What’s the difference? When you start out making your own cosmetics you’ll probably be using recipes. Everything will be measured in teaspoons and cups and your information will read like a recipe for cooking.
As a self-proclaimed math dummy I am not ashamed to say that the whole formula thing scared me, but once you get it, you got it! A formula is the professional way to do things. The main difference is that all ingredients weighed instead of measured and that means you can be very precise even with tiny amounts. It’s also invaluable if you are starting your own cosmetic manufacturing business because it expresses your ingredients in terms of weight and percentage which means you can double or triple the amounts and get a reliable outcome. The percentages tell you exactly what order you need to list your ingredients on labeling. And even more important when you are trying new formulas and purchasing ingredients, the manufacturers will give you suggested usage based on percentage. I know, it sounds complicated, but read on brave soul and I will explain it to you.
The biggest difference between using a recipe or a formula is that you will need a digital scale to use formulas. Because everything is weighed (even liquids) all the guess-work about precise amounts is taken care of. Digital scales are not expensive; I think I paid $15 for mine…worth every penny! You’ll also need a selection of measuring containers. I use little plastic cups, a set of stainless steel measuring cups, a set of glass bowls in varying sizes and good old fashioned measuring cups. I also have a set of stainless measuring spoons and long handled stainless spoons for stirring. A set of rubber spatulas are handy too.
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| The scale I own from New Dirctions Aromatics |
So let’s say you are measuring your oil. Choose a container that will hold the amount you need. Turn on your scale and when it shows 0 grams, add the empty container. It will show the weight of the container which of course you don’t want! There will be a button that says Tare. Tare will put the weight back at zero. Now you can add your oil slowly…you’ll see the weight reading changing, so when you get close to the amount you need, slow right down. If you go over, just use a clean spoon to take some away.
Easy right? Just remember to use tare and you can measure anything from tiny bits to large amounts.
As for figuring out the formulas? Well that’s dead easy too…because you can start with a pre-made one from the wonderful folks at The Herbarie. They provide formulas for everything from beginner creams to the more complex. Of course you’ll want to substitute your own ingredients, but the formulas provided will give you a starting point and get your creative juices flowing. I also highly recommend this site for finding ingredients along with all the info you’ll need to make these key decisions. They are my top supplier for ingredients in the USA. You can find their “Formulary” here.
There are lots of formulas available on the net, I just trust the folks at The Herbarie. Google cosmetic formulas and you can find lots more.
As far as I am concerned, this is the first step to going pro. Using a formula and learning good manufacturing practices will take you out of the “crunchy granola” faze and into OMG…you made this?
PS: Formulas also make figuring out your costs easier. You’ll still have to do some math, but it will be much easier. Finding a reliable site that can convert liquid measurements to weight and ounces to grams will be a big help here. Sometimes ingredients are sold by the ounce and your formula will be in grams, so you will need to convert. I use an app on my Ipad to do this…oh the wonders of technology!
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