What am i missing with this lotion???

[txsoaper]

Okay, I have come up with a facial lotion that i like except for one thing...it feels great going on, it isn't greasy, it soaks in quickly, it smells nice, but after about an hour, my skin feels dry again and the crepe paper look comes back. Is this just part of a more natural product, or should I be adding something?

Here is what I am adding:
71 % distilled water
10% aloe vera juice
5% ewax
4% jojoba oil
2% kukui nut oil
2% sesame oil
1% olive oil
1% apricot kernal oil
1% coconut oil
1% vitamin e
preservative

I am by no means experienced in lotion making, just trying it out. Should I eliminate something here, up percentages, lower percentages? Please direct me!!! I was wondering if I should lower my liquid by 10-15% and up the jojoba oil by that same amount???

 

[txsoaper]

I was thinking some meadowfoam oil might me nice in here also, what percentage should it be added at...maybe 4 or 5%? Does it soak in well? Since it is for the face, I don't want it to be greasy or clog pores.

 

[carebear]

If you want something that stays on your skin better, try increasing the olive oil and lowering those that soak in.

 

[Earthchild]

You probably want to add a humectant such as glycerin at 2-3% to draw and retain moisture. Also, some proteins like hydrolized silk will also soften and draw moisture into the skin. Both of these are added to the water phase. You might want to increase your oils and decrease your water phase; *0% plus water will make for a very light lotion. And I agree with increasing the oilive oil and heavier oils, and decreasing your lighter oils. HTH!

 

[txsoaper]

It is so easy to get confused about what you should do because there is so much conflicting information out there. I was told once that your oils should never exceed a total of 20%...is this true? I was also told that if you use more than 10% aloe vera juice, you run a bigger risk of molds growing in your end product and it is just asking for trouble.

Earthchild what percentage of water makes for a very light lotion...were you saying 80% or higher?

Also if I add 2% glycerin will it be sticky at all....i sure don't want that!

 

[Earthchild]

There is a lot of info to sort through! Your oils phase really depends on what kind of lotion you want to achieve. As long as you have more water than oil, you are still making an oil-in-water creation, which is the easiest to work with. Bear in mind that your oils phase includes oil, butter, silicones, cetyl alcohols, etc. So you can have an oil phase over 25% that isn't all oil, and it will emulsify just fine! I prefer a 6-12% oil phase for my light lotions, about 15% for a heavier lotion, and up to 25% for a rich cream or body butter.

As for your water phase, generally 80% and over will give you a light, pourable lotion. 65% - 75% will give you a nice cream or thicker lotion, and 55% - 64% will give you a rich cream or body butter. These are just generalizations; you have to play around and see what you like.

Yes, any additive, botanical, or protein will make your creation more difficult to preserve. I keep aloe at less than 10%, and botanicals/proteins at around 2%. I love glycerin, and usually use it at 3% with no stickiness, and up to 5% in one lotion with no stickiness at all. Some people don't like it as much, so again, you'll have to see what your skin likes.

A great place to get info and guidelines is Swift's blog: http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/. Careful, it's addicting!

 

[txsoaper]

Ok, I think I am going to give this lotion another try, but first I want to ask one more question, will the vegetable glycerin be okay to add if this lotion is being used on the face? I mentioned it to a friend of mine and she said you shouldn't use it in a lotion for the face that it will cause breakouts....is this true? I sure don't want to use it if that could happen.

 

[Earthchild]

Glycerin at a low percentage shouldn't cause breakouts. It really depends on your skin type. If your skin can handle sesame and olive oils, then glycerin should not be a problem for you. It is thick but not occlusive (doesn't create a skin barrier). At a high percentage (over 3% for the face I would think), I could see it being too thick. In that case, I would think a low-molecular weight protein, such as hydrolized silk, would be a great option, as it sinks in and has humectant properties. Glycerin, however, is a lot cheaper and easier to preserve, so I would start there and see how your skin likes it. Keep us updated on your next batch!