This is my experience of doing the final project of my Diploma of Organic Skincare Formulation with Formula Botanica. It’s a two year course, but you can do it in one year if you can spend more time on studying than I did. I dedicated one full day to practicing formulating and some more time during the week and weekends for studying. In case you missed the first part, you can find it here.
Now that I figured out how to incorporate the colloidal oatmeal to an emulsion without it going lumpy, I had the mechanics of the formulation sussed and could now focus on the cream itself. Remember, my requirements for the hand cream is that is has to be very rich, deeply conditioning and moisturising, yet, not leave a greasy, oily residue on my hands.
From my notes:
24/7/22 Emulsion is stable and there are no more lumps from the oatmeal. I don’t see any separation after 2 days, but I feel the cream is a bit too greasy and not enough hydrating. I will reduce the oils, increase the squalane , pro-vitamin B5 and water amount.
Soapmakers Hand cream V1.2
Water phase
34.4% distilled water
20% chamomile hydrosol
3% glycerine
0.1% guar gumOil phase
10% jojoba oil
5% kukui oil
5% kokum butter
5% Emulgade PL68/50
5% squalane
3% colloidal oatmealCool down phase
3% hydrolysed oat protein
0.5% alpha-bisabolol
1% natural fragrance
3% pro-vitamin B5
1% vitamin E
1% Microcare DB (preservative)
28/7/22 I have decided to replace the alpha-bisabolol with marshmallow extract, for several reasons. Firstly, alpha-bisabolol is synthetically made and although it is nature-identical, I prefer the star ingredient in the formula to be natural. Secondly, although alpha-bisabolol and marshmallow root extract are both calming and soothing to irritated and inflamed skins, I think the mucilage contained in the marshmallow makes for a better holistic combination with the anti-inflammatory compounds of the oats.
I will also increase the marshmallow root extract to 4%, because it is glycerine based, which is a humectant, and this will also increase the hydrating effect of the cream. I realise I’m pushing the limits of extra additives in the cream, so will be extra-vigilant of emulsion stability and will increase gum percentage to 0.2%, but can reduce the pro-vitamin B5 to 2%, because of the extra glycerine in the formulation. Additives at 15% currently.
Soapmakers Hand cream V2.1
Water phase
31.8% distilled water
20% chamomile hydrosol
3% glycerine
0.2% guar gumOil phase
10% jojoba oil
5% kukui oil
5% kokum butter
5% Emulgade PL68/50
5% squalane
3% colloidal oatmealCool down phase
3% hydrolysed oat protein
4% marshmallow root extract
1% natural fragrance
2% pro-vitamin B5
1% vitamin E
1% Microcare DB (preservative)
29/7/22 Made the cream V2.1. Again, I had no issues incorporating the colloidal oatmeal into the emulsion. Decided to make a second version with natural silicone added to the formulation to see if that makes a difference to the feel of the cream. I have 8 testers, 4 soap makers and 4 who do not make soap, of which 2 say they like rich creams because they have dry hands, and 2 prefer lighter hand creams.
Soapmakers Hand cream V2.2
Water phase
30.4% distilled water
20% chamomile hydrosol
3% glycerine
0.2% guar gumOil phase
10% jojoba oil
5% kukui oil
5% kokum butter
5% Emulgade PL68/50
5% squalane
3% colloidal oatmealCool down phase
3% hydrolysed oat protein
4% marshmallow root extract
1% natural fragrance
1% natural silicone
2% pro-vitamin B5
1% vitamin E
1% Microcare DB (preservative)
It’s really important to keep notes of every little change you make. Not only will you have a record of everything, which is useful when you want to go back and look something up, but also sometimes, something that might not have worked for this formulation, might be exactly what you need in a different formulation. You can use a notebook to write in, just like the entries I have been making, or do it electronically in Word or Pages. If I hadn’t kept my notes, there is no way I could have remembered all my steps, changes to the formulations, and the mistakes I made along the way.
1/8/22 Feedback from testers: no noticeable difference between the one containing silicone and the one without. Since it doesn’t make a huge difference in feel, I’ve decided I’m not going to use it. The other verdict is that they love the feel, except for the two testers who prefer lighter creams, who say it is too rich for them. The feedback shows that not everyone has the same preference in creams – everyone is different. Personally, for me, I feel the cream is still slightly too greasy and will look into making it less greasy, yet retaining its conditioning properties. I might have to change the oils and butters. Another option is to add a fatty alcohol such as cetyl or cetearyl alcohol, which can be used as a thickener.
By this time, I realised I needed to take another look at the oils and butters I was using in the cream. My next part will be all about the research of the different oils and butters, and how I finally managed to get rid of the greasy residue.
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