Borage Anti-Aging Cream 2

Yesterday’s lotion is going to get a few tweaks today to become a thick, rich cream. Come along as I reformulate.

There are several good ways to thicken a more fluid product. One way is to increase the percentage of butters. Another way is to add Stearic Acid. You can also play around with different emulsifier usage rates to add body. Dropping the percentage of water is another way to thicken a formula.

I will go with two of the above methods to thicken: add Stearic Acid and play around with the emulsifier.

Stearic Acid is a fantastic product that naturally thickens lotions, helps create a harder bar of soap, and can even harden paraffin wax melts. For this lotion-to-cream application, I’ll add 4%. I’ll deduct the same amount from the water.

I’m going to switch emulsifiers from Conditioning Emulsifier to Emulsifying Wax, which has a thickening agent.

The last change I’ll make is to choose a new fragrance. I’ll use Cranberry Rose Fragrance Oil.

If you’re interested in making this along with me, join me in the workroom.

What You’ll Need

Formula

67% Distilled Water
10% Borage Oil
5% Shea Butter
5% Squalane
4% Emulsifying Wax
4% Stearic Acid
4% Glycerin
0.5% Liquid Germall Plus
0.5% Cranberry Rose Fragrance Oil

Instructions

Weigh all ingredients but the preservative and fragrance into a microwave-safe container. Heat gently, using short time bursts and stirring after each heating, until ingredients are melted.

Use a stick blender to mix the lotion into an emulsion. Check the temperature; cool mixture below 120ºF before adding the preservative and fragrance.

Once everything is mixed well, scoop cream into a plastic bag and press out all the air. Snip off a corner and pipe the cream into the jars. Allow it to cool completely before putting on lids. Label and enjoy.

Pouring cream into the first jar.

By the time I got to the third jar, the cream was set up and no longer pourable.

Notes

It always amazes me what a big difference a few small changes can make in a formula.

I was really surprised at how fluid the mixture was after it had cooled to 120ºF and I had stirred in the preservative and fragrance. I decided to skip the piping bag and just pour the cream into jars. That worked fine for the first two jars, but in the few seconds it took me to pour the first two, the cream thickened too much to pour into the third jar. Oh well – I just plopped it in and went on about my tasks!

This cream feels lovely on the skin. It stays a bit on the oily side after applying, so you will want to give yourself a little time before touching things that don’t need your oily fingerprints.

I call this experiment a great success; I’m very happy with how this cream came out!