IO Crystal Powder Cosmetic Active

This ingredient at a glance

IO Crystal Powder Cosmetic Active is a crystal powder. The card does not give its composition, solubility or uses, so the supplier data sheet and CoA are the essential references. They give the INCI name, solubility, recommended level, pH range and suitable product types. This page focuses on how to approach an ingredient with limited card data and how to run the first trials in an organized way.

Starting with the documents

Before weighing anything, read the data sheet. Note the INCI name for the label, the phase it belongs to, the temperature limits and any incompatibilities. Check the CoA for appearance, purity and microbial quality. If anything is unclear, ask the supplier. Good documentation at this stage saves time and prevents failed batches later.

Running first trials

Make small batches, for example a few hundred grams, at the lower end of the suggested level. Prepare a control batch without the active for comparison. Dissolve or disperse the crystals as the data sheet directs and check carefully for undissolved particles. Measure pH and viscosity right away and again after one day.

Stability testing

Store samples at room temperature, at 40 °C, in the fridge and through freeze and thaw cycles. Check color, odor, pH, viscosity and crystals at regular intervals. A crystal powder that is not fully dissolved may recrystallize in the cold, so fridge samples are important.

Choosing the format

Once the solubility is known, the format follows. A water-soluble crystal suits serums, toners and the water phase of creams. An oil-soluble one suits the oil phase, balms and oil serums. If it is insoluble, it may need a dispersion in a thickened base.

Good partners

A simple base helps isolate the effect of a new active. Try a basic gel with glycerin and a cellulose thickener, or a light emulsion with IO Palm-Free Emulsifier Powder and Oat seed oil. Browse more in the actives catalog.

Claims

Base every claim on supplier data or your own testing. Until data is available, keep the story about texture and the product experience.

Characteristics

Form: crystal powder. INCI, solubility, level, pH and uses: supplier data sheet and CoA.

Original recipe: neutral test gel base, 100 g

Distilled water 90.70 g, glycerin 4.00 g, hydroxyethylcellulose 1.20 g, IO Crystal Powder Cosmetic Active 1.00 g, panthenol 1.00 g, phenoxyethanol and ethylhexylglycerin 1.00 g, sodium citrate 0.50 g, citric acid 0.60 g. Disperse the cellulose in water, add glycerin and panthenol, dissolve IO Crystal Powder Cosmetic Active as the data sheet directs, preserve and adjust the pH. Use this base only after the supplier confirms water solubility.

Recording results

Keep a formula notebook with the date, lot, level, process and observations for every trial. Photos of samples at each stability checkpoint help compare results. When the trials are finished, the notebook becomes the basis of the product file.

Scaling up

Move from the lab to a pilot batch only after the small batches pass stability testing. Check that mixing and heating in larger equipment give the same result.

Lot records

Keep each CoA with the batch file and note the lot used.

Questions to ask the supplier

Ask for the full composition, the INCI name, the recommended level, the solubility in water, oils and glycols, the pH range, heat tolerance and any known incompatibilities. Request test data supporting any effect the supplier describes, and ask whether the ingredient meets the regulations of the markets where the product will be sold. Keep the answers with the product file.

Packaging check

Fill trial samples into the chosen packaging and store them alongside the glass samples. This shows whether the packaging interacts with the formula.

Safety assessment

Before launch, a qualified safety assessor reviews the formula and the ingredient documents. Plan time for this step early in the project.

Storage

Store closed in a cool, dry place. Close the container after use.