If you have already spent some time formulating your own DIY cosmetics, there comes a moment when you start wanting something more than the usual ingredients. 

You start looking beyond the classic gums, preservatives, actives and emulsifiers and you begin to notice certain ingredients in the INCI lists of beautiful commercial natural cosmetics, ingredients that are not always easy to find from the usual suppliers. And then a question appears, almost inevitably: how would my formulas change if I could finally try them too?

This is exactly the feeling I had while exploring Handymade.

After my Handymade ingredients review Part 1, where I shared some unusual ingredients that immediately captured my attention, like raspberry fruit water and other hidden gems, in this second part I want to take you a little deeper, exploring the kind of ingredients that can make your DIY formulations feel more refined and pro. Not in a cold or overly technical way, but in that exciting way that makes you want to go back to your wonderlab, open your notebook and start imagining new textures.
And of course, all these ingredients are admitted in natural cosmetics, because if you know me, you know I’m quite strict about that.

If you decide to explore Handymade too, remember that you can use the code WONDERLAB for 7% off, which makes these little ingredient adventures even sweeter.

Pro gums to explore when xanthan is no longer enough

Xanthan gum is often the first gum we learn to use in natural cosmetics, and for good reason. It is easy, versatile and very forgiving, but once you become more familiar with formulation, you may begin to notice its limits too. Sometimes it can feel a little slimy or not always as elegant as the feel we are looking for.

This is when exploring other gums becomes especially exciting…

Solagum AX: a fluid texture enhancer for mists and toners

Solagum AX is a blend of Acacia Senegal Gum and Xanthan Gum and I find it one of the most interesting ingredients if you want to improve texture without creating a thick gel.

It does not thicken as much as xanthan on its own, but this is exactly part of its charm.

I have been testing it at very low percentages, around 0.1–0.2%, pre dispersed in glycerin or pentylene glycol before adding water, and I find it especially lovely in mists and toners. It gives a more refined after feel, softer and less sticky, keeping the formula fluid and sprayable. It is also very practical because it does not need heating.

I will share more in one of my next recipes, where I plan to use it together with the wonderful raspberry fruit water I told you about in the previous Handymade review article.

VIVASTAR CS 3005 XV: creamier gels and playful powder-to-gel textures

VIVASTAR CS 3005 XV also contains xanthan, but it behaves quite differently because it includes tara gum (Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum), which brings more creaminess to the texture.

It is interesting not only for classical gels and emulsions, but also for more playful textures, like powder-to-gel cosmetics that turn into a creamy gel when the powder meets water. It is also useful as a support gum in emulsions.

I made a gel with 0.5% VIVASTAR and, compared with a gel made with the same percentage of xanthan, I noticed that is thicker. The texture is creamier and more elegant, and what I especially like is the way it spreads on the skin: beautifully, but with faster absorption and a velvety afterfeel. Xanthan alone, on the other hand, tends to absorb more slowly and feels slimmer and more damp.

L-Arginine: a gentler pH adjuster to know

Another ingredient I was very curious to find on Handymade is L-Arginine powder.

It is one of those pro ingredients that are not always easy to find in DIY suppliers, but can be useful once you start exploring formulation deeper.

L-Arginine can be an alternative to sodium hydroxide when you need to increase the pH of a cosmetic. Of course, it is not a perfect one to one replacement and sodium hydroxide is a stabler choice in some cases, but in DIY cosmetics it can be a very practical option.

Many people are not comfortable preparing and handling a sodium hydroxide solution because it’s an ingredient that requires extra care and can be highly irritating if not handled properly. For this reason, some beginner DIY Skincare lovers turn to bicarbonate (baking soda), but this is not really the proper way to raise pH in cosmetics. It is not considered a reliable pH adjuster and it can lead to fizzing, gas release, unpredictable pH shifts and instability. 

L-Arginine is a more elegant solution than bicarbonate and a practical way to use it is to prepare a fresh solution with 1 g L-Arginine + 9 g distilled water. Then, use this solution q.s. to raise the pH of your formula little by little, always checking with a pH meter or strips.

Skin-feel enhancers, small details that change everything

When I work on a cosmetic, I always like to think not only about the function, but also about the feeling.

How does it spread?
How does it disappear into the skin?
Does it leave softness and elegance?

Sometimes a formula is technically correct, but what makes it perfect is the skin feel... and this is why I chose Sodium PCA, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate and LexFeel Natural.

Sodium PCA, one of the most beautiful humectants for skin feel

Sodium PCA is naturally part of the skin’s NMF, the Natural Moisturizing Factor, and it is one of the most effective humectants. It gives a beautiful feel to cosmetics, helps support hydration and contributes to a healthy skin barrier. I find it especially lovely in formulas for sensitive or dehydrated skin.

It can be heated up to about 70°C and the typical dosage is up to 5%.

I used it in the past and loved it, but it was not easy to find, so it had been a long time since I worked with it. Finding it again made me very happy and this is exactly the kind of ingredient that makes me feel Handymade is a real DIY formulator’s paradise, full of ingredients that are not always easy to find elsewhere!

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, the natural silicone alternative that feels like summer

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is one of those tricks that can easily improve an entire formula.

It’s a natural mix of esters derived from coconut oil, with an incredibly light and silky feel. It is considered one of the natural alternatives to silicones, giving a similar elegant slip without what many natural DIY formulators prefer to avoid.

It can dramatically improve texture and is especially beautiful in lightweight face oils, dry body oils, serums, hair oils and lightweight creams. I find it especially inspiring for summer formulas.

LexFeel Natural, a drier and elegant finish

LexFeel Natural (Heptyl Undecylenate) is another very interesting skin-feel enhancer of natural origin.

Compared with Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, it feels drier and is excellent when you want to reduce the greasiness of an oil blend or give balms and salves a more elegant finish. Perfect fro "Dry oils".

This is the kind of ingredient that more experienced DIY formulators often dream of trying, because it can make homemade formulas feel closer to the refined sensory experience of a professional product. It is also useful in hair care and makeup.

Preservatives and boosters: more delicate, more demanding

When I naturally scent my cosmetics with delicate ingredients, especially hydrosols, I often prefer a preservative with a more neutral smell. In most of my formulas, Cosgard / Geogard 221 is still my favorite choice, because I find it more reliable, versatile and overall easier to work with. It is the preservative I trust the most and the one I use in the majority of my cosmetics. But when I want the formula to have a very neutral base, so the soft scent of a hydrosol or another subtle botanical ingredient can shine more clearly, I enjoy exploring other preservative systems with a less noticeable smell.

That is one of the reasons why I was curious to explore some of Handymade’s preservative options.

I selected:

• Preservative 1388 ECO Plus 
  INCI: Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Glycerin, Aqua
  
  
• Euxyl K 712
  INCI: Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Aqua

These preservatives can be lovely in natural formulas, but they are less forgiving than Cosgard. They require the right pH, the right type of formula and sometimes the support of preservative boosters to be safer.

I personally prefer to use them in formulas that are not overloaded with ingredients that make preservation more difficult, like sugars, proteins, certain botanical extracts or very contamination prone actives. I also like to pair them with hygienic packaging, such as airless jars or bottles that reduce direct contact with the product.

Preservative 1388 ECO Plus

With Preservative 1388 ECO Plus, the pH should stay below 5.5, ideally around 5.

I find it more suitable for creams and surfactant systems than for very watery formulas, because it can recrystallize if the formula does not properly support its solubility, especially if over the 2,5%.

Euxyl K 712

For Euxyl K 712, pH is also essential. It works best in acidic formulas, so again the finished product should stay at pH 5.5 or lower, ideally around 5.

Pentylene Glycol ECO

To support these preservative systems, Pentylene Glycol ECO can be very useful, usually around 3–5%.

On top of that, it’s a real multitasker: it improves hydration, supports the the penetration of active substances, feels lighter than glycerin and can help boost the preservative system. Also, it acts as a co-solubilizer, as a solvent and can be used in herbal extracts. It’s one of those practical ingredients that make a formula both more elegant and more functional.

Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate

Another very interesting ingredient you can find on Handymade is Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, generally used around 0.5–5%.

It is oil-soluble, so you should use it in the hot oil phase of emulsions or other lipid based cosmetics. It can support preservation, but it is more than just a booster as it also works as an emollient, a co-emulsifier and a sensorial ingredient.

It is one of those ingredients I find especially exciting because it does several things at once, making formulas softer, more spreadable and more polished, with a light touch.

A practical preservation approach

As a practical starting guide, I would use:

For creams: Preservative 1388 ECO Plus: 3.5–4% + Pentylene Glycol ECO: 3% and/or Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate: 0.5%

For simple hydrosol toners or mists: Euxyl K 712: 1% + Pentylene Glycol ECO: 3%

Of course, every formula must be evaluated as a whole, but these are the kind of combinations I find especially useful when I want to move a little beyond the most usual preservative choices in certain naturally scented cosmetics. 

Sodium Phytate

And then there is Sodium Phytate, a chelator for natural cosmetics that can give an extra safety boost to formulas.

Chelators are not preservatives, but they can be extremely useful when you are working with preservative systems that are a little more delicate or less forgiving. They help by binding metal ions that may naturally be present in water, plant extracts or minerals. These ions can accelerate oxidation and lead to color changes, rancidity, instability and even make preservation more difficult.

They are not very known in DIY natural cosmetics, perhaps because they feel a little more “pro,” and because many homemade products are used quite quickly and don’t always need it. However, if you want more reliable and more pro results, they are definitely worth knowing.

Sodium Phytate is usually used at 0.1–0.2%, and should be added below 40°C.

An emulsifier to discover

If you want to explore emulsifiers beyond the classic Olivem 1000 or Emulsan II, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate could be a great choice.

It can be very interesting when you want a lighter, cleaner, smoother and not waxy result. It works especially well for medium to fluid emulsions, and I see it as a lovely option for summer creams, face lotions and elegant emulsions.

It needs some structural support (a gum + a fatty alcohol like cetyl alcohol) but it is still fairly easy to use. It should be melted in the hot phase and Handymade recommends using 3% emulsifier with 25% oils.

More Handymade discoveries are coming soon in Part 3

Part 2 of my Handymade ingredients review ends here, but I still have many other discoveries to share with you. And if this little ingredient journey has made you curious to try some of them yourself, you can use the code WONDERLAB for 7% off on Handymade. A small gift for new formulation adventures!

There are more beautiful actives, more unusual ingredients and more of those small formulation treasures that make you want to test and create.

Stay tuned for Part 3 and read Part 1 now if you missed it!