How to formulate an innovative product with our active ingredients

Do you find inspiration in current trends? Do you also like to walk around—for example, at the airport—browsing the huge selection in the beauty section of the duty-free shop? Or do you research new raw materials and possible combinations?

For me, it’s a combination of all of that. But above all, I absolutely love having raw material suppliers presenting their new ingredients to me. This gives me lots of ideas for possible guide formulations. Of course, I have to take the many restrictions and requests into account. I always keep the “no-gos” and “go-gos” in the back of my mind.

It’s like Christmas when the raw material samples arrive. Unwrapping the packages and getting excited. It’s a kind of anticipation for the development work ahead.

And now it’s time to get started: How would you go about it? What’s the first thing that comes to mind, and what’s the last?

In most cases, I start with the active ingredient. Thanks to the many laboratory tests we conducted for the Formulation Guideline, we know exactly what we can do with our active ingredients and what could lead to instability.

I then sketch out a basic structure on paper that includes all the raw materials I would like to use. I list them in the exact order they will be processed later in the manufacturing process and make notes on pH levels and temperatures. Some emulsifiers, gelling agents, and even preservatives require specific conditions to reach their full potential. As soon as I move from theory to practice, I test the gelling agent, solubilizer, and emulsifier without our active ingredient. Natural plant oils, hydrolates, and even charged gelling agents can significantly influence a system and should be tested separately.

I know my active ingredient well. But it’s essential that I also get to know the other raw materials in my formulation. The raw material manufacturers’ formulation guidelines and my own lab tests help me with this. As soon as the formulation appears stable and feels pleasing to the senses, I add my active ingredient. I prefer to add it to the formulation at the end, ideally during the cooling process, at temperatures below 40°C. By then, most emulsifiers and gelling agents have stabilized. Even though the pH value depends on temperature, I like to adjust it before adding my active ingredient. The easiest way is to determine the pH during preliminary tests: simply measure it at room temperature and adjust it with the required amount of sodium hydroxide solution or citric acid. Now you know how much sodium hydroxide solution or citric acid you need to achieve the desired pH range. When you repeat the process, you can add the exact same amount to your formulation while stirring and then incorporate the active ingredient. Check the pH again at room temperature and make any necessary adjustments.

Next comes the perfume. Here, too, I like to get briefed on the year’s current trends and have small fragrance samples sent to me. If I can’t decide between the different scents, I take small amounts of my formulation and work a little perfume into each one. The scent of the formulation has to harmonize with the perfume, and I also have to figure out the perfume concentration. How much can I add? Or rather, how much do I need to add to make it smell the way I imagined it would?

And don't forget that the individual ingredients in the perfume can also affect the formulation. This can lead to a loss of viscosity, discoloration, or a shift in pH.

And if you think you’ve thought of everything and are all set, I’m afraid I have to disappoint you. Never forget to test the packaging material, no matter what you choose, whether glass or plastic. These components come into direct contact with your product and therefore affect its stability.

There’s no getting around doing a stability test in a glass and in the original packaging. Unfortunately, this is also the most time-consuming part, and you should never cut corners here.

Now you know how I am going about my product development work. Maybe you have a different approach? There are many ways to skin a cat. The main thing is that you have fun developing products and enjoy the challenge of creating an innovative product from new raw materials and active ingredients.