Carotenoid rich facial cream

Nothing can cheer up your mood and pamper your skin by this gloomy weather like a nourishing and colourful facial cream.

This cream is much more complicated than my usual KISS formulations and consists of different phases. Since Dermofeel GSC palm oil free is a hot process emulsifier, I had to split my oil and water phase to hot and cold phases. 

I've added modified rice strach to this emulsion to improve the skin feel and absorption of the emulsion. Although it is rather a rich cream, it doesn't feel greasy, waxy or soapy over the skin. When incorporated correctly to the formulation, starch can even improve the stability of the emulsion.

Follow me through this tutorial to see how I made this uplifting carotenoid-rich emulsion.

Formulation:

Procedure:

1- Blend phases A,B, C and E in separate beakers.

2- For phase D, first dissolve aloe powder in the hydrosol. This is easily achieved with a spatula but a magnetic stirrer makes it much easier. After aloe powder is dissolved, disperse hyluron (oligo and low molecular weight) in the blend. Using a magnetic stirrer helps avoiding clumps. After all of the hyaluron is evenly dispersed, add the vegeluron

3- Heat phase A in a water bath between 75-80 ^oC. When everything is melted lower the temperature to 65-70 ^oC and put the beaker with phase B in the water bath.

4- When phase B has reached the same temperature, stop heating and add the oil phase to the water phase while stirring the water phase. A beautiful yellow/orange pre-emulsion is formed.

5- Homogenize this pre-emulsion for a few minutes. Then stir with a spatula or an overhead mixer.

6- Add phase C (cold oil phase) and continue stirring.

7- After a few minutes add phase D.

8- Now add the gum phase and stir further. After the gum phase is dispersed, you can homogenize the emulsion for a second time.

9- Continue stirring with a spatula or with an overhead mixer until the emulsion has cooled down.

10- Prepare a 10% dilution for pH measurement. In our case, the pH was about 4,5 and we increased the pH to 5,5 before adding the preservative (Versatil TBG).

11- Add the preservative, prepare another 10% dilution and measure again the pH. It should be between 5,2-5,5 (with this preservative). Adjust it with an acid or base if the pH is higher or lower than the desired range.

If you’re not comfortable yet with measuring and adjusting your pH, please refer back to these helpful blogposts:

https://skinchakra.eu/blog/archives/516-pH-measurement-in-cosmetic-lab-why-we-dilute-samples.html

and

https://skinchakra.eu/blog/archives/497-How-to-adjust-the-pH-of-your-cosmetic-products.html

12- Add the essential oils and blend.

13- Take your micro kit and stability samples and fill the rest in a suitable container. The viscosity is suitable for tubes, jars as well as emulsion bottles (airless or dispenser pump)

Enjoy the skin feel and the uplifting colour and scent.

BeHappy and have fun