How to make Sea buckthorn cleansing balm
Look at this beauty! This cleansing balm is so amazing. It removes mascara, foundation, lipstick, and sunscreen with ease and leaves my skin super soft and happy.
The bulk of the balm is caprylic-capric triglycerides. It’s a light, affordable emollient, and it works great in all kinds of formulations, especially anhydrous products.
I also included Kukui oil is a light oil it contains Vitamins A, C, and E. Addition of Castor oil, nourishing Kokum butter, and Dimethicone makes this balm extra luxurious and moisturizing.
Cetyl Alcohol and Cera Bellina thicken up the formula and provide creaminess and softness to the end product.
Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate and Polysorbate 80 help to remove dirt, makeup, sunscreen, and impurities, turning our balm into a light milky emulsion when it comes into contact with water.
The active phase of the cleansing balm consists of Seabuckthorn CO2 extract, Organic Butcher's Broom Extract (aroma zone), Euxyl PE9010 (a preservative), Defensil (a soothing active), Vitamin E, and an essential oil blend.
Now, let’s take a look at the formula I made and I will provide you with a bonus formulation where I simplify the product ingredients so it’s easier for you to find them at your suppliers.
Sea Buckthorn Cleansing Balm
A 48.00% Caprylic / capric triglycerides
A 15.00% Cera Bellina
A 5.00% Cetyl alcohol
A 5.00% Kokum butter
A 4.00% Dimethicone
A 2.00% Kukui Nut Oil
B 5.00% Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate
B 5.00% Polysorbate 80
B 3.00% Organic Butcher's Broom Extract
B 1.00% Sea Buckthorn FRUIT CO2 Extract
C 1.00% Euxyl PE 9010
C 1.00% DEFENSIL
C 0.50% Vitamin E
C 0.25% Litsea cubeba Essential Oil
C 0.25% Bergamot EO / 329
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Combine ingredients in phase A. Heat to 75⁰C and stir until fully melted and homogenous.
2 Combine ingredients in phase B and stir until homogeneous making sure everything is well combined.
3. Add phase B in small increments to phase A, while stirring and making sure everything is homogenous. Continue adding in small portions and stirring in between each addition until all phase B has been added.
4. Allow to cool a little, but still remain liquid (approx. 65⁰C) then add phase C. Stir through until homogenous.
5. Pour off the product and let it cool to room temperature before packaging.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
Cera Bellina - Dermofeel Viscolid (LipidThix)
Cetyl alcohol - Behenyl Alcohol
Kokum butter - Cocoa Butter
Dimethicone - a light emollient or ester, for example, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Lauryl Laurate, Isomayl Laurate, Coco Caprylate, or more caprylic or capric triglycerides.
Kukui Nut Oil - add your favorite oil, it will not influence the consistency of the balm, so don’t worry.
Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate - you can add more Polysorbate 80 or add a different solubilizer like Olivem 300, PEG Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Heptyl Glucoside, etc.
Organic Butcher's Broom Extract: - use your favorite glycerine extract or glycerite.
Sea Buckthorn FRUIT CO2 Extract - any CO2 extract will work in the formula, but you can also skip this step and add oil that has an orange color (Sea Buckthorn oil, Carrot oil, Rosehip Seed oil)
DEFENSIL (INCI: Octyldodecanol, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponfiables, Cardiospermum Haliacacabum Flower/Leef/Vine Extract)- totally optional, Defensil has a strong soothing effect, you can try Panthenol or Chamomile extract instead of Defensil in this cleansing balm.
Litsea cubeba &Bergamot Essential oil blend . You can skip this step or use a skin-safe essential oil/fragrance oil instead of my blend.
BASIC CLEANSING BALM
Feel free to play around with different ingredients and actives. Have fun!
To use a cleansing balm, scoop out a small amount with a spatula or your fingers and warm it up between your palms. Then, gently massage it onto your dry face in circular motions. You can add a little water to emulsify the balm and rinse it off with warm water or wipe it off with a damp cloth. Follow with your favorite toner, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
If you want to take your formulation game to the next level, consider purchasing a Formulation Journal or Ingredient Research Journal to keep your formulating notes and formulas organized. You can check them out here (A4 size, color interior, more than 200 pages)
6x9 Formulation Journals, black&white interior pages., 240 pages
Use my Airtable Base developed specifically for formulators and small business owners to keep track of all your formulas, ingredients, expenses, batch tracking, costs, etc.
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