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Have you already heard of body yogurts? These are light gel-based emulsions that not only nourish the skin but also provide it with the necessary hydration. You will like body yogurts especially during summer, since they contain a minimum of oils and beautifully refresh the skin. Their production is not any more complicated than making a regular body cream.
Body yogurt is based on a similar foundation as body cream, that is, a mixture of water and oils, which is combined with the help of an emulsifier. In addition, gelling agents, most often plant gums, are added to body yogurts to ensure the characteristic light and gel-like consistency of the final product.
In the following lines you will find a few pieces of advice on how to solve problems during the production of this refreshing body yogurt. When using plant gums such as xanthan gum, it is good to first hydrate these substances by dispersing them in glycerin. In this way, the amount of lumps formed by xanthan gum after adding water is reduced, and at the same time the time needed for hydration and elimination of these lumps is shortened. It is also good to incorporate powder colourants such as mica powders into this glycerin mixture. If you were to add them into the finished yogurt, lumps of undispersed colourant may form.If it seems to you that your gel has too many lumps, do not despair, the lumps will naturally disappear after approximately 24 hours, when xanthan gum spontaneously hydrates. Mix the product well and leave it to stand after finishing, in order to obtain the final yogurt-like consistency.Pour the gel into the phase with the oily raw materials (phase C) still in the water bath, so that the emulsifier and cetearyl alcohol do not have time to solidify (since only a small amount of these raw materials is used and after being removed from the water bath they start to solidify immediately). After adding the gel, mix the mixture well, remove it from the water bath, ideally while continuously stirring, and continue adding the rest of the gel.Add tocopheryl acetate and the preservative only after cooling, since these are heat-sensitive raw materials that would be degraded by heat. At the same time, strong temperature fluctuations are not suitable for the body yogurt as a whole, therefore try not to leave the product in direct sunlight or in overheated rooms, as separation of the emulsion may occur.
Below you will find basic information about the raw materials used in our body yogurt. You will also learn more about how to replace these raw materials, whether it is possible to omit them, or you will learn about other possibilities of how to customise the product.
The basis of most cosmetic products is water. In production, demineralised or distilled water is always used; ordinary tap water contains minerals that may disrupt the stability of the product. If you want to replace distilled water, choose floral hydrolates, which will also pleasantly scent your product. Of course, you can replace only part of the distilled water with hydrolates, or combine several hydrolates.
To obtain the gel-like yogurt consistency of the body yogurt, it is indispensable to use a gelling agent. In our case, xanthan gum was used because it is easily available, easy to work with, and thus even beginners can try its use. The advantage of xanthan gum is also its good stability. By changing the proportion, i.e. the amount of xanthan gum in the formula, you will also change the final viscosity of the product. If you want a firmer and thicker consistency of the body yogurt, increase the proportion of xanthan gum by 0.05 to 0.1 %, when using xanthan gum above 1 %, the product may already be too thick to sticky.On the contrary, you will achieve dilution of the product by reducing the amount of xanthan gum; try reducing it by 0.1 % until you obtain the desired consistency.Xanthan gum is thus a key component of the body yogurt. You can replace it with other plant gums and thickeners, but count on a change in viscosity and consistency, which will, for example, be significant when using carrageenan (carrageenan at 1 % already forms a firm jelly, therefore use a smaller amount or try another plant gum).
Our body yogurt acquired its delicate pink colour thanks to the use of mica powder of that colour. When choosing mica powders, you have a wide palette of colours available, so do not hesitate and choose the one you like the most. You can also influence the intensity of the colour by the amount of mica powder used. You can also omit the mica powder completely, then the body yogurt will be white.An alternative to mica powder can also be glitters, if you want a shimmering body yogurt. Mix mica powder or glitters well with glycerin and xanthan gum so that this powder is evenly dispersed in the product and no lumps are formed.
Plant-derived glycerin fulfils several functions in the body yogurt formula. Above all, it is an effective humectant for the skin; glycerin leaves a soft feeling on the skin, helps hydrate it and retain water in it. On the other hand, it hydrates other raw materials as well, such as plant gums, and facilitates the dispersion of these substances in the product.If possible, do not omit glycerin from the product, as it will make it easier for you to work with powdered raw materials. On the other hand, you can play with the percentage of this substance in the formula.
The representative of oily raw materials is calendula macerate in sunflower oil. Thanks to the maceration of calendula in oil, you can enjoy the benefits of this plant long after it has finished flowering and transfer valuable plant substances into cosmetic products. Of course, you can replace the plant macerate in oil with another oil macerate, or choose a plant oil. Likewise, you can increase the proportion of macerate in the formula if you feel that the product is not nourishing enough for the skin. If you want a less greasy product, reduce the proportion of calendula macerate in the formula.
You will appreciate cottonseed oil in the body yogurt formula if you have dry, cracked or stressed skin. However, this caring oil is also suitable for other skin types. Do you have a different favourite plant oil? Do not hesitate, replace cottonseed oil with it in the body yogurt formula. Alternatively, increase the proportion of oil in the formula if you feel that your skin would benefit from more oily raw materials. Again, it applies that the amount of cottonseed oil in the formula can also be reduced if you do not like oils in products too much. However, do not omit oil completely, as this can endanger the stability of the emulsion.
Cetearyl alcohol is also classified among wax-like alcohols. In contrast to the best-known alcohol, ethanol, cetearyl alcohol is a solid substance sold in the form of white, wax-like granules. In products, it has properties similar to wax – it melts only at elevated temperature, thickens products and gives them a firmer consistency. Unlike true waxes, it does not leave an unpleasant waxy film on the skin.Cetearyl alcohol also serves as a co-emulsifier, and thus improves the stability of the emulsion. For this reason as well, do not omit it from the formula. You can replace it, for example, with cetyl alcohol with similar properties. By increasing the amount of cetearyl alcohol in the formula you will obtain a thicker body yogurt, while by decreasing its content the product will become more fluid.
The main emulsifier in the body yogurt formula is Beautyderm K10. This emulsifier exhibits similar properties to Olivem 1000, therefore it can also be replaced by this substance, but count on a small change in viscosity when substituting these emulsifiers. The emulsifier is indispensable for body yogurt, since we are trying to combine water-based and oily raw materials and create an emulsion. It is thanks to the emulsifier that you can successfully create an emulsion. If you increase the proportion of oil in the formula by more than 1–2 percentage points, it is good to slightly increase the amount of emulsifier as well. Likewise, with the emulsifier you can partially influence the consistency; a larger amount of emulsifier causes thickening of the product.
Since body yogurt contains water and water-based raw materials, it cannot do without a preservative. In this case Euxyl PE 9010 was chosen, because this preservative is effective in a wide pH range and is therefore suitable for beginners as well. Euxyl can be replaced with another broad-spectrum preservative, but pay attention to the pH at which the preservative is effective. Some preservatives, such as Cosgard, are effective only in acidic pH, and thus it is necessary to adjust the pH of the whole product by adding a solution of lactic acid or citric acid. Do not omit the addition of a preservative, because otherwise your product will quickly spoil and may possibly cause problems on the skin due to extensive microbial contamination in the product.
The stabiliser for oils is tocopheryl acetate. What does such a stabiliser do? Above all, tocopheryl acetate ensures that oils do not oxidise so quickly, so you will enjoy your product longer. Tocopheryl acetate thus has antioxidant properties and is also called vitamin E. This substance effectively nourishes the skin and is well soluble in oils. Adding tocopheryl acetate is optional and can be omitted, in that case, however, the oils in the product may oxidise more quickly. On the other hand, tocopheryl acetate does not replace the preservative, since vitamin E has no effect on the stability of water-based raw materials and water. You can replace it also with tocopherol 96 %.
As mentioned, with home-made recipes you can experiment to achieve the desired properties. However, the final result can be influenced by many factors, such as humidity, temperature, quality of raw materials or their storage. Before you use any raw material for the production of a cosmetic product, familiarise yourself with its properties, recommended dosage, storage conditions and safe handling. Each raw material may have the potential to trigger an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals, therefore before using the product we recommend finding out whether you are not allergic to any of the raw materials or to the overall product, for example by a patch test. If you have very sensitive or very acne-prone skin, or if you have other skin and health problems, we recommend that you consult a medical professional before applying a new product to the skin, whether it is a home-made cosmetic product, a pure raw material or a commercially available product.
You will appreciate body yogurt as a great hydrating product especially in summer. Have you tried to make it?If you have made it and you have any questions regarding the procedure, raw materials, or you would like to add an interesting tip to improve the recipe, feel free to write to us at marketing@handymade.sk
We thank Ivana Jačalová for this excellent recipe for making body yogurt.
Until we meet again, stay creative.
Until soaping again, friends.
