Introduction to Skincare Formulation

Hi Intending formulator, 

If you are reading the first line of this blog, I want to say congratulations because your formulation journey just got started and even better if you are an existing formulator too. 

A brief info about me

My name is Semy Ekong and I am based in Nigeria 🇳🇬 I have been working as a skincare formulator for 4 years + I have a retail brand where I focus on selling corrective skincare products. I am also an esthetician in training

This particular blog post is created for skincare enthusiast who’d like to start a skincare brand but would like to understand the basics of it and what it’s all about before actually taking a full fledged course like our Diploma Skincare Course

This blog post would give you an insight on what skincare business is all about and the basic things you need to know in order for you to decide if you are ready to fully go in and develop your skill, creativity as well as knowledge.

Let’s get right into it shall we!

Introduction

All natural and clean skincare product are increasingly popping up everywhere as people are becoming more ingredient-conscious when it comes to their beauty routine. More people are moving to the idea of feeling good and being healthy. People want non-toxic products and are starting to understand the products they are using and how they affect their health. 

Alternatively, you can make your own skincare. When making your own skincare products, you are entirely in control of which ingredients to use. 

In this blog post, you will gain some basic knowledge of what proper skincare formulation is. If you are brand new in making skincare, this blog post will get you started. If you already have some experience, you should still be able to pick up new ideas

I’m delighted you are taking the first step in creating your own skincare products

What is skincare formulation all about?

The Skin is the largest organ of the body, and it is the first element people see when they look at you. Skincare products are therefore designed to improve the appearance and feel of the skin. 

Skincare products can be classified further by how they work and what they do. These products include moisturising products designed to improve the look and feel of skin. There are also anti- ageing products that promise to get rid of the signs of ageing skin (for example, wrinkles, age spots, dry skin, etc.). The other types of skincare products are those designed to remove things from the skin. This includes cleansers like body washes, hand soaps, facial washes, toners, bubble baths, and more. It also includes scrubs, masks, and exfoliation products.

When you are formulating skincare products, it is important to ask yourself if the product can still be beneficial with fewer ingredients so to keep your formulation simple. 

Having a lot of ingredients in a product does not necessarily mean they have valuable benefits due to the tiny doses. Skin is a biological instrument with its own innate abilities to absorb and eliminate ingredients. So, the fewer ingredients that go into a product mean that there is much less of a chance of a reaction, or for that ingredient to be wasted and not absorbed at all.

Always take into consideration the skin concerns and conditions when you design a formula for a skincare product. Example, if it is for dry skin, go for gentle, nourishing oils and natural emollients and humectants

such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and glycerin as they help to retain moisture in your skin by attracting it from the outside air.

Also researching from time to time would help you with a better understanding of what skincare formulation entails

Getting started with the right tools and equipment 

The following are the basic tools and equipment you need to start formulating

• Digital scales that measure from 0.1g

• Measuring beaker set

• Paper pH strips/pH meter

• Hand whisk,

• Mixing spatulas

• Stirring rod

• Pipette

• Double boiler or baine marie

• Gloves

Read a detailed blog post here on essential tools for every formulator

What packaging options do I have?

Some packaging options that you can use to fill in your finished products include:

• Pump bottles

• Dropper bottles

•Cream/ Soap Jars

•Flip bottles

•Foaming pump bottles

How to Work cleanly and safely 

Making skincare products generally require a higher standard of cleanliness than doing normal kitchen work. 

Even if you never intend to sell your products, it pays off to make products of the highest quality as possible. Here are a few tips:-

1) Sanitising

It is essential that you disinfect all tools, working surfaces, and containers (including the containers where the final products go into) with isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol to reduce the level of microbial contaminants

2) Using Protective Clothings when working

Wear disposable gloves at all times and possibly also hair restraint and a face mask. 

3) Cleaning after formulating

Always ensure to clean your work space as well as tools immediately after formulating

Characteristics of the different types of skin

NORMAL SKIN

It is neither too dry nor too oily and produces a healthy amount of sebum. To maintain this natural moisture balance, usually water-based moisturisers that have a light, non-greasy feel are preferred.

OILY SKIN

It is caused by overactive glands, which produce a substance called Sebum, a naturally healthy skin lubricant. When the skin produces too much sebum, it becomes thick and heavy in texture. Oily skin is characterised by shininess, pimples, blemishes, and often with large pores.

DRY SKIN

Usually, results when skin fails to produce enough sebum to maintain a naturally lubricated surface. The lack of oil is often hereditary but can also be caused by exposure to the sun and other environmental elements. Dry skin often appears coarse, tight, dull and flaky, with visible lines and wrinkles.

SENSITIVE SKIN

Reacts unfavourably to a variety of environmental factors. It is prone to irritation like stinging or itching. After each wash, the sensitive skin feels dry and itchy at places, and flaky patches or even redness can occur. Sensitive skin should be treated with mild cleansing lotions and moisturisers that contain soothing and calming ingredients.

COMBINATION SKIN

Many people have different skin types in different parts of the body. It is not uncommon to have oily skin around the nose, forehead, and chin while the rest of the face and body is more on the dry side. If you have more than one skin type, the different areas should be treated differently.

How to differentiate a formula from a recipe

Recipes are shown using drops, cups, teaspoons. Recipes in such a combination of measurements for a few ingredients or without a mixture of different ingredient forms, i.e., liquid and oil, in a relatively small amount is probably fine. 

However, when the formula consists of various phases or has different forms of ingredients, e.g., water, oils, and butters, such a combination of measurements tend to be inconsistent resulting in inaccuracy. The volume of liquid ingredients varies depending on their density, and one cup of oil will not weigh the same from a cup of butter due to specific gravity differences.

The proper way of formulating 

A proper way of formulating your own skincare is to use formulas written in percentage instead of formulas written in tbsp, cups etc. 

A formula should be written or created professionally, showing the percentage of ingredients in your product

Most formulas are written with a grouping of ingredients into certain phases, indicating which ingredients should be combined at specific times or heated or cooled to specific temperatures. You may see them noted as phase A, phase B, phase C, and so on or by title, like “water phase” or “oil phase.”

It is important that all formulas should add up to 100% in order to be termed accurate. Writing all your formulas in percentage allows you to scale up according to the batch size of products you want to make. This enables you to know precisely how much ingredients to add in the right amount.

How to convert from percentage to grams

Here we will convert formula in percentages into grams. The steps to carry out are:

1. You will need to first decide on your batch size (how much product you want to make). You can choose an amount in grams or ounces.

2. Turn your percentage-based formula into weight-based measurements (grams or ounces) depending on your batch size.

Sample Formula

Ingredient	Phase	Function	Percentage	Conversion
Shea butter	A	Butter	50%	50g
Mango butter	A	Butter	25%	25g
Almond oil	B	Emollient	24%	24g
Vitamin E Oil	C	Antioxidant	1%	1g
			100%	100g

3. The calculation you need to do is:-

Percentage of ingredient multiplied by total batch size divided by 100% = conversion of ingredient in grams

From the table above, the total batch size of the product we are making is 100g. Our calculation would be:

Shea butter: 50 x 100/100%= 50g

Mango butter: 25 x 100/100% = 25g

Almond oil: 24 x 100/100% = 24g

Vitamin E oil: 1 x 100/100%  = 1g

Total: 100g

Note that: At the end of your calculation, your total conversions must equal to your total batch size

Ingredients to get started

As a beginner to skincare formulation, you are about to enter into a whole new world of skincare ingredients, which is exciting but can be too overwhelming to explore.

Where do you begin to choose from the hundreds of plant-derived ingredients, and what are those categories that formulas mention, such as humectants, emollients, emulsifiers & occlusives? 

There is no need to be a chemist or have a science background to be a competent cosmetic formulator.

However, there are some basics to learn to get you started, and familiarity with core terms and categories of ingredients is a must. You need to know what they are even when searching suppliers’ sites to buy your first set of ingredients.

Read our blog post here on the beginners guide on Ingredients

All about Aromaceutical 

Aromas are natural ingredients used purely for their fragrance and aromaceuticals have known therapeutic properties (i.e. essential oils).

Essential oils are very potent extracts therefore their usage requires caution. In general you should not exceed 1% in skincare formulations.

It is also essential advisory not to measure your essential oils in droplets - always weigh them using your digital scale

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