Question 1

When should I add a preservative to a cream, and how much?

Accepted Answer

A preservative belongs in every formulation with a water phase and is added only to a cooled base, at a temperature below 40 °C. The exact dosage is set by the technical data sheet: Cosgard, for example, is dosed at 0.5–1.1% and works in products with a pH of 2–7, most effectively below 5.5. Check both the pH and the viscosity before you stir it in.

Question 2

What percentage of niacinamide goes into a serum or cream?

Accepted Answer

The recommended dosage of niacinamide (vitamin B3/PP) is usually 2–5%, depending on the type of product. It has only a mild effect on the pH of the finished product, though checking it is advisable especially in formulations with an acidic environment. Where several active ingredients work together, stay at the lower end of the ranges given in the technical data sheets.

Question 3

How is hyaluronic acid dosed in homemade cosmetics?

Accepted Answer

High-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid (HMW, 1.5–2 MDa) is dosed at 0.1–0.5%. It is water-soluble and can bind many times its own weight in water, which makes it one of the most effective ways of rehydrating the skin. We stock it in four molecular weights (from HMW down to XS) — in packs from just 1 g.

Question 4

What is bakuchiol and at what concentration is it used?

Accepted Answer

Bakuchiol 99% is a highly pure active ingredient obtained by CO2 extraction from the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia (babchi). The specialist literature compares it with retinol for its similar cosmetic effects, without the irritation — suitable for skin that does not tolerate retinoids. It is oil-soluble: dose it at 0.5–2% into the oil phase of an emulsion or straight into a finished oil serum. It is stable in the pH range 4–6.5 and at temperatures up to 70 °C.

Question 5

Which active ingredients should I choose for an even skin tone and for oily skin?

Accepted Answer

Alpha arbutin of 100% plant origin is dosed up to 2% in facial creams and up to 0.5% in body products (the limit in Annex III to Regulation 1223/2009 as amended by 2024/996). For oily skin there is Azeloglicina, which reduces sebum — a water-soluble form of azelaic acid dosed at 3–10%, stable at roughly pH 5–11, added during cooling below 40 °C. Both can be combined with niacinamide and panthenol.

Question 6

What documentation comes with cosmetic additives?

Accepted Answer

For every raw material we give the INCI name, a technical data sheet (TDS) with the recommended dosage, a safety data sheet (SDS/MSDS) and a COA certificate — the paperwork you need for the safety assessment and notification of your own product. Samples are sold from just 1 g; for production sites we keep over a hundred items in packs from 5 kg or 5 l, including 25 kg sacks and a 210 l drum.

COSMETICS ADDITIVES