r/DIYBeauty

Hi! I’m trying to source two different carrier oils. The first one is Prickly Pear Seed oil. Obviously this is an incredibly expensive carrier but I found it for a reasonable price at Lotion Crafter. It’s completely sold out which I’m assuming could be good, indicating people like it? I’m curious on if they’re a trustworthy, quality supplier. I’m also curious how in the world their prickly pear oil is hundreds of dollars under market average.

Second, I’m trying to source olive derived squalane oil. It has to be cold-pressed. I’ve had no issue finding it but none of them are cold-pressed. H&B is the only one that claims it is, but I’ve never even heard of them until today. Was hoping for some experienced feedback on them as well.

If anyone has other reliable sources for the carriers above, please let me know. Thank you!

okay so i'm about to spend an absurd amount of money buying the ingredients to make an emulsified body butter because i think it'll be worth it in the long run. i have no prior experience making something like this so i would appreciate feedback on my recipe before i buy all the bs for this and make it lol.

my goal with this butter is something that wont clog my pores/worsen body acne or oily-ness, helps with dry skin & acne, helps with scarring/stretch marks, smells good but wont irritate my skin, and tastes alright when my skin is kissed (context: my partner and i really like kissing each others' hands and the current store bought body butter i use is apparently extremely bitter lol). a lot of the ingredients ive chosen are for scent and taste/body safety (floral water instead of essential oils, honey, citric & malic acid specifically), so any suggestions should take that into account. because of the ingredients im using im really unsure of this thing's shelf life too, so any pointers there would be helpful. as well as what the consistency of this might be like, as im going for something thicker.

ingredients
• lavender hydrosol 4oz
• orange hydrosol 4oz
• distilled water 1.5oz
• honey 5.7g
• aloe vera (fresh) 2.5oz
• xanthan gum 2.8g
• citric acid 2.6g
• malic acid 2.6g

• shea butter 4oz
• rosehip oil 1oz
• jojoba oil 1oz
• emulsifying wax nf 1.6oz
• cetyl alcohol 11.3g
• vitamin e oil 5.7g

• arrowroot power 2.6g (unsure of exactly what step to add this one in, im assuming cooldown phase??)

i'm using similar proportions to this recipe, though im trying to make 20oz of it not 4 lol

1. Icing

2.Masoor dal and honey

3.Rice flour + curd

4.Coffee roasted haldi and potato juice

5. Aloevera gel

I saw this on Instagram

Are the steps okay?

Is there anything wrong in them?

In my formulation to create a shampoo cleanser I got these parts.

Part 5A ,I have to mix in

Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate 15g

Sodium carbomer 1,6 g

With 60 ml hot water ( what temperature should I have to hydrate sodium carbomer pre neutralized) ?

What temperature of water is advised?

Then this mix will be mixed with

Part 5B :

Decyl glucoside 75 ml

Sodium cocoamphoacetate 22,5 ml

Citric acid 2g

Coco betaine 65 ml

Stir in Part 5A and frig overnight

back when coconut oil was trendy putting it my hair smelled so bad after a couple hours. Recently I got MCT oil to make a dry body oil (Humblebee recipe). Some of the ingredients haven’t arrived yet so I tried just a small amount of straight MCT oil on my skin. it felt nice but the next morning my pajamas smelled so bad, like they were left damp for a month even though they were freshly clean and dry. It’s much worse than the coconut oil smell was.

Is this a common problem or just my body not agreeing with coconut? I haven’t ever had this problem with jojoba but I know that’s a unique oil. Will the vitamin E in my finished product help prevent this?

When considering an at-home skincare device, you'll find that prices can range from relatively affordable to quite expensive. With so many options available, it can be difficult to know what actually makes a device worth the price.

Instead of focusing only on the cost, think about whether you'll realistically use it on a regular basis. Even the most expensive device isn't a good investment if it ends up sitting unused, while a device that becomes part of your routine may offer much better value over time.

It's also important to have realistic expectations. Home skincare devices are designed for regular at-home use and are not intended to replace professional medical treatments. If you have concerns that require expert care, it's best to consult a qualified healthcare professional rather than relying on a home device alone.

When comparing devices, consider factors such as your skincare goals, ease of use, build quality, safety, and whether the device fits your lifestyle. Choosing something you'll use consistently is often more valuable than simply choosing the most expensive option.

What do you look for when deciding whether a skincare device is worth the price? Share your thoughts in the comments.

I want to make my cream deodorant, without aluminum ofc so not anti transpirant, i m looking for a performant active ingredient to stay odour free. I found "Zinc ricinoleate" but too expensive and found no data or reviews about it's efficacy .. what are your thoughts about it? And do you have other ingredients i can use to maximize the stink protection?

I made this shampoo bar following this recipe and it's been doing well so far but a client who has chemically treated hair told me it was too harsh on her hair. Can someone help me modify it so I can make another one for chemically treated hair that's more nourishing and less harsh?

here's the recipe:
9.5g | 1.9% BTMS-50
19g | 3.8% cocoa butter
2.5g | 0.5% avocado oil
14g | 2.8% stearic acid
0.75g | 0.15% Liquid germall plus

200g | 40% SCI
107.75g | 21.55% Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSa)
81g | 16.2% white kaolin clay
1.5g | 0.3% mica

46.25g | 9.25% Cocamidopropyl Betaine
5g | 1% fragrance oil or essential oil
1g | 0.2% citric acid

I've recently started making my own homemade lip balm using cocoa butter (2-3 tbsp?), beeswax (15-20 small pellets), sweet almond oil (1-2 drops), and olive oil (1 drop). Apologies for the insultingly small scale, I just make it when I need it and I don't make it for anyone else.

In any case, I've been trying to make a dupe of a cocoa butter lip balm that I used to have. It would have a strong compound chocolate smell, like very cheap chocolate, and it was very nourishing and I loved it. The shop I used to get it from says they used cocoa butter, shea butter, beeswax, coconut oil, and olive oil; no fragrance oils.

Is there something they're using that I'm not that complements the cocoa butter more than beeswax and sweet almond oil? I tried cutting back on the beeswax, which I smelled the strongest, but of course that just removed the structure of the balm. Any insight on this mystery is appreciated, thank you!

I want to thicken an oil serum and looking for advice. The chassis is very thin and I want to add some surface tension so it doesn’t drip everywhere when I apply it. The first priority is to maintain smoothness. I’d like to keep it clear if possible.

Composition includes:
CCT
c12-15
Hemisqualane
Jojoba oil
Squalane
Some essential oils

Things I’ve tried already:
Silica dimethyl silylate 3% - turns out gritty the next day
Cetyl, not enough structuring at 3% (may need more?)
Olivem 900 - nice but has tiny clumps on cooldown
Behenyl Behenate - very hazy, also tiny clumps

Any recommendations for what to try next?

Allergic to Conditioner Preservatives. Now mixing glycerin, Aloe, Distilled Water.

I am allergic to fragrance. If it's in make up or skin care, my face swells. My face was still swelling with Cleure fragrance free conditioner I did the patch test and I'm allergic to linalool, which is a preservative in basically every skin care item and conditioner.

My doctor set me up with ADCS Camps. It did say I can use Harklinikken Daily conditioner but I'm finding it's causing some swelling. The other conditioners recommended on the app were for people with coarse hair and I have medium and easy to manage hair.

I need something to smooth my hair. I read online, you can mix together distilled water, pure aloe, pure organic glycerin, and jojoba oil. I made this as a leave-in conditioner. I don't store it or anything. I just make a small amount for each washing. I don't know if anyone's ever done this before long-term.

I'm allergic to:

• belzalkonium chloride -cobalt chloride -linalool -octyl gallate -propolis

Hello,

I’m a licensed esthetician with over 4 years of experience. I want to create my own hard wax brand for license cosmetologist, estheticians, barbers, and salons. I’ve been doing research and came across little details about finding a manufacture. Not sure if I’m looking at the right place. If anyone knows of anyone who can create and supply me with tools, I would truly really appreciate it.

Thank you in advance. (Located in California.)

When I was still a post-doc at a university, I could get samples of actives, surfactants, and even medical supplies from major manufacturers using the address of my university lab. This allowed me to create personal formulations with ingredients that either weren't offered by vendors like Lotion Crafter or weren't at the purity levels I needed.

Now I have an LLC, a website, and a company email, but only a residential address. Not surprisingly, it's hard to get samples now. How do people overcome this? AI searches led me to third-party logistics (3PL) companies, chem or pharma maker spaces, and local formulators. That might be ok, though it'd be nice to have a free option. Interested to see if anyone else had similar challenges and found workarounds.

so I used to have this massive routine. like 8-10 steps every night. it was exhausting and I didn't even enjoy it anymore. started getting into DIY beauty a while back and now my routine is just 3 things. a cleanser I made, a moisturizer I made, and sometimes a face oil I mixed myself.

and my skin is fine better than fine actually less red, less angry, more stable.

I think I was just overwhelming it before. too many ingredients. too many layers. my skin couldn't even breathe.

anyway. I'm not a purist or anything. I still use sunscreen from the store. but the rest? I'm good. anyone else simplified to mostly DIY and never went back?

I started making my own toner about six months ago, mostly because I was spending way too much on storebought products and wanted to know exactly what was going on my skin. After a lot of trial and error I landed on something simple: witch hazel as a base with a few drops of rose water and a tiny bit of vegetable glycerin for hydration. My skin honestly feels more balanced than it ever did with anything I bought off the shelf.

The ratio I settled on is roughly three parts witch hazel to one part rose water with just a few drops of glycerin per small bottle. I keep it refrigerated, which also helps with puffiness in the morning.

What I'm still figuring out is whether adding something like green tea or aloe vera juice would actually improve it or just complicate things. I've read mixed opinions on both and I don't want to mess with something that's currently working.

I know a lot of people here have way more experience than me so I'm genuinely curious what combinations others have landed on. Did you find certain ingredients caused irritation even when individually they seemed fine together? Also curious if anyone has played around with preservatives for longer shelf life, since I'm currently making very small batches to avoid waste.

Would love to hear what your goto formulas look like.

hello! i am trying to find resources to dupe (or just approximate) a formulation that I love. i know very little about chemistry and am having trouble finding info about a lip product like this, instead of a waxier/creamier balm formula.

this is the original ingredient list (made by Florence):
Octyldodecanol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Ethylcellulose, Silica Silylate, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Water/Aqua, Squalane, Hexylene Glycol, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance/Parfum, Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Blue 1 (CI 42090).

Is there an easy way for me to approximate this formula with a lipgloss base or something with squalane and apricot kernel oil added?

TIA!!!

I have a Masters in Chemistry and a background in pharmaceutical production. I’ve spent the last year going deep into cosmetic formulation and wanted to share a practical starting point for anyone wanting to formulate their own skincare.
Most beginner formulation content online is either too vague or written for a Western audience. This is specifically for Indian formulators.
Before you pick a single ingredient, answer these four questions:
What do I want this product to do?

What texture do I want — gel, lotion, cream, oil?

What systems do I need — hydration, lipids, structure, preservation?

What are my constraints — pH, cost, skin sensitivity?

Only after that do you choose ingredients. Formulation is engineering, not mixing nice things together.
The simplest formula a beginner can actually make:
A basic hydrating gel requires no emulsification, no oil phase, and no heating of two separate phases. Here’s a starting structure:
Water — base

Glycerin 4% — humectant, draws water into skin

Panthenol 2% — barrier support, soothing

Niacinamide 4% — multi-benefit active

Carbomer 0.3% — gives the gel its texture

Neutraliser — to bring pH to around 5.5

Preservative 1% — non-negotiable in any water-based formula

That’s it. Seven ingredients, no special equipment beyond a scale and a pH meter, and a genuinely effective product.
The mistake almost every beginner makes:
Skipping or underestimating preservation. Any formula containing water will grow bacteria, yeast, and mould without a proper preservative system. “Natural” does not mean preserved. A contaminated product can cause serious skin infections.
Where to source ingredients in India:
Skip general chemical suppliers for anything going on skin. Look specifically for cosmetic-grade suppliers who can provide a Certificate of Analysis (COA) with every ingredient. Mumbai has the largest cluster of cosmetic raw material distributors. Several online platforms now serve indie formulators with small minimum order quantities.

I’ve put together a full guide covering formulation, safety, sourcing in India, regulation, and how to turn a formula into a sellable product. Happy to answer questions in the comments.

Hi everyone,

I'm a cosmetic formulator based in India and I'm trying to develop a luxury shimmer body oil where the mica remains suspended without settling to the bottom.

I've researched a lot of formulations, and many recommend:

• TKB Thickening Clay (Quaternium-90 Sepiolite & Quaternium-90 Montmorillonite)
• Polyurethane-79 (e.g., Oilkemia™ 5S / Crystal Clear Wax)
• Trihydroxystearin
• AEROSIL® R972 (Silica Dimethyl Silylate)

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to source any of these in small quantities in India. Most suppliers either don't stock them, only sell industrial quantities, or the products turn out to be different grades (e.g., regular Aerosil 200 instead of R972).

My goal is:

• Crystal-clear body oil
• Suspended mica (minimal settling)
• Lightweight, luxurious skin feel
• No emulsifier (anhydrous formula)

Has anyone formulated shimmer oils without these ingredients?

I'd really appreciate any suggestions or supplier recommendations. Thank you!

I'm creating a natural insect repellent, and stuck on what to use as a preservative/antimicrobial. It's a water/witch hazel based formula with soybean oil and essential oils, Id like for it to be fifra 25b, so taking that into consideration for preservatives

What makes a shampoo "clarifying?" Just using harsher detergents, I assume? I usually formulate either a shampoo bar with SLSa and SCI or a liquid conditioning shampoo with SCI, coco glucoside, and CAPB as surfactants. I'm wanting to try the Abbey Yung method but make the product categories myself as I diy all of my products currently. I see a lot of hard water treatment and clarifying shampoos recommended and am not sure what is needed to formulate those. Would EDTA work for hard water as it's a chelating agent? And would switching one of my surfactants to SLS make it "clarifying?" Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree lol