This is a multifunctional water based mature skin serum for acne or oily prone skin. I have infused Orange blossom and peppermint hydrosols with niacinamide and Pentavitin.

Zemea is a plant derived propanediol that functions as a humectant and to disperse the CMC. . This will help it to swell in the water without causing clumps in the gel.

CMC is our gelling agent. You may also see it go by the name of cellulose gum. CMC is derived from cellulose which is a plant fiber. Originally cellulose came from wood however it is now obtained from a variety of plant materials (Rahman MS,, 2021). It is one of my favourite ones to use on it’s own. It is an anionic water soluble thickener that will turn many water based liquids into a clear gel. It is available in many forms with different thickening abilities and electrolyte tolerance (Louis Ho Tan Tai, 2000) As with most gums the thickening properties correspond to the concentration used; the more gum added the thicker the gel.

CMC enhances slip (adding ‘playtime’ to formulations), modifies flow and texture of formulations, and provides shear thinning rheology - that is, as energy is applied it will become thinner thus increasing flow. The viscosity of a CMC solution is reversibly temperature dependent; as the temperature is increased it viscosity is decreased but when temperature is lowered it will return to its original state. With prolonged periods of heat - about 100 c - it my lose viscosity permanently.

CMC is a natural ingredient and some grades/brands are COSMOS certified. Most have a pH tolerance of around 2-13, but this is obviously dependent on the grade. However, at pH higher than `12 and lower than 4 viscosity may be affected mainly due to higher electrolyte concentration.

Orange Blossom Water and peppermint water soothe reduce inflammation and cool the skin. Orange blossom or neroli has been long used as an anti-inflammatory and thus is indicated in anti-acne treatment. (Shen CY, et al 2017). Peppermint water is soothing (Elsaie LT, 2016) and well known for being cooling on the skin due in part to it’s menthol content.

Niacinamide is a multifunctional active. It is a white, colorless crystal or crystalline powder. It has anti-aging, moisturizing, exfoliating, skin whitening and anti-inflammatory properties thanks to its ability to improve skin metabolism. It is one of the few beauty ingredients that has been proven to actually do something (Matts, Paul et al 2002).

Pentavitin is the brand name of the active Saccharide Isomerate in a base of water, citric Acid and sodium Citrate. It is an EcoCert, COSMOS and NaTrue Certified ingredient. It is a humectant that has been described as a ‘moisture magnet’. The manufacturers state, “The unique Saccharide Isomerate (active) is formed by isomerisation of plant-derived D-glucose and similar to that of the carbohydrate complex found in human skin.”

This formulation needs to be a pH of around 4.5-5. Because I didn’t want to add additional water to the product, and because it is 85% water (hydrosol) I used granules which easily dissolve into the gel.

Method

1. Mix phase 1 to make a slurry

2. Mix phase 2 in a separate beaker and add to phase 1 under stirring until gel is formed

3. Adjust pH to 4.5-5 with citric acid

4. Decant
   

   Disclaimer

   This product was made on the 8th February 2021. It has not undergone preservative efficacy testing or stability testing for shelf life. It has not been optimised for cost. I will be observing it for any changes and be using it see if there is anything at all wrong with it and will update if anything untoward has happened.

References

Louis Ho Tan Tai (2000) Formulating Detergents and Personal Care Products, Lacs PRESS Champaign, Illinois

Rahman MS, Hasan MS, Nitai AS, et al. Recent Developments of Carboxymethyl Cellulose. Polymers (Basel). 2021;13(8):1345. Published 2021 Apr 20. doi:10.3390/polym13081345

Shen CY, Jiang JG, Huang CL, Zhu W, Zheng CY. Polyphenols from Blossoms of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl. Show Significant Anti-Complement and Anti-Inflammatory Effects. J Agric Food Chem. 2017 Oct 18;65(41):9061-9068. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b03759. Epub 2017 Oct 9. PMID: 28942652.

Shen CY, Jiang JG, Zhu W, Ou-Yang Q. Anti-inflammatory Effect of Essential Oil from Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl. J Agric Food Chem. 2017 Oct 4;65(39):8586-8594. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b02586. Epub 2017 Sep 25. PMID: 28906110.

Elsaie LT, El Mohsen AM, Ibrahim IM, Mohey-Eddin MH, Elsaie ML. Effectiveness of topical peppermint oil on symptomatic treatment of chronic pruritus. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2016 Oct 11;9:333-338. doi: 10.2147/CCID.S116995. PMID: 27785084; PMCID: PMC5066694.

Matts, Paul & Oblong, John & Bissett, D.L.. (2002). A Review of the range of effects of niacinamide in human skin. Int Fed Soc Cosmet Chem Mag. 5. 285-289.