I've been thinking about making a conditioner to compliment my shampoo, but after trying a bunch of them I'm not so sure.

Conditioner labels say things like " now with (oil name)! But my hair never feels how it's supposed to. My hair feels smooth, sure, but it doesn't take shape and can't be texturized without using additional products.

Am I getting the purpose of conditioner all wrong? I thought of it as something to bring back some of the oils and moisture that shampoo takes away, but it seems like it's just some sort of hair softener.

So that's when I tried to make a blend of oils and other ingredients to see how my hair would feel compared to conditioner. This definitely made it easier to shape, however the oils absorbed pretty well and made my hair a bit greasy once thoroughly washed.

That brings me to the second part of my question, have any of you guys tried something like this and had it work well? I'd love to hear about your formulations or similar conditioners.

This is confusing AF.

I read the wiki page on emulsifiers but it's still super confusing.

I bought Adifyline from Lotioncrafters, and I simply want to add it to an oil.

The volume target is 2% so I assume that means "water in oil" emulsifier is needed?

But the wiki states nothing on this subject, and I also wouldn't have any idea how much emulsifier to use.

Can someone please break this down for me? Ideally I'd like the simplest solution, something I can just buy on my local Amazon.... It seems I can get Polysorbate 20 on my local Amazon but... no idea if that's what I need?

I do have DMSO, can I just use that??

What if I want to add it to a cream instead, like Shea butter? Would I need an emulsifier?

Hello Everyone 🩷 I want to make a body butter for the first time for myself and I want to use a small amount of ingredients. I want to use Kokum butter, mango butter and jojoba oil. I want a harder body butter since it's going to be summer soon and it's really hot where I'm at. I read to do a body butter one should start with 70:30 ratio. I'm not 100%, I'm a beginner and i just started learning. To be honest I have no clue I'm just reading as I go.

For the 70 (hard butters) /30(oils) ratio, I divide 70 by 2 to be 35% for each since I have 2 butters right? That i want to use. For the 30% would be jojoba oil? So for example I want to make an 8 oz jar body butter would it be 70% of 8 oz which is 5.6 Oz so it will be 2.8 Oz of kokum butter and 2.8 oz of mango butter. For 30% it will be 2.4 oz of jojoba oil. And for the fragrance if I would like to add I read it's either 1% or 2% max. so let's say if I want to add an essential oil or a fragrance 1% of 8 oz is 0.08 Oz of an essential oil can be added. If I want to add arrowroot powder how do I calculate how much to add in case I feel is greasy since I've never made one before? Please let me know if my calculations are right. If I'm even doing it right! I'm just going based on what I am reading. I'm not sure if I'm correct. Any book recommendations blogs or YouTube videos you recommended to learn would be really appreciated if you have any to share. Thank you so much for your guidance. 🩷🩷🩷🩷

hi! i am going to test my first whipped body butter and give to my family and friends are the ingredients below okay? i want it to be fluffy and lightweight .. and when should i put the mica?

50% shea butter
23% mango butter
5% btms50
10% jojoba oil
10% rosehip oil
1% vitamin e
1% fo

I'm looking to make my own lipsticks, partly for fun, partly because I'm frustrated at not being able to find colours that suit my skin tone because all the local makeup stores cater to light skinned people.

I ordered a black oxide from one listing, was kind of surprised at how little the quantity was, 3 grams for >$3

Anyone know of anywhere I can buy some matte pigments (not micas) without having to deal with horrifying shipping prices? I see a couple of listings for oxide pigments meant for colouring concrete, I'm not sure that they're lip safe.

Or if anyone knows of a physical store in the country, that'd work too!

Has anyone bought from the Fromualtor shop (not formualtor sample shop) and myskinrecipes? Like are they legit?

Hey everyone, I made aloe vera gel but it's really watery and thus a little hard to apply, does anyone have any tips on how to thicken it up a little so that I'm not making a mess every time I want to use a little? Also does anyone have any storage tips? I currently have it sealed in 3 glad jars in my fridge! I've been using it on my face and hair if that's relevant

Hey! I have made my moisturizer using all natural ingredients like Olivem 1000, beeswax, shea butter, avocado butter and other ingredients, although the texture is amazing for a couple of days, after a few days, the cream when applied to the body feels normal in the beginning of the application, but towards the end, it feels like I am applying water on my skin. Can something be done to correct this?

Hi, I live in Lisbon, Portugal. I am looking for a place (physical/ Online) to buy the raw cosmetics ingredients for my personal use.

I want to make a homemade shampoo. I am struggling with finding one of the main ingredients which is (Coco Glucoside), it's a surfactant and cosurfactant used to make shampoo. Or a substitution to it like (Decyl Glucoside).

I found no place in Portugal i can get this ingredient from in small quantities like 1L maximum. Most of the places I have to ship it from abroad and pay double the price.

Anyone can help or know where can I find a retail supplier/ store where i can buy this product and maybe more similar products?

Hey everyone, recently did a buzz cut and want to take care of my hair from now. Planning to make my own oil mixing

Castor Oil

Rosemary Oil

Coconut Oil

And Evion Vitamin E capsules. Can someone help me out with the ratios? It's quite confusing, what should it be for say 100ml of coconut oil?

I've been interested in making some unusual colored lip stains, and I'd previously assumed (and looking at other formulas like Humblebee and Me seemingly confirmed) that the staining power came from lake dyes. I mean, they're literally dying your skin, right? That's the stain? But I recently purchased some of Sunset Makeup's dark colored stains (black, brown, and purple), and I don't see any dyes in their ingredients list, just various iron oxides. I didn't think iron oxides stained the skin, though? Was I wrong about iron oxides, is Sunset Makeup lying about their ingredients, or am I missing something else that makes these stains... stain?

https://imgur.com/a/O05J45p
My initial formulation for 100 g:

Water Phase:
65% water,
10% glycerin, .
.2% regular xantham gum

Oil Phase:
2.6% glyceryl stearate PEG-100 stearate,
14% MCT Oil,
2% shea butter,
5% cetyl alcohol,

Cool down: 2% demithicone

Process: I put the xantham gum in glycerin and mix to a slurry. Then I combine it with the water. I put water and oil in hot bath. Then I mix with an emulsion blender. I even bought the expensive bamix pro g200 with immersion blender, kept it submerged in beaker whole time, and did short bursts.

Can someone help me with my formulation or process? I've done over 15 versions, with different glycerin, xantham gum, emulsifier, cetyl alcohol percentages but can't seem to make it look as smooth or professional as professional lotions. From far away it looks nice but when I put it on my finger, it doesn't look good. Is it because they are using professional equipment and homogenizers?

How can I recreate this honey oil leave in at home?

I'm look into creating my own version of a honey oil leave in similar to Camille Roses honey leave in. However, I'm looking at the ingredient list and I'm not sure how the honey would mix with an oil blend.

Here's the ingredient list:

Full Ingredients

Propanediol (Zemea), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Honey (Mel), Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Vaccinium Myrtillus (Bilberry) Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugarcane) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Black Tea Extract, Curcumin, Phenoxyethanol (Optiphen ND), Caprylyl Glycol, and Phthalate-Free Fragrance

Honey would be water soluble and hard to mix into oils without an emulsifier or am I wrong? Does it mix well with mosty olive oil or any other oil in particular If I needed an emulsifier for water-in-oul mix would sorbitan oleate work for honey?

I just want the moisturizing effect of the honey with my own blend of oils. This is the best leave in I've tried and it's a bit pricey for how much I need to use weekly, $15 for 8 oz i think. If I could figure out how to mix the honey with oil, I could create a larger amount to keep around the house.

Also, which preservative would be best that's no the phenoxyethanol and ethylhexylglycerin listed?

So I forgot the anionic product I am trying to dupe has an anionic emulsifier and I can't tell if these are the same, because the inci is switched around.

Benchmark product-Aqua, Propylene Glycol , Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric
Triglyceride, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Lactic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea)
Butter, Triethanolamine, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Dicetyl Phosphate, Salicylic Acid, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Niacinamide, Buddleja Davidii Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Gluconolactone, Octadecenedioic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice , Centella Asiatica Extract, Ceramide
NP, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-49, Phospholipids, Retinal, Ascorbic Acid, Squalane, Panthenol, Allantoin, Olive Glycerides,
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pantolactone, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol,
Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

CCrofados CES -

Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Dicetyl Phosphate (and) Ceteth-10 Phosphate

On the bench mark products clinical studies inci list they listed the inci how Crofados CES does it, so I am confused. Anyone know if they are the same emulsifier and if so why they would switch the inch around?

I had inquired about the Canadian labeling requirements for turmeric hydrosol, after distilling 100 ml at home (difficult to get a larger yield without professional equipment). Unfortunately, a member of this s/r challenged me, trolled my account, and commented, “I don’t believe you. Stick to injecting your own filler.” FWIW, I’m much better with Botox than I am filler, but that’s an aside. Not wanting to feed this member’s insecurities and negativity, I simply deleted the post. I believe I’ve obtained the correct answer to what I was asking, regardless.

But, I later realized there is at least one person (and potentially more) who doesn’t realize how easy it is to make hydrosol at home. I wouldn’t use such a hydrosol in commercial products, but it’s handy to know how to do for home use.

So, please refer to the following sources online. They all give pretty much the same instructions, but at least there’s a variety to choose from. With everybody in the Northern hemisphere excited about their gardens, this is timely, as the possibilities are practically endless.

https://youtu.be/0MQ_Azxg6gU?si=3LC4JlRaD4XPgaMB

https://wholeelise.com/blog/diy-floral-waters-hydrosols/

https://www.cambridgenaturals.com/blog/make-your-own-hydrosol-for-summer#:~:text=It's%20surprisingly%20easy%20to%20make,lavender%2C%20rose%2C%20and%20frankincense.

https://www.planttherapy.com/en-ca/blogs/blog/hydrosols-101#:~:text=Very%20simply%2C%20a%20hydrosol%20is,volatile%20oils%20from%20the%20plant.

https://youtu.be/KlVUNQ0pfbE?si=1rsCPD5klE-Y9bw3

https://www.edensgarden.com/blogs/news/diy-how-to-make-a-hydrosol

https://nittygrittylife.com/how-to-make-a-hydrosol/

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Hydrosols

Should anybody want or need further resources, a simple Google search of “make hydrosol at home” will come up with myriad options. AI will give similar instructions.

Turmeric water is rich in antioxidants and a popular ingredient in Ayurveda. I’ll be using mine this weekend in an oat-based lotion. My partner’s skin gets really delicate with chemotherapy, which he’s about to undergo again. And, with all the flowers in bloom, eczema is abundant.

As for the incredibly rude member who challenged me, you’re welcome. I’m happy to have been able to teach you something - and I thought I was so new to the DIY cosmetics arena! I would encourage curiosity over a dubious nature and response, but to each their own.

Happy formulating and have a great weekend!

C

Good morning ! I hope all are doing well
I have a question...Some time ago I was using an oil for my hair that is very good but unfortunately is no longer available in my country; I guess because of lack of obtaining some raw materials. This oil, in its main ingredient contained cyclopentasiloxane as the main binder of the formula, and secondly dimeticone.Among other things, I found out the oils I had and looking for information,I obtained raw materials: olive oil and avocado oil for cosmetic use, plus a silicone oil, which is polydimethylsiloxane (pdms). According to the manufacturer, it is a variant of dimethicone and can be used for the purpose I want: to make my own oil mixture.
The thing is that, even with ventilation and wearing protection (gloves), I end up getting discomfort, not irritation, in my throat (respiratory). I understand that dimethicone and some variants, like the chemical I use, are not toxic and do not cause respiratory irritation or anything else. In fact, I contacted the manufacturer and he told me exactly the same thing. I don't understand or know what to do. The product seems good to me and I want to be able to use it, but it almost irritates my throat.
I ask for advice please, also to know if anyone has had this happen, if you have a retail supplier of any silicone for cosmetic use and also if you know if it is toxic to pets (as it is another factor that worries me). According to the manufacturer it would not be toxic but has no specific information).
Another thing: the product says "caution: when using solvents avoid heat": I don't understand that part. I understand that the oils are not solvents with this chemical, right? I mean, if I apply the mixture of this silicone + the chosen oils on the ends of my hair, and I dry it with a hairdryer, is it dangerous? is the steam emitted toxic?
Thank you very much

Hey guys,
I am new on this sub. Did not find the answer for my question so I am making a post.

I want to create a car/home fragrance for myself. Do you have some resource for beginners like me, what do I need to make a fragrance and all starter questions.

Thanks!

I just used Dr. Squatch to see how my soap compares to a popular one like theirs, and it was very similar in the cleaning part but Dr. Squatch smelled way better. Thing is, Dr. Squatch claims to be 98-100% natural, and when looking at their ingredients it says they used "Natural Fragrance". So what does this mean?

I bought the Wood Barrell Bourbon one. Is it just a blend of essential oils? How did they get it to smell like Bourbon?

Just not a supplier I've tried before and not sure if it'd be worth trying! The prices look pretty decent for the U.S.

Note: Apologies if this becomes a rather large post, I want to provide as much context as possible and avoid coming across like I've not done any research before posting!

Ingredients I'm Using

• Yellow Beeswax
• Shea Butter
• Jojoba Oil

Context

A while back I posted here about DIY beard wax not melting well, and the common consensus was my ratio of bees wax was too high and my carrier oil wasn't great.

Since then I've moved from Cocoa Butter to Shea Butter, and have swapped out Castor Oil for Jojoba Oil.

I've also reduced the ratio several times and something still isn't right.

The Problem

Whenever I try to use the DIY beard wax, it becomes very bitty in my hands.

In my latest attempt, I made a small batch of the following proportions:

• 2g Shea Butter
• 2g Jojoba Oil
• 1g Beeswax

My expectation was that the hold was not going to be what I wanted, but at least I would have a base to start from. But I had the same problem - I started rubbing it into my hands and the best way I can explain it was like the Shea Butter and Jojoba Oil melted and just left bits of beeswax unmelted.

There were small bits of beeswax all over my hands, which were really hard to melt, and ultimately left loads of bits in my beard as well (obviously I didn't manage to catch every bit on my hands).

Is it graininess?

So I did some reading and I found this article, which seems to fit what I'm experiencing:

most grainy beard butters and balms that are home-made or purchased online are a pain to some users, but they are still 100% OK to use; generally, they just require a bit more "elbow grease" to break down.

Now I'm wondering if it isn't that my ratios are wrong, but I'm doing something wrong in the "cooking".

My process

I've uploaded some pictures of what I'm using to imgur here, but here is my general process:

• Measure out each ingredient separately, using jewelry scales
• Put the ingredients in the glass bowl
• Put water in the sauce pan
• Put the glass bowl into the sauce pan, ensuring the water line sits just below (not touching)
• Turn the heat on very low and wait for all the ingredients to melt
• Pour the melted liquid into a pot
• Scrape the residue off the sides and put that into the pot as well
• Transfer the pot to the fridge and leave for a few hours
• Take pot out of the fridge and use the next morning

If anybody has any words of wisdom or feedback on what I'm doing wrong, I'd be most grateful.

Glycerin content was 80 - 70 % in PCS extract, so even if I add them to my product it would truly just mean adding glycerin. I want to skip glycerin as I want to increase the herbal extract content in my product without making it feel sticky.

I’ve made 10 different batches of 100g, testing different percentages of btms50, oil, etc and blending techniques. I’m using around 2.6% btms50 emulsifier, 15 % oil, .2% xantham gum, 15 g glycerin, 3 g cetyl alcohol,, 2 g dimethicone, and the rest water. Air bubbles aren’t too much an issue but my lotion keeps looking inconsistent vs store bought ones. Any initial thoughts?

https://imgur.com/a/LrHDGpj

Hi I’m seemingly new to all of this but I wanted to hear any success stories when it comes to making DIY volufinine. It is based from herbal extracts and I have seen some online tutorials, so it is possible to curate at home. I do worry about potency or if home made has simular results .

Anyone remember (Rachel Perry Lip Lover) lip balms? I'd post a pic if I could, but they were around forever but now discontinued. Although I'm not sure how accurate this is, but the ingredient list I could find is:

Lily White Gel, Paraffin, Beeswax, Panthenol (vitamin B), Aloe Vera Extract, Tocopherol (vitamin e), Shea Butter, Squalene (olive oil), Oils of Copaiba, Kukui Nut and Babassu, Octyl Methoxycinnamate (sunscreen), Safflower Oil, Soy Oil, Flavor

I'd like to recreate this, but I'm not going for a complete dupe either. Might make it a stick version instead.

What I'm curious about is the first ingredient, lily white gel. I'm only finding a glycerin plant extract.

I'm thinking this might have a Vaseline type consistency that makes up the base of the balm. I remember hearing about pomegranate (something??) that has similar properties to Vaseline, but I can't remember what it was exactly.

Any ideas on what lily white gel is, or an alternate ingredient?

link to pic

Chelating agents are negatively charged so that they can pick up positive heavy metal ions.

Both charcoal and clays are negatively charged which makes them suitable to act as chelating agents.

I have an aversion to use EDTA as it is synthesised from formaldehyde.

I know that clay can be tricky to preserve, so I'm thinking to store it separately and add it to the shampoo in shower. Is charcoal also difficult to preserve?

I have many examples of brand successfully using clay and/or charcoal with aqua and acids too! HOW? What make acid and clays to not react?

I am trying to recreate this mositruizer and I think I found the emulsifier but I'm not exactly sure, they are the same exact ingredients but listed different order in inci list. Are they the same?

Benchmark Product-

Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate , Paraffinum Liquidum, Petrolatum, Ceteareth-12, Ceteareth-20, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lecithin, Cetyl Palmitate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Trisodium NTA, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Emulgade SE PF

Glyceryl Stearate (and) Ceteareth-20 (and) Ceteareth-12 (and) Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Cetyl Palmitate

Hello! Fairly recent lurker, first-time poster.

After years in the try-every-product cycle, I’ve realized my skin is happiest with a simple, active-minimal routine, and I’ve been toying with the idea of formulating my own skincare for some time. I am very new to cosmetic chemistry, and I am someone with a tendency towards both obsessive research and do-it-right-nowitis— I’m extremely aware of how much I don’t know, and extremely cautious as a result, but also extremely eager to get mixing. I want to start with what seem like pretty foolproof projects: face oil and body butter. (Not foolproof in the sense of “so easy to get to a final product I’m happy with,” but rather not relying on an immense amount of formulation know-how.)

I know that face oils are kind of a “whatever you want them to be” thing, and it feels perhaps inappropriate to seek advice on something that I could safely trial-and-error, but if you’ll indulge me, I’d just like a bit of feedback based on my skin type. I’m 34F, dry skin, compromised barrier (years of sun damage, persistent stress/poor sleep), enlarged pores, very prone to dehydration and dullness, occasional hormonal acne. I experience mild, intermittent eczema (mostly in my nose/mouth/chin area, occasionally at the corners of my eyes) but am not highly sensitive outside of those areas/episodes.

I’d like to address the dryness (with the understanding that I need a humectant product under the oil in addition), promote healing/barrier health, and (much lower priority) promote radiance and improved skin tone, without clogging my pores. What I’m currently thinking is:

40% apricot kernel oil

40% sunflower seed oil
10% prickly pear seed oil
10% rose hip seed oil

I’m primarily looking for thoughts on whether these components in this ratio will address my concerns; if there’s an oil I should consider adding/substituting; if there are any special concerns regarding shelf life; etc. But any and all feedback is welcome! (Would especially love to hear about similar formulas you’ve tried.) Thanks very much for your time in reading this far (I don’t know how this simple question turned into such a long post!) and responding, if you feel compelled to.

NB I don’t expect the proposed formula to be heavy, but I feel it’s worth mentioning that I’ve used oil as my primary moisturizer before (jojoba, marula, and argan at various times) and don’t mind a bit of sheen/oily feel.

I’ll try to keep this brief and not drone on. I’m in the process of creating a cream-gel hair product solely for personal use. Its goal is to offer a medium to strong hold, define my curls, and give some shine. I’ve posted on chemist forum before, so the previous sentence may sound familiar to anyone that frequents the site.

I’ve been told it’s best to start out with as few ingredients as possible when formulating, so that’s what I’m doing. Here’s the ingredient list my product is loosely inspired by (I’m not aiming for an elusive replica).

Below I’m going to outline my ingredient list, and phases I’ve concluded from research. While i’m sure in the ingredients I want to use, the phases probably require revision and the method is incomplete, so any help is appreciated. I really want to correctly develop this product.

Water: 91.7% 
Emulsifying wax (polysorbate 60 and cetearyl alcohol): 3%  
PVP: 4%  
Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate: 1%  
Carbomer: 0.2%  
Triethanolamine: 0.1% (as needed)

Phase A:

Distilled Water 60

Carbomer 0.2%

Few drops of Triethanolamine

Phase B:

Distilled Water 31.7%

PVP 4%

Phase C:

Emulsifying wax: 3%

Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate: 1%

Method:

• Phase A:
  1. Measure out the Distilled Water (60%) into a glass container.
  2. Sprinkle Carbomer (0.2%) slowly and evenly over the water’s surface. Let it hydrate for some time then mix well.
  3. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until the Carbomer is fully dispersed.
  4. Add a few drops of Triethanolamine to neutralize the Carbomer. Add drop by drop while stirring until the desired pH is reached.
• Phase B:
  1. Measure out the Distilled Water (31.7%) into a separate container.
  2. Add PVP (4%) to the water while stirring until fully dissolved.

As stated before, I’m uncertain about the subsequent steps I’ve outlined, so I’ll refrain from including them. I’ve been doing a ton of research for cosmetic formulation phases, but I’m finding it difficult and overwhelming to successfully apply the knowledge to my actual product.

How do I physically make this product? 😭