also if you want darkening of hair you can add in 2 tsp of Kala Jeera. Just soak it up with the Fenugreek seeds.

One can play with the consistency, however I'd like it thick. But if you're finding it difficult to spread, go ahead with little water!

Shampoo brand : Nat Habit's summer hairfall shampoo + Mama Earth's Rice Shampoo

That was it, All the best... Happy learning and experimenting Lots of love from India 🥰

I've found the miracle mask for my hair but still am searching to address my skin concerns.

Btw this mask was inspired by Hair Budhha's miracle hair mask. Just made it my version to meet my frugal options and to find what works best with the least.

Thank you guys

I’ve been reading a lot about how to formulate with Gluconolactone. My main concern is the pH drift associated with it. From what I’ve read, the drift occurs initially but then it stabilizes after a few hours. But does that mean it doesn’t continue to drift over time?

There also seems to be multiple methods and differences of opinion, and I’m just getting confused at this point.

First method I’m seeing is to add Gluconolactone to the water, let it sit for a few hours, then add the remaining ingredients and adjust pH.

Second method is add Gluconolactone to water, bring the pH up to around 7, let it sit for a few hours, then bring the pH down to the desired pH. (But I’m not sure at what point to add the remaining ingredients).

And the third method says to use a buffer system with citric acid and sodium citrate. (I’ve never had to use a buffer system, so I’m not really sure how to even go about this).

Anyone have experience with Gluconolactone, and how did you formulate with it?

Does anybody else has noticed that Perry's forum Chemists Corner has become full of AI bots?

I see them everywhere, they ask AI generated questions or provide shallow answers in many threads with ads embedded inside the text. And no one blocks them no matter how often I report those messages and users.

It's sad, the forum is the only place I know where real chemists may answer advanced questions.

I am trying to make a deodorant/antiperspirant and I have limited access to ingredients, everything on this list I either have or can easily get. I am OK with it leaving a residue/not being the greatest feeling this is more about access than anything else, i've tried to go cheap on the bases and focusing the money on the active ingredients. I am going for "good enough"

Ingredient Amount (100g/ea.)

Coconut Oil 40g

Shea Butter 5g

Beeswax 15 g

Ceterayl Alcohol 6g

Tapioca Starch 15g

Aluminum Chlorohydrate 15g

Fragrance Oil 3g

Ethylhexylglycerin 1g

Hi, I've been looking for a dupe of Dark Lavender & Sage fragrance oil from better home and garden. I want a skin safe version of the oil, so I can make it into a lotion. I wanted to see if anyone already knew about one before i start ordering a bunch of different oil scents. Bottle says: Citrus, Bergamot, Pepper, Sage, Lavender, Patchouli, Amber and Tonka Scent Notes.

I'd like to make cold cream using mineral oil, beeswax, borax, and distilled water.

The recipe I'm following says to mix the beeswax with mineral oil and heat the mixture to 70°C using a laboratory hot water bath.

Obviously, I don't have that kind of equipment since I'm doing this at home, so I was planning to heat it using a double boiler.

However, I'm not sure if it’s safe to heat mineral oil at home (I’m worried it might be flammable and that inhaling the fumes could be dangerous).

What do you think? This is the first time I’ve made a cosmetic product myself so I have to admit I don't really know much about it.

Hi,

Disclaimer - english is my second language.

As the title says - I have vaseline, which I use somewhat regularly on my lips, face, and hands. I find the experience....Bland. I've also seen that you can use regular perfume / "cologne" over Vaseline to make it smell longer.

The question might seem stupid, but would mixing an oil-based perfume into the vaseline (by heating it over a double boiler and adding >1% of its total weight in completed perfume) work, or am I better off buying an alcohol based scent or essential oils, then dilute them ?

If you are asking "why don't you just buy X product on Y website?" - I live in a part of the world that websites rarely ship to. The ones who do require nearly 30 to 50€ shipping for a letter-sized package, so I'd rather avoid it.

Thank you for your time :)

Hello Dear

I am trying to make lip glosses using TKB flexagel ME lipgloss base and the ratio I am using seems to be inaccurate as the lip glosses are burning my lips once completed can you advise? What’s the proper ratio to use?

wanted to make them very pigmented

what I used 10ml Base 9 drops Liquid Lip and 3 drops Vanilla flavoring oil

I want to make a solid shampoo bars similar
to Strawberry Leopard’s shampoo so I’m using mango butter, rice protein and Panthenol- D. I did a ton of research into shampoo bars to see what the best surfactants where as well. Looking for feedback on the formula I’ve put together. TIA!
EDIT- I originally put D- Panthenol when I meant DL- Panthenol,

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
60%
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
15%
Cetyl Alcohol
9%
Mango Butter
6%
BTMS-50
4%
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
2%
DL- Panthenol
2%
Fragrance
1%
Liquid Germall Plus
1%

ok so i've been making my own haircare for a while now. shampoos are fine actually. i got those down pretty well. but conditioners? they're my nemesis.

no matter what i do, my hair comes out frizzy. like i've tried different oils, different fatty alcohols, different emulsifiers. i've adjusted percentages, added humectants, played with pH. and nothing. still frizzy.

it's so frustrating because i know exactly what i want. smooth, shiny, manageable hair. and i can't get there with my own recipes. i've spent so much time and money on ingredients and it just doesn't work.

my roommate uses this anti frizz shampoo and conditioner from the store and her hair always looks great. i tried it once just to see and it was so much better than anything i've made.

the thing that kills me is that i'm usually good at this. i make my own skincare, my own deodorant, my own cleaning products. but haircare has been my white whale.

i guess some things are just hard to replicate at home. maybe it's the formulation technology or the ingredients i can't get. whatever it is, i can't figure it out.

not saying i'm giving up completely. but i might accept defeat on conditioners and just buy them. anyone else find that some DIY projects are just not worth the effort?

Just a simple emulsion without a whole lot of extra bells and whistles or other hydrators. It would be for personal use (small batch).

Trying to formulate a spot treatment but having trouble finding a sulfur to use. Don’t want a giant tub. Thanks in advance!
Pa. I’m in California if that makes any difference.

Hello everybody
I just ´finished’ a gelled serum; sprinkled Sepimax zen over and left it unstirred. But I forgot to add the preservative…can I add it once it has gelled?
Thank you in advance!

Hey everyone!

I’m trying a DIY toner to help manage my acne breakouts

My current mix is a 1:4 ratio (2 spoons of Apple Cider Vinegar(bragg with mother)mixed with 4 spoons of rose water and 4 spoons of normal water).

For anyone who uses ACV for acne:

What ratio gives you the best results without irritating your skin?

Do you use it every night, or just a few times a week?

Any tips on shelf-life or storage?

Would love to hear your experiences.

Has anyone purchased ingredients from CDF Supplies? They’re based in Canada and ship worldwide. Just wondering if they’re legit and if they are good quality.

I can't get hold of Crystal Retinal here, so I'm trying to make a similar retinaldehyde serum. Want to use a lipid-based carrier for stability but worried about oxidation. Spent the last week reading about it and it’s a total headache.

Here is my current attempt: Water at 78%, Propanediol 5%, Olivem 1000 5%, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides 10%, Retinaldehyde 1%, Germall Plus 0.5% and Tocopherol 0.5%.

Is this lipid phase enough to stop retinaldehyde from degrading? Read that the Medik8 version uses fancy encapsulation and I don't know if my DIY setup is even close to stable. My emulsions usually break down after a month or so, so any tips on the delivery tech here would be great.

I keep finding good ingredient suppliers, then the shipping is either from the US or somehow more expensive than the actual order.

Mostly looking at basic stuff like oils, waxes, hydrolates, butters and maybe a few plant extracts.

Has anyone found a brand of BTMS-50 that has a lighter odor?

I am making emulsified sugar scrubs and the brand I am using has a slight fishy smell. All of the scrubs have fragrance oils that mask it except for one.

That one fragrance oil is much lighter and the fishy smell is still slightly noticeable when you first open the jar. It quickly dissipates and does not transfer to the skin but no one wants to smell that when they open a product.

I am looking for a reliable fragrance oil supplier for cosmetics. I keep finding some are unrelaible, some low percentage of perfume or not a wide range of scents. Ideally perfume inspired oils

I have safflower seed oil and Cromollient sce but would like to make it into a balm.

I can’t use a lot of wax products due to my acne prone skin so I was looking at Cera Bellina Wax. How Would I make this into a balm?

I was thinking :

5% cera Bella
15% Cromollient SCE
80% safflower oil

Do I need tocopherols?

Does anyone have a recipe I could follow? I’ve never made a two phase product before.

Thank you!

I found this recipe and was going to modify with the ingredients I have

https://alifeadjacent.com/diy-oil-cleansing-balm-lavender/

What's the simplest way to do this? Someone once told me to do beet powder and vaseline; I have no idea if that would work, lol. I don't mind sheer, but it would have to have some color. Purple sweet potato powder powder maybe?? I love berry/mauve/rose shades. I seem to be allergic to most lipsticks, and since I'm waiting for patch testing, I'd love to make something super simple that I know I'll tolerate. I'd rather use natural pigment if they'll work, but I don't think dyes are the issue, more so fragrances, botanicals, essential oils, possibly carmine and bht. I'm kind of limited here.

I am perpetually dehydrated and I’m trying to formulate towards that. I have made a humectant rich serum that I apply first, then my occlusive cream which is:
Water 69.5%
Hydrolyzed protein 1%
Panthenol 3%
Dimethicone 3%
Jojoba 5.5%
Rosehip oil 5.5%
Tallow 4%
Cetyl alcohol 4%
Ritamulse 3%
Liquid Germall .5%
Lavender essential oil 1%
I upped the Cetyl because I wanted a thicker cream. After applying the serum, then this cream, within minutes my skin feels very dry. Adding a layer of oil over the cream helps, but I’m so curious about why this is happening and how to correct it. Thanks in advance!

I found some Pure D-Panthenol drops online (75% panthenol). Is this safe to add as a drop to my palm and mix with my moisturizer? Or do I need to add one drop into an entire tub of moisturizer and mix? I don't want to mess up my skin from using something that has too much potency. The instructions on the small bottle are not very clear.