Milk Makeup’s Cooling Water Jelly Tint has taken the beauty world by storm with its innovative bouncy jelly texture and long-lasting color. As a cosmetic scientist, I’m excited to break down the key components that make this product so unique.
Building the Bounce: Gelling Agents at Work
The jelly-like texture is, without a doubt, a defining feature. Three ingredients are key here.
Carbomer, a well-known formulation staple, works in tandem with agarose to create the distinctive bouncy texture. Agarose, derived from red seaweed, is a polysaccharide renowned for its gelling properties. It’s the same ingredient molecular biologists use in gel electrophoresis! When heated and cooled, it forms a solid yet bouncy, jelly-like gel through hydrogen bonding.
The world of agarose is surprisingly diverse, with numerous types available, each boasting unique properties so we experimented with a fair few. Selecting the perfect variant for this formula was crucial to achieving the desired texture. Interestingly, our experiments with agar agar, an inexpensive close relative of agarose, proved to be a complete misfire – a reminder that in cosmetic science, precision in ingredient selection can make or break a formulation.
Lubrajel™ Oil PF from Ashland, also contributes to the texture. This multi-purpose key ingredient is also a film-former, creating a flexible layer that adheres to the skin, extending the color’s lifespan, providing slip and even color distribution.
Hydration & Feel: The Glycol Gang
The formula incorporates a blend of glycols, including glycerin, sorbitol, propanediol, and butylene glycol. These humectants work together to provide flexibility, bounce, and a refreshing “wet” sensation delivering the color upon application. They act as moisture magnets, locking in hydration and contributing to the product’s cooling effect. Finding the perfect balance was a challenge, requiring several adjustments to get the formula just right.
Active ingredients included to benefit the skin include niacinamide for brightening, and allantoin to protect.
Color & Longevity
The vibrant shades are achieved using a mix of water-soluble dyes known for their intense color payoff. Unlike traditional pigments, lakes, or mica, these dyes create a staining effect that temporarily adheres to the outermost skin layer. This staining effect is key to the product’s long-lasting wear, buildable color and natural-looking flush.
Watch our step-by-step lab process and beauty science expert @MakeDown_ a trusted voice in beauty and science test the results:
