Where to start for a formulator: your first formula from concept to jar

Do you know how many raw materials are officially registered in the latest edition of the INCI Dictionary? More than 17,000. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg — each ingredient has several suppliers, each with its own trade name and slightly different characteristics. When a person first opens a cosmetic raw materials catalog, the feeling is much like a child being taken into a library and told: "Read everything." Panic is normal. But cosmetic chemistry has a logic, and it is far more elegant than it seems at the start.

This article is not about theory for the sake of theory. It is a roadmap: from the first idea to a jar with a formula you wouldn't be ashamed to apply to your skin. No fluff, no "let's start with the basics" — straight to the point.

Why "just mixing" doesn't work: the logic of a formula

A formula is not a recipe, it is a hypothesis

The most common misconception among beginner formulators: a cosmetic formula works like a culinary recipe. Add ingredients in the right proportions — get a result. But chemistry is not cooking. A formula is a hypothesis about how components will interact with each other, with the skin, and with the environment. And this hypothesis must be tested.

Let's take a simple example. You want a light moisturizing cream for oily skin. Intuition suggests: fewer oils, more water, a light emulsifier. Logical. But if you choose Olivem 1000 (INCI: Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate) and add niacinamide to the water phase at a concentration above 4%, at a certain pH you will get a yellowish emulsion with a scent that no one planned. This is not a mistake — this is chemistry that you need to know in advance.

Three types of ingredients you should keep in mind

Before opening a supplier's catalog, it is worth understanding what each component actually does. All ingredients in cosmetics are divided into three functional classes:

• Functional — create the base and structure of the formula: emulsifiers, thickeners, preservatives, pH regulators. Without them, the formula will either separate or spoil within a week.
• Aesthetic — determine the sensory experience: how the cream applies, absorbs, and feels on the skin. Silicones, certain oils, texturizing agents — all of this is here.
• Active (claims) — the reason why people buy the product: peptides, acids, antioxidants, humectants. These are what form the marketing promise and the real result.

A good formula balances all three classes. Lean too far towards actives with a weak functional base, and you will get an unstable emulsion with expensive peptides that will decompose in a month. Lean too far towards aesthetics, and you get a beautiful texture with no real effect on the skin.

Benchmarking: why smart formulators don't start from scratch

Find your "double" on the market

One of the most professional techniques in cosmetic chemistry is choosing a benchmark. This is an existing product on the market that is as close as possible to what you want to create. Not to copy it, but to understand the standard you should aim for.

When choosing a benchmark, look at:

1. Target audience and skin type — is your product for the same group?
2. Texture and consistency — gel, cream-gel, rich cream, oil-in-water?
3. Key actives — what is claimed on the packaging and in the ingredients?
4. Price segment — this determines the allowable cost of raw materials.
5. Composition (INCI list) — this is your first draft of a formula.

The composition on the packaging is no secret. It is public information, and professional chemists regularly "read" other people's formulas. Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration: everything above 1% is listed in descending order, while those below 1% are in any order. This gives a rough idea of the concentrations. For example, if Glycerin is in third place after water and an emulsifier, it is likely 3–8%. If it is at the very end, it is probably less than 0.5%.

How to read a composition like a chemist

The practice of reading INCI is a skill that comes with experience. But a few guidelines will help you right away:

• Aqua (Water) is always first in water-based formulas — usually 60–80% in light creams, 40–60% in rich creams.
• Emulsifiers are usually at 2–6% — look for names with "cetearyl", "olivate", "glucoside", "PEG".
• Oils and butters — from 5% to 30% depending on the type of product.
• Active ingredients — peptides are most often 0.5–5%, acids 2–15%, niacinamide 2–10%.
• Preservatives — always at the end, usually 0.1–1%.

This skill is directly related to what good educational programmes in cosmetic chemistry talk about: understanding the composition is half the battle towards your own formula.

Starting formula: a structure that works

Water phase — the foundation of everything

A classic oil-in-water emulsion is the most common type of cosmetic. The structure of a starting formula looks like this:

• Water phase (phase A): Aqua — the base, Glycerin 3–5% — a basic humectant, water-soluble actives.
• Oil phase (phase B): emulsifier 3–5%, oils and butters 5–20%, oil-soluble actives.
• Cool-down phase (phase C): heat-sensitive components — peptides, certain preservatives, fragrances, added at temperatures below 40°C.
• Corrective phase (phase D): pH adjuster (Sodium Hydroxide or Citric Acid), final viscosity adjustment.

Why is this important? Because temperature destroys. Adding a peptide to the hot phase at 75°C means losing the activity of the ingredient you paid for. We have already written in detail about how to work with pH in cosmetics and why this parameter is critical for stability — I recommend it as mandatory reading before your first prototype.

Numbers you cannot ignore

A few specific parameters that should be in your head when creating your first cream formula:

• pH of the finished cream: 4.5–5.5 for most facial products, 5.5–6.5 for body products. Deviation affects the effectiveness of preservatives and actives.
• Viscosity: light cream — 5,000–15,000 cP, rich cream — 30,000–80,000 cP. It is measured with a viscometer, but at the start, you can estimate it visually.
• Preservative concentration: Phenoxyethanol — maximum 1% according to the EU Cosmetics Regulation. Ethylhexylglycerin paired with it — 0.3–0.5%. A single preservative will not save a formula — we have already written about this in stabilizing anhydrous emulsions.

Prototype: from theory to practice

Minimum equipment set

The good news: you don't need a professional laboratory for your first prototypes. The bad news: some things are still necessary, and you shouldn't skimp on them.

• Scales with 0.01 g precision — without them, formulating turns into guessing. Cosmetics are about percentages, not "pinches."
• Thermometer — infrared or contact, range up to 100°C.
• pH meter — strips have an error margin of ±0.5, which is critical when working with acids and preservatives.
• Water bath or multicooker — for controlled heating of phases.
• Mini-homogenizer or immersion blender — for a stable emulsion.

If you have already worked with anhydrous products, you already have some of this equipment. Anhydrous formulas are, by the way, an excellent entry point for beginners: fewer variables, easier stabilization.

First prototype: the small batch rule

Start with 50–100 grams. This is enough to test the texture, application, and initial stability assessment — and small enough that you won't regret throwing away expensive raw materials if something goes wrong.

Write everything down. Every gram, every deviation from the plan, every observation. A professional formulator differs from an amateur not by knowledge, but by documentation. In three months, you won't remember why you added 0.5% more emulsifier in the fifth prototype. Your notebook will.

Testing: How to know if your formula works

Tests you can do at home

Professional cosmetic testing involves challenge tests, stability tests in a climate chamber, and dermatological trials. However, at the prototype stage, there is a minimum that is accessible to everyone:

• Separation test: place the cream in a warm spot (40°C, oven on minimum) for 48 hours. Separation is a sign of a problem with the emulsifier or the phase ratio.
• Freeze-thaw test: three freeze/thaw cycles. If the texture hasn't changed, that's a good sign.
• pH after 2 weeks: if the pH has changed by more than 0.3, look for the cause. It could be a reaction between components.
• Visual inspection: changes in color or odor, or the appearance of bubbles or granules—all of these are diagnostic markers.

We covered home stability tests in more detail in a separate article—it will save you a lot of nerves and ruined batches.

When refinement is more important than the first result

Rarely does a formula work on the first try. This isn't a failure—it's a process. Professional chemists at large companies make 20–40 iterations before a product goes into production. It might take you 5–10 prototypes to find the balance of texture, pH, stability, and skin feel.

Change one variable at a time. If you increase the emulsifier concentration, change the oil, and add a new thickener all at once, you won't know exactly what changed the result. This is basic scientific methodology, and it works in the kitchen just as well as it does in the lab.

Raw materials: where to look and how not to get lost

The logic of choosing a supplier

Once you have decided on a formula and know which ingredients you need, the question arises: where to get the raw materials? A few principles:

• Buy from suppliers who provide a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for every ingredient. Without these documents, you don't know exactly what you are buying.
• To start, choose widely available ingredients with good documentation: Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol. Save the exotic stuff for later.
• Compare technical specifications, not just the price. Carbomer 940 and Carbomer 980 are different thickeners with different properties, even though the names are similar.

By the way, if you work with natural ingredients—oils, extracts, essential oils—remember that their composition varies depending on their origin, season, and extraction method. We have discussed in detail how food-grade ingredients behave in cosmetics—that is a separate story with its own pitfalls.

Educational programmes as a tool, not a goal

The paradox of the beginner formulator: there is a sea of information on the internet, but systematizing it on your own is no easy task. That is precisely why good educational programmes in cosmetic chemistry are valuable not so much for their content (which can be found elsewhere), but for their structure and feedback. When you understand why your emulsion separated—rather than just thinking "something went wrong"—your growth rate as a formulator increases exponentially.

Look into tribology and gelling agents—this is exactly the type of knowledge that is difficult to piece together from various sources, but which is critically important for understanding texture and sensory properties.

Is it possible to start formulating without a chemistry degree?

Yes, and many successful formulators started exactly that way. Cosmetic chemistry is an applied discipline, and the basic principles are accessible without a university degree. It is more important to understand the logic: why each ingredient is used, how they interact, and what happens when the pH or temperature changes. This comes with practice and good sources—whether they are books, courses, or detailed articles with real numbers.

How many prototypes do you need to make before the final formula?

There is no universal answer, but here is a guideline: at least 5–7 iterations for a simple cream and 15–25 for complex products with multiple actives. Each prototype should differ from the previous one by only one variable—otherwise, it is impossible to understand exactly what changed the result. Document every iteration: it is your notes, not your memory, that allow you to move forward instead of going in circles.

How do you know if the preservation of a formula is sufficient?

The only reliable method is a challenge test (microbiological stability test), which is conducted in an accredited laboratory. At home, you can aim for a correct pH (4.5–6.0 for most systems), the correct concentration of preservative according to the manufacturer's recommendations, and the absence of visible signs of spoilage after 4–8 weeks of storage. However, this is not a substitute for a professional test—especially if you plan to sell the product.

Cosmetic chemistry is a discipline where theory and practice are inseparable. You can read everything about preserving clay masks or study the chemistry of handmade soap—but until you make your first prototype, record your observations, and correct a mistake, the knowledge remains abstract. Start small: one product, one benchmark, one variable at a time. That is exactly how formulas that work are built.

If you want to follow this path in a structured way — with feedback, ready-made templates, and a community of equally passionate chemists — take a look at the Walker Formulation Academy Club. That is exactly what happens there.