education
Vital formulation information - click the heading below
Did you know, despite what the supplier says, very few natural preservatives actually work. Learn which natural emulsifiers are effective, how much to use and how to pair them up. As stabilisers are vital for any emulsion, we teach you which ones to use. Do you know how to scientifically access whether an active truly works?
Preservatives
Very few natural preservatives actually work, despite what the supplier says. Click the heading above to learn which natural preservatives are effective, how to pair them up and pass preservative tests
Lotion & Cream Tutorial
Most lotion formulas are unsafe, Click the heading above to learn how to make emulsions properly and safely
How to make an emulsion stable
Click the heading above learn how much emulsifier to use, which natural emulsifiers are effective, how to pair them up and why stabilisers are vital
How to formulate like a pro
Click the heading above to learn how to formulate professionally - how to know which actives really work, how to make improve your lotion, which resources to use, which natural preservatives actually work.
Ingredient Suppliers
Click the heading above to access our worldwide ingredient supplier list
Lotion & Cream Calculator
Click the heading above to access our formulation calculator for different skin types including ingredient costs
Surfactant calculator
Most surfactants are diluted so working out how much to use can be challenging, even for formulators who are great at math. Click the heading above to access our calculator which does all the work for you.
Test your formulation knowledge
Click the heading above to participate in our instagram quiz and "Fix the Formula!
Free online course
Click the heading above to access our free online course. We collaborated with Chemists Corner and Swiftcraftymonkey to bring you this formulation course. Work through the units at your own pace and receive a certificate.
education
Most popular educational posts
We are passionate about teaching how to formulate in a professional, safe way.
Let’s Dupe L’Occitane’s Ultra Thirst-Quenching Gel
To understand the process of how to reverse engineer a cosmetic product, check out the two YouTube videos below which we created with Christine Hwang, Annalisa Branca @skinperspective and Alex Tolstoy for The Ecowell: Analyzing lotions and creams video Reverse engineering video Before
Sodium Cocoyl Methyl Isethionate
SCI (Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate) is a commonly used anionic, sulfate-free surfactant, loved by syndet makers for it’s mildness and creamy lather. However, due to its poor water solubility it is usually replaced with SLMI (Sodium Lauryl Methyl Isethionate) in liquid products. SCMI (Sodium Cocoyl Methyl
Test your formulation knowledge
As an educator I find giving students practical exercises a powerful, interactive and fun learning tool. Every couple of weeks on instagram we will post a formulation quiz where you can test your knowledge and contribute: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/flawedformula/ Our fun formulation exercises are aimed at formulators (homecrafters
Sulfate-Free Surfactants
I love this handy chart from Innospec’s presentation: “Formulating High Performance Sulfate-Free Cleansing Products”. As you can see, surfactants have a working pH range. Some surfactants can hydrolyze at a low pH (SCI, Iselux, Sulfosuccinate). As most surfactants are diluted, we have a
Let’s Dupe: Eve Lom Intense Hydration Serum
Formulations don’t have to be complex. This one is super simple and a breeze to dupe. Cold process, no oil phase, and all ingredients are easy to get hold of (https://makingskincare.com/cosmetic-ingredient-suppliers/). Ingredient wise, the formula is inexpensive apart from the sodium hyaluronate, (high molecular weight:
InstaMask™ – Customizable Instant DIY Clay Mask
InstaMask™ from Vantage won the Silver award for best functional ingredient at In-Cosmetics Global in March last year. These customizable, instant, encapsulated clay mask granules are easy to use. Just add the water phase, mix and apply! We received a sample from Vantage’s UK distributors,