One of the most common questions I have been receiving in my monthly Q&A’s is “How do I keep Mica Powder from settling to the bottom of my body oils?”….
Mica powder isn’t soluble in oil or water. It is only able to be suspended in oil or suspended in water.
When something is soluble, it means that it is able to be dissolved. For example, how dl panthenol is soluble in water. Since Mica powder isn’t soluble in oil or water, how do we get it to mix in?
We need to keep it suspended, by using a suspending agent.
There are lots of different suspending agents we can choose from, it just depends on if we are making an aqueous product or an anhydrous product.
Anhydrous means it only contains oil soluble ingredients.
Aqueous means it contains water.
Anhydrous Suspend Agents
Typical use level: 0.1 - 30% (oil-gel formation usually occurs upon addition of 5-10%)
Video Demo
98% Sunflower Oil
How to use;
You need to wear a Respirator when working with this ingredient. Pour into oils and mix. It will chunk up and be hard to mix it, but keep mixing as much as possible. Let it sit for a few hours or over night. I made a gorgeous cleansing oil with this.
INCI: Cetyl Palmitate (and) Sorbitan Palmitate (and) Sorbitan Olivate
O/W & W/O emulsions:
1-3% as hydrating & moisturizing agent
2-4% as Liquid Crystal structure promoter
Make-up products:
1-5% as structure agent
Video Demo:
5% Oliwax LC
95% Sunflower Oil
I also have a video on my channel where I use Oliwax LC to make a body shimmer. I tried a lot of other co emulsifiers like cetyl alcohol and stearic acid, but the Oliwax LC worked the best.
How to use:
Add into oil and add into water bath to melt oliwax. Once melted, mix and add in mica powder, mix again, and let cool.
INCI: Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil
Usage Rate: 1 - 35%
Video Demo:
I used 5% LipidThix
95% Sunflower Oil
How to use;
Add into oils and mix. Place in a water bath to heat. Heat to 80°C. Add in mica powder and mix. Let cool.
Typical use level: 1-10%
Video Demo Formula
3% Polyamide 8
97% Sunflower Oil
How to Use;
This stuff can be hard to heat up so a Hot Plate might work better, but it should still work with a water bath. Heat to 79 °C (174 °F) Polyamide 3 will work also.
Add in to oils and melt. Once melted, mix and add in mica powder, mix and let cool.
Aqueous Suspending Agents
INCI; Xanthan Gum
Typical Use Rate: 0.1 - 2%
Video Demo Formula
2% Glycerin
97% Distilled Water
How to Use;
Mix Xanthan Gum Soft with glycerin. This is also the time to add in the mica powder and mix. Next, add in the distilled water and mix until thickened.
Recommended Usage Rate: 0.2 - 0.5%
Video Demo Formula
0.5% Sodium Carbomer
99.5% Distilled Water
How to Use;
First weigh out the distilled water and mix in the mica powder. Sprinkle in the sodium carbomer and mix until dissolved and the water has gelled. Needs to be in a pH between 5-10
If using a carbomer that isn’t sodium carbomer, you will need to raise the pH to 6 to get it to thicken.
INCI: Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Recommended usage levels:
Emulsifier-stabilizer and thickener - 0.5 - 5%
Suspending properties - from 0.15%
Video Demo Formula
0.5% Sepimax Zen
99.5% Distilled Water
How to Use;
First weigh out water and then sprinkle the sepimax zen on top of the water. Do not mix. Cover and let sit over night. The next day you will notice the top is gelled. Mix until everything is combined and smooth. Now you can add in the mica powder. I noticed with this one you could still see the mica powder specks in the gel. So keep this in mind if that is a concern. Needs to be in a pH between 2-8
INCI: Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer
Typical usage levels: 0.5 - 2.0%
Video Demo Formula
0.5% Aristroflex AVC
99.5% Distilled Water
How to Use;
Weigh out the distilled water and then add in the Aristroflex AVC and mix until dissolved and gelled. Needs to be in a pH between 4-9
These are just a few examples of anhydrous and aqueous suspending agents.
When trying to decide which suspending agent is best for your product keep in mind…
Cost
Texture / Sensory feel
Ease of use
If the ingredient is hard to use, like Silica Dimethyl Silylate. It might not be the best ingredient to use for products you are selling, but Oliwax LC would be since it is easier to use and much cheaper than Silica Dimethyl Silylate. I also recommend doing a few experiments with different suspending agents to see which works best for your product. Check out the Video version of the blog for more information.
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I am an affiliate with https://aromantic.co.uk/ meaning I earn money when you click on their links and purchase their items.
I am an affiliate with Makesy.com and some links may be affiliate links.
Comentários