How to make cosmetic formulas
Making cosmetics is a fun and rewarding experience - if you know how to make cosmetic formulas with confidence! With the create cosmetic formulas program, you don't need to know the how or why of choosing cosmetic ingredients, because the program helps you do this. Even more importantly, the create cosmetic formulas programs then provide step-by-step instructions on how to put cosmetic formulas together based on the cosmetic ingredients you select.
Just follow the instructions - written just like a cosmetic recipe - and you'll be able to make cosmetic formulas easily.
This program contains mostly natural and naturally derived cosmetic ingredients, so you can find out how to make natural skincare products, and natural hair care products, easily.
Download our Getting Started Guide – FREE!
what types of cosmetic formulas can i create?
Get making cosmetic formulas fast: make over 30 different types of skincare and hair care formulas with our create cosmetic formuprogram, from wash-off cleansers, shampoos and conditioners, through to leave on moisturisers, ointments and balms as well as anti-ageing formulas, whitening formulas and various other specialty cosmeceutical products. To see a full list of cosmetic, hair and skincare product formulas you can make, please refer to our Product and Ingredient list here.
What types of cosmetic ingredients does this program contain?
There are over 300 different safe cosmetic ingredients in this program, including various herbal extracts, natural actives, vitamins, emulsifiers, preservatives, plant oils, gums - the list goes on! And we're adding more cosmetic ingredients all the time, based on member requests! To see a full list of cosmetic ingredients contained in this program, please refer to our Product and Ingredient list here.
Can i use the cosmetic formulas i make to start a cosmetic business?
Yes, you certainly can! We've developed the create cosmetic formulas program to help small brands formulate cosmetics faster, with more confidence and with better expiry dates. Because you've selected the cosmetic ingredients, it is your cosmetic formula you are creating! So, you can definitely use the cosmetic formulas in this program for your own purposes, and oown cosmetic business - they are your Intellectual Property.
Download our Getting Started Guide – FREE!
can i make skin lightening and anti-ageing cosmetic formulas?
Yes - you can! This program contains many different types of active cosmetic ingredients that will enable you to make skin whitening products, anti-ageing products and many more. We've also built in specific compatibility and stability needs so that the cosmetic formulas you make will perform the way you want them to, and remain stable, over a good shelf life.
can i create highly active cosmetic formulas like sunscreens and acid peels?
These types of products have very strict regulatory and safety requirements, so should only be developed by a properly trained cosmetic formulators or cosmetic chemists. They are not in this program for this reason - but you can make natural sunscreen by watching our FREE video and getting the FREE formula, here.
If you'd like to learn how to make highly active cosmetic formulas like sunscreens and acid peels for your own brand, or to become a cosmetic chemist, please visit the Institute of Personal Care Science - all training is on-line and available worldwide - or email us direct: info@personalcarescience.com.au
What if I want to use a different cosmetic ingredient, not listed?
To make skincare and hair care products easily, you need to be able to source cosmetic ingredients easily. Our create cosmetic formulas program only contains cosmetic ingredients that are readily available from small cosmetic ingredient suppliers, so users can access materials readily. If you can get a cosmetic ingredient from a small supplier that is not already in this program, please email us with the link to the suppliers’ site, and the name of the cosmetic ingredient: info@createcosmeticformulas.com . We’ll check it out, and if suitable, we’ll add it to the program!
If you want to use a different material but not tell us about it, please check to see if it has incompatibilities with the pH, charge, method or other cosmetic ingredients present. If you’d like to learn more about selecting cosmetic ingredients and incompatibilities, then please study more detailed professional cosmetic science, or learn to become a cosmetic chemist, with the Institute of Personal Care Science: visit IPCS or email info@personalcarescience.com.au
Why can’t I use certain types of cosmetic ingredients with each other – why do they show up as ‘incompatible’?
The create cosmetic formulas program has been designed to help make sure you don’t make incompatible cosmetic ingredient selections. Incompatibilities may be for one or more of the following reasons with various cosmetic ingredient combinations:
- pH incompatibilities
- charge incompatibilities
- electrolyte incompatibilities
- method incompatibilities
We’ve built certain cosmetic ingredient restrictions into the program so you don’t need to worry about the ‘why’, you can just enjoy making cosmetic formulas! If you’d like to learn more about cosmetic ingredient selection and incompatibilities, then please study more detailed professional cosmetic formulation training, or learn to become a cosmetic chemist, with the Institute of Personal Care Science: visit IPCS or email info@personalcarescience.com.au
is the create cosmetic formulas program like a cosmetic calculator?
No - it's so much more!
Cosmetic calculators usually require you to know which cosmetic ingredients you want to use when making cosmetic formulas, but the create cosmetic formulas doesn't need you to know anything about cosmetic ingredient selection or formulation at all!
Cosmetic calculators usually require you to know how much of each cosmetic ingredient you need to use too, but the create cosmetic formulas program doesn't need you to know this part either! The program recognises which cosmetic ingredients you want to use, and guides you on the right amount to suit the cosmetic formula you are making, without you needing to already know this or even know why.
Cosmetic calculators don't give you a method. Even the best cosmetic ingredient selection is useless without the right method to put the ingredients together! The create cosmetic formulas program recognises the cosmetic ingredients you have selected and automatically creates the right method to put them all together, so you can get making cosmetics properly, without needing to know this already.
Download our Getting Started Guide – FREE!
Can I get help with making my cosmetic formula?
The create cosmetic formulas programs are designed to help you develop cosmetic formulas based on theoretically suitable cosmetic ingredient selections. Once you have subscribed to create cosmetic formulas, you can join our exclusive facebook group for create cosmetic formulas formulators or email us for assistance.
And if you’d like to learn how to formulate professionally, or become a cosmetic chemist, please visit Institute of Personal Care Science or email info@personalcarescience.com.au
Why does the method tell me to make cosmetics a certain way?
We’ve developed this program to help make sure your cosmetic ingredient selections work together, and get put together, in a way that works, even for beginners. Our formula methods have been designed to suit small sample preparation. If you prepare your formula in a manner other than what we have provided, the sample may not work out right for you. Please follow our directions as we’ve made them specific to the cosmetic ingredients, and combination of ingredients, that you’ve selected.
I’ve read that I should be using certain cosmetic ingredients or using a method different to what you’ve listed…
There is a lot of misinformation on the internet, so you need to be careful of where you have sourced information. Our create cosmetic formulas program and information is based on scientific fact and years of cosmetic formulation experience. Please follow our methods and inputs to get your samples right.
If you’d like to become a qualified cosmetic chemist and/or learn more about ingredient selection, incompatibilities and formulation development, then please study more detailed professional formulation with Institute of Personal Care Science: visit IPCS or email info@personalcarescience.com.au
My water won’t calculate properly…
All cosmetic formulas are created to total 100% by weight. If you have a lot of water alternatives, and the total formulation content exceeds 100%, the program gets confused. Please check and adjust your water alternatives so that the total cosmetic ingredient inputs add up to 100%, then your water should read 0, and your formula will work.
What does this word or terminology mean?
Have you read our making cosmetic formulas terminology information sheet? This can be accessed here:
I’m having trouble getting my sample to turn out right. Can you help?
Have you watched our instructional videos? Please watch them here:
If you’d like to become a qualified cosmetic chemist and/or learn more about cosmetic ingredient selection, incompatibilities and cosmetic formulation development, then please study more detailed professional formulation with Institute of Personal Care Science: visit IPCS or email info@personalcarescience.com.au
How can I learn to be a Cosmetic Chemist?
If you’d like to become a qualified cosmetic chemist and/or learn more about cosmetic ingredient selection, incompatibilities and cosmetic formulation development, then please study more detailed professional formulation with Institute of Personal Care Science: visit IPCS or email info@personalcarescience.com.au
We have a variety of workshops, Advanced Certificates and Diploma courses, please visit our study options page for a quick overview, with links to where you can find more detailed information. Also visit our What will I learn to formulate page? for an overview of the types of products you will learn to formulate in each of our cosmetic science courses.
How can I save my cosmetic formula to my computer?
Once you have created a formula using the create cosmetic formulas program, you can download it in PDF file. Click here to see simple instructions.
How to make your own cosmetics formulas - the easy (and fun) way
If you have been wondering how to make cosmetic formulas, and how to choose safe cosmetic ingredients, then this is the program for you.
There are two ways to choose cosmetic ingredients correctly: one is to LEARN cosmetic science so you are confident of your selections - please visit Institute of Personal Care Science for professional cosmetic science learning...
OR
Use the create cosmetic formulas program, where cosmetic ingredient selection has been pre-loaded by industry leading cosmetic chemist, Belinda Carli. This program takes the guesswork out of:
- what is a natural preservative for cosmetics
- how much preservative to use in cosmetics
- what is a natural emulsifier
- how to make cosmetic formulas
- how to choose cosmetic ingredients
- what cosmetic ingredients go together with in-built safe guards to stop you from pairing up non-complementary ingredients.
What is a good natural preservative for cosmetics?
There is a lot of misinformation on the internet about what is a good natural preservative for cosmetics. While there are some natural preservatives in cosmetics, most are 'nature identical', which means they are synthetic, but identical to what occurs in nature, including potassium sorbate, sorbic acid and sodium benzoate.
In the create cosmetic formulas program, we are really honest with you about what is a natural preservative, and what is nature identical (synthetic), so you can choose a cosmetic preservative that is going to work, and suit your preference about how natural it is.
How much preservative to use in cosmetics?
If you use too little cosmetic preservative, it won't preserve your cosmetic formula effectively. If you use too much cosmetic preservative, even a natural preservative, it can be irritating to users and even breach cosmetic regulations. So how do you make sure you get preservative selection right?
In the create cosmetic formulas program, we have pre-set the amount of each cosmetic ingredient, so once you choose a preservative for cosmetics, we give you a very set range it should be used at, so you can never use too much, or too little. Select preservatives in cosmetics with confidence with the create cosmetic formulas program.
What is a natural emulsifier?
An emulsifier is a material used in cosmetic creams and lotions to hold the oil and water phases together, to make a glossy looking cream. There are a lot of natural emulsifying agents you can choose from, and the create cosmetic formulas program contains a list of natural emulsifiers you can choose from, depending on which natural emulsifiers you can source easily.
In the create cosmetic formulas program, we have a list of natural emulsifiers included so you can make your selection easily - and once selected, the program even tells you how much to use based on the cosmetic formula and product type you are aiming to create. This progam shows you how to make cosmetic formulas easily - and how to select a natural emulsifier - so you get it right, every time.
Watch how easy it is create natural and organic cosmetic formulas using our program, here: