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Writer's picturetaralee
Oct 305 min read

Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Jelly Face Wash w/ Charcoal Powder - TaraLee's Zodiac Cleanser




Formula

Phase A


Phase B

41.75% Distilled Water

-Optional; Charcoal powder (there is no suspending agent in this formula, so it will settle to the bottom.) I recommend water soluble dye to keep the color from separating. 


Phase C

18% 10% Sodium Hydroxide Dilution 


Phase D




900 Gram Recipe

Phase A

45 grams Glycerin


Phase B

375.75 grams Distilled Water

18 grams Henna Extract

- optional charcoal powder 


Phase C

64.8 grams Glycolic Acid

162 grams 10% Sodium Hydroxide Dilution 


Phase D


Directions; 

  • In a sanitized container, combine all ingredients in phase A and mix. Set to the side.  



  • In another sanitized container combine all ingredients in phase B and mix until aloe powder has dissolved.

  • Pour phase A into phase B. (If using charcoal powder, add it in now. It will settle to bottom overtime.) 



  • In another sanitized container combine all ingredients in phase C. They will heat up when combined, this is normal. 



  • In another sanitized container combine all ingredients in phase D. They will turn into a thick glob. (Alternatively, you could just pour the ingredients in phase D directly into phase A/B. But I always weigh them in a separate container.) 



  • After phase C and D are weighed out in their separate containers and can now pour phase C into phase A/B and mix. Then pour phase D into phase A/B/C and mix. There will still be surfactant chunks. This is fine. Mix as much as possible, then cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight.  



  • Uncover the next day and you should have a smooth gel. Any leftover chunks should go away with time. Check pH and make sure it’s between 3.5 - 4.5 Mine was 4.15 and always is around that pH when I make it. 

  • Pour into desired bottle. I used these 8 oz pump bottles 



 

Benefits of Each Ingredient;

Glycerin - humectant that hydrates the skin. Also helps keep Euxyl PE 9010 suspended.


Euxyl PE 9010 - water soluble broad spectrum preservative. 


Distilled Water - diluent 


Henna Extract - helps soothe skin 


Aloe Vera powder 200x - soothing agent and moisturizer


Glycolic Acid - an alpha hydroxy acid that helps exfoliate skin


Sodium Hydroxide Dilution  - raises the pH so this is a skin safe pH. Glycolic has a really low pH, so we need this to raise the pH. 


Sodium Phytate - chelating agent. Helps boost efficiency of preservative and helps boost lather. 


Sodium C-14 C-16 Alpha Olefin Sulfonate (AOS 40) - anionic surfactant. This is the main surfactant that helps cleanses the skin and produce lather and foam.


Cocamidopropyl Betaine - amphoteric surfactant. This is the co surfactant. When this is combined with the other surfactant they thicken. This is why we don’t need to use a thickener in this product. This surfactant helps boost foam and create a more gentle and mild product. 


Substitues;

substituting ingredients will change the final feel, viscosity, and overall effect of final product. percentages and formulating procedure may need to change with substitutions. these substitution suggestions are just suggestions and have not been tested to work.



Euxyl PE 9010 - any water soluble broad spectrum preservative of choice. e.g. Liquid

Germall Plus, Opiphen Plus, Euxyl K 903, Euxyl K 900, Preservative Eco, Geogard 221, Just make sure the preservative is okay to use in a pH of 4.15


Distilled Water - could use hydrosols, but they will probably change the final pH. So I suggest using distilled water. 


Henna Extract - any botanical extract of choice. 


Aloe Vera powder 200x - aloe vera extract, aloe vera 200x, aloe vera juice/liquid (use instead of water if you use aloe juice or liquid)


Glycolic Acid - no substitute for this


Sodium Hydroxide Dilution  - no substitute for this. You could use Triethanolamine but I don’t have the formula written for this ingredient to be used. 



Sodium C-14 C-16 Alpha Olefin Sulfonate (AOS 40) - Don’t substitute this. You won’t get a thick face wash if you change this out. (It’s possible to use something else, but you would need to experiment to see which Anionic surfactant could work in place of it.


Cocamidopropyl Betaine - Don’t substitute this. You won’t get a thick face wash if you change this out.



How to make pH Buffer Solution;


Directions; weigh the distilled water in a plastic container. Look for a container that is PP#5 as this is a hard plastic that can withstand heat. I use this one. Next weight out the sodium hydroxide in an other container. I use a little glass bowl. Go into a well ventilated room or preferably outside and pour the sodium hydroxide into the water, NOT the other way around. Make sure you pour the sodium hydroxide into the water. You also want to make sure you have gloves, a mask, and protective eye wear on when working with sodium hydroxide. After you pour the sodium hydroxide into the water, mix it up. I mix with a glass stirring rod. You will notice the solution will become foggy, it may sizzle and it will heat up. This is totally normal. Let it sit until the water runs clear and it returns to room temperature. You can then store the 10% sodium hydroxide solution in a thick plastic container. You want to look for HDPE #2. Add a label onto your container so you know what it is and when you made it.

important note; wear protective clothing like long sleeves, goggles, and gloves when working with sodium hydroxide. Also work in a well ventilated room or outside.


Formulating Equipment;



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