IO Concentrated Skin Care Active Liquid

Serums and concentrates are where actives get the most attention, because customers expect them to carry the strongest ingredients. IO Concentrated Skin Care Active Liquid is a water-soluble active listed for serums, creams and actives-based concentrates.

Product data

Water-soluble. Applications from the card: serums, creams and actives. For this ingredient, the supplier CoA of each lot confirms the exact INCI, composition and recommended level.

Propanediol carriers

Many actives are supplied pre-dissolved in 1,3-propanediol, a glycol that dissolves extracts, helps preservation and gives a light feel. If the CoA confirms this, account for the propanediol in your ingredient list and in the total glycol content of the formula.

Product formats

Concentrated serum

A small-volume serum with the active as hero.

Ampoule

A short-course concentrate used for a week or two.

Daily cream

An emulsion with the active in the water phase.

Booster

A few drops mixed into a customer's own moisturizer.

Formulating guidance

Add the active during cool-down into the water phase and check the finished pH. Pair it with niacinamide for an even-tone message, low molecular weight hyaluronic acid for hydration and D-Panthenol for comfort. More ingredients are listed under actives.

Claims

Base claims on supplier documentation and tests of the finished product. Without data, keep wording to feel, radiance and hydration.

Who the products are for

Customers who like concentrated products and short intensive courses, and brands with a professional or clinical-look aesthetic.

Booster format

Boosters let customers customize their routine. Keep the texture watery so it blends into creams without changing their feel.

Test plan

Build three batches at different levels within the supplier recommendation, store them at room temperature and 40 °C and compare pH, color, odor and clarity weekly.

Testing

Run full stability once screening passes, including light exposure.

Packaging

Droppers and ampoules for concentrates, airless pumps for creams.

Batch quality

Keep the CoA for each lot and store retained samples.

Labeling

Use the INCI from the CoA on the label rather than the trade name.

Range planning

A serum, an ampoule course and a cream form a concentrated care line.

Original recipe: concentrated booster serum, 30 g

Purified water 24.75 g, IO Concentrated Skin Care Active Liquid 1.50 g as an example level per CoA, glycerin 0.90 g, propanediol 0.90 g, niacinamide 0.60 g, sodium hyaluronate 0.06 g, hydroxyethylcellulose 0.15 g, panthenol 0.30 g, preservative 0.30 g, sodium citrate solution 0.54 g. For IO Concentrated Skin Care Active Liquid, disperse cellulose and hyaluronate in the glycols, add water and hydrate. Add niacinamide, the active, panthenol and preservative below 40 °C. Adjust pH to about 5.5.

Ampoule courses

Ampoule courses work well as seasonal resets: after summer sun, before winter or ahead of an event. A seven or fourteen-day course in single-dose vials gives customers a clear start and finish, and many return for the next course. Print the daily instructions on the box.

Sensory design

Concentrates should feel light and absorb quickly. Keep glycerin moderate and use a light polymer for slip.

Supplier questions

Ask about the carrier, recommended level, heat stability and known incompatibilities, and keep the answers in the product file.

Preservation

Confirm the preservative system with a challenge test.

Gifting

A mini ampoule set makes a strong gift or trial product.

Record the lot number in your batch log so every production run can be traced back to its certificate of analysis. Retain a small sample of each lot for at least the shelf life of the finished product, since it makes later quality questions much easier to answer.

Storage

Store the container closed in a cool place away from light.