For Vitamin C Serum DIYers
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Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:27 pm

Well, I made my first batch and wouldn't you know it, I screw it up somehow! Your directions were great, I just got ahead of myself I guess. The only issue, is that it isn't perfectly blended, although everything looks like it dissolved. As long as I shake it real good before I use it, do you think it will be okay to use?

Hope I'm not being too much of a pest!!!

I really appreciate all of your help!

free skin care · Mon Apr 12, 2010 6:49 pm

It is ok to use. Mine separates a tiny bit and I shake it and there have been no problems at all. I can't remember how many batches I have made now and they are all just lovely.

free skin care · Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:01 pm

gumdropday

Same thing happened to me first couple of times! I was assured it was still good and it sure seemed that way. It's a great serum!

free skin care · Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:26 pm

For all who experience separation anxiety ( Laughing

), you can try your next batch with the addition of a true emulsifier like 'polysorbate'.

Other than that, you can try to decrease the water by a tsp, and increase the SKB, which should also make a difference.

I've never had this happen, so I'm at a loss why many are having the problem. (I know SKB is not an emulsifier per se, but form me it works well and I haven't had any separation.)

I'll have a new recipe (including emulsifier) posted in the next day or so, for those who want to wait a bit. (Have my little guys here till Wed, and running crazy is an understatement..

, but I promise I'll get to it by Wed evening the latest.)

free skin care · Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:33 pm

gumdropday wrote:

Well, I made my first batch and wouldn't you know it, I screw it up somehow! Your directions were great, I just got ahead of myself I guess. The only issue, is that it isn't perfectly blended, although everything looks like it dissolved. As long as I shake it real good before I use it, do you think it will be okay to use?

Hope I'm not being too much of a pest!!!

I really appreciate all of your help!

I've made several different batches with different recipes and sometimes the C dissolves almost instantly and I've come to realize it's a matter of water temp. Not too warm, but warmer than room temp seems to be the ticket.

I've never experienced separation though - just longer dissolving times.

free skin care · Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:59 am

Kassy_A wrote:

For all who experience separation anxiety ( Laughing

)

You are too funny Ms Kassy. Gave me the smile of the day!

Kassy_A wrote:

I've never had this happen, so I'm at a loss why many are having the problem.

I think it is probably quality of ingredients (namely the E - not the vodka) that I was using.

Kassy_A wrote:

I'll have a new recipe (including emulsifier) posted in the next day or so, for those who want to wait a bit.

I know we'd all appreciate and look forward to that! Thank you!!!!

free skin care · Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:00 am

I clearly don't get this quote thing. Laughing

but y'all get the idea!

free skin care · Tue Apr 13, 2010 1:11 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

I'll have a new recipe (including emulsifier) posted in the next day or so, for those who want to wait a bit. (Have my little guys here till Wed, and running crazy is an understatement..

, but I promise I'll get to it by Wed evening the latest.)

EEEEKKKK!!! I'm waiting for my shipments to arrive of the ingredients for the other Kassy serums I want to make ... hopefully I will be able to make the new goodie without having to order more stuff!

Kassy, my sincerest thanks for your curious and inventive mind and generosity of spirit -- I look forward to using more of your wonderful serums!

free skin care · Tue Apr 13, 2010 8:25 pm

Zoftig wrote:

I clearly don't get this quote thing. Laughing

but y'all get the idea!

You did Great...

And Merrylass - You are so right about our Kassy. Welcome to DIY - you are going to love it... and save lots of cash - especially once you get rolling.

free skin care · Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:05 am

Phew, so yesterday I read this whole thread and today I placed my order at Lotioncrafters for my L Ascorbic Acid and my supplies(they have a great selection of measures and funnels and spatulas) and Specialty Bottles for my glass bottles(thanks Darkmoon)...

I am anxious to start making my own C serum b/c they are expensive to buy. I will probably start with CareKate's recipe just b/c I am using propylene glycol(have oily skin) and then once I feel more comfortable, I will progress to some of Kassy's more involved recipes...

One question, how does everyone clean their bottles? TIA(hope I didn't miss this in all the pages I read yesterday)

I just love this site!!

free skin care · Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:58 am

You might laugh at this, but I still have mesh bags that were for baby bottle (tops, rings, nipples) that you use in your dishwasher, they close so prevent anything from ending up on the heating elements. Smile

If you don't have a dishwasher gently boil them for 3-5 minutes and they will be sterile. Smile

free skin care · Wed Apr 14, 2010 8:32 am

I do have a dishwasher so I think I will go that route.. Thanks!

free skin care · Wed Apr 14, 2010 8:38 am

SkinDeep38 wrote:

I do have a dishwasher so I think I will go that route.. Thanks!

Great It works beautifully for me and the mesh bags are quite reasonable! Smile

Good luck with your new venture, and please keep us posted. Smile

free skin care · Wed Apr 14, 2010 8:50 am

I definitely will!

free skin care · Wed Apr 14, 2010 12:56 pm

As promised (which was no easy task with my demanding boyzz here mind you... Bad Grin

)

15% VITAMIN C, E & FERULIC 1 oz./30 ml (with emulsifier 4-14-10)

What you need:

3 tsp Distilled H20 (warm, but not hot)
1 tsp L-Ascorbic Acid (15%) is what you want. If you have the fine powder variety (and a gram scale), 4.5 grams is good. For the heavier crystals, just use 1 tsp.
1 tsp SKB (warm till liquidy, otherwise you’ll have little clumps of it)
1/2 tsp Macadamia Nut Oil (this enhances penetration, and isn’t at all greasy)
1/2 tsp Glycerin (nice humectant, gives a nice texture, and *helps* with emulsifying)
1/4 tsp Rosehip Oil (all the vitamin E you need is in this, and then some!)
1/8 tsp Ferulic Acid
1/2 tsp Vodka (you MUST use this to liquefy the FA)
0.6 ml/cc Polysorbate 80 (2%, this is the emulsifier)
3 drops of Optiphen (preservative)
0.3 ml/cc of Hyaluronic Acid ‘Serum’ (1%) (this is the one I use, and the only one I know of that won’t give you grief; http://www.personalformulator.com/wvss/product_info.php?products_id=1188

Assembly: (2 shot glasses, larger combining cup/glass + 1oz dark or amber bottle for finished product. Also little plastic spatulas for stirring. No metal utensils)

Glass #1: (water phase)

Add L-AA to warmed water and stir till dissolved, when that is fully dissolved then stir in Optiphen, and finally the Hyaluronic Acid Serum.

Glass #2 (oil + emulsifying phase)

1st thing to go in the glass is the Ferulic Acid, now pour the vodka on top of it and stir well. (The older your FA is, the more tiny flecks you will see after stirring, don’t worry, the next steps will take care of it. At this point it should just look opaque and liquidy.) Now you will add + stir in the glycerin which will get rid of the flakes, now add the emulsifier and stir, now the *warmed/liquidy* SKB and stir well, and finally add the two oils in and stir.

Glass/cup #3 (You will now mix the 2 phases together)

For me mixing about a tsp from each glass at a time works nicely. Continue this mixing and stirring a little at a time from each glass until it’s all incorporated. When finished it will be off white/opaque, with a nice serumy texture. (Do not expect a clear water or gel look!) Now transfer to whatever bottle you will use, and keep away from heat, humidity and light. Fridge is fine if you don’t expect to use it up within 8 weeks, or it makes you feel better.

**Now I just want to say, I know it looks like it might be greasy but trust me it’s not. Only those with *very* oily skin might want to cut down the glycerin by ½ , but please try it with it 1st..

**For those who don’t have an emulsifier on hand, or would rather not use a chemical, you can substitute Lecithin softgel supplement from the drug store. This is the one I use, because I have checked with the company regarding fillers, and this only contains “lecithin from soy, glycerin + water” The soft gel is made of gelatin and will be discarded. Just puncture the bottom, and squeeze out the contents of 1 softgel (in place of emulsifier). I must warn you though, if you use this, your serum will be pale yellow from the get go! (If you use another brand, please be sure the actual liquid portion has no additional fillers or preservatives.)

http://www.vitacost.com/Natures-Way-Lecithin-1200-MG#IngredientFacts

**I made several batches of this and each one came out identical with no problems at all. It penetrates pretty quickly and leaves a nice smooth feel on my skin, not at all drying like some C serums can be. If you stick to it exactly as written, I do believe this one is fool proof. If you change anything, you are on your own… Laughing

Hopefully this will put an end to *separation anxiety* once and for all. (***Oh, the emulsifier can be added to any of the other recipe's I posted for C serums.***)

Happy Formulating

free skin care · Wed Apr 14, 2010 1:34 pm

Thanks for a great recipe Kassy. I hope to one day work up to all the recipes you've created.. you mention not using metal utensils...may I ask why? I just ordered some stainless steel spatulas for mixing.

Thanks!

free skin care · Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:13 pm

Thanks for the recipe Kassy. I've read this entire thread and you have been so generous with your time and information. You are a gem and you've encouraged me to take up DIY! So thank you!! Very Happy

Now a question for the UK-ers (or any where in Europe):

where do you purchase your DIY actives from?

I want to make the C/E/F serum. This is Kassy's ingredient list that I will follow:

What you need for 1oz C,E, Ferulic 15%;
- 2 glass shot glasses
- 1oz cobalt or amber dropper or pump bottle
- 1 tsp L-Ascorbic Acid
- 1/4 tsp (1 ml) Vitamin E (equals 1%)
- .5% of Ferulic Acid (1 good pinch)
- 2 tsp SKB (Sea Kelp Bioferment)
- 3 + 1/2 tsp of distilled water
- 1/2 tsp of vodka

Please help me out

J Wink

P.s. I've used Skinceuticals CEF before but it had already turned amber when I opened it. Brick wall

free skin care · Wed Apr 14, 2010 5:20 pm

thanks Kassy for the new fixins - Now I know I have to do some internet shopping... You bad girl Very Happy

I've been wanting to get some macademia nut oil and rose hip for a while.

free skin care · Wed Apr 14, 2010 5:45 pm

LondonJamie wrote:

Thanks for the recipe Kassy. I've read this entire thread and you have been so generous with your time and information. You are a gem and you've encouraged me to take up DIY! So thank you!! Very Happy

Now a question for the UK-ers (or any where in Europe):

where do you purchase your DIY actives from?

This link might help you out... Compliments of new member "Pollyanna", also from the UK

http://www.activeformulas.com/Active_Formulas/quickshop.html

Quite like a scaled down version of 'skinactives', complete with forum.

And see this link for some great UK finds from "Teabags"

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/redirect.php?u=http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?p=443112#443112

free skin care · Wed Apr 14, 2010 9:04 pm

Concerning the type of container to store the Vitamin C serum....

I mix Vitamin C directly into my physical sunscreen. Unfortunately, I can see that keeping it in a opaque plastic jar causes the surface layer to oxidize brown. It seems to stay a lighter yellow color if I keep the mix in a plastic oral syringe. Even though the syringe is clear and is exposed to light, the oxygen in the air seems to oxidize the mix much faster.

There seems to be a preference for dark bottles but my experience tells me that the air is the bigger problem than the light. Can anyone else confirm?

free skin care · Thu Apr 15, 2010 8:13 am

ammoniasmith wrote:

Concerning the type of container to store the Vitamin C serum....

I mix Vitamin C directly into my physical sunscreen. Unfortunately, I can see that keeping it in a opaque plastic jar causes the surface layer to oxidize brown. It seems to stay a lighter yellow color if I keep the mix in a plastic oral syringe. Even though the syringe is clear and is exposed to light, the oxygen in the air seems to oxidize the mix much faster.

There seems to be a preference for dark bottles but my experience tells me that the air is the bigger problem than the light. Can anyone else confirm?

Yes indeed, L-AA is extremely sensitive to oxygen, light and even extreme heat.

I prefer to keep mine in dark/glass/pump bottles, which at least helps to cut down on the 'exposure' issues. As far as putting it in 'plastic' containers, I'm not 100% certain either way. I often send my serum gifts to friends in plastic containers, and nobody mentioned the contents being compromised. Anyway, my thought is that glass is probably best.

If you are just *adding* L-AA to your physical sunscreen (as you mentioned), you might want to check what the other ingredients it contains are. Some things just aren't compatible, and perhaps that is what is causing the apparent oxidation.

Vitamin C derivatives (esters) might be your best bet for adding to your sunscreen!

free skin care · Thu Apr 15, 2010 8:34 am

My physical sunscreen is Blue Lizard which I don't believe would have ingredients which interact badly with the Vitamin C.

I am not questioning that light can degrade the Vitamin C, I am finding that air is worse than light in my personal experience. Therefore, the dark bottles which allow air into the bottles are worse than the clear plastic syringes.

And I don't see any differences from using plastic versus glass. I am sure it is better to use an inert material like glass but I am not seeing any adverse effects (at least not so far). However, the rubber inserts in the syringes do get wonky after a while. Walmart is carrying oral syringes without rubber plunger inserts which I am going to try next. Yes, even with that I am going to continue to use syringes because I swear the air getting to the product is the worst offender.

free skin care · Thu Apr 15, 2010 9:39 am

SkinDeep38 wrote:

Thanks for a great recipe Kassy. I hope to one day work up to all the recipes you've created.. you mention not using metal utensils...may I ask why? I just ordered some stainless steel spatulas for mixing.

Thanks!

Hi Kassy,

Not sure if you saw my post above about the reason not to use metal utensils. I will make sure I use plastic but still would like to know why. Thanks so much!!

free skin care · Thu Apr 15, 2010 1:49 pm

SkinDeep38 wrote:

Thanks for a great recipe Kassy. I hope to one day work up to all the recipes you've created.. you mention not using metal utensils...may I ask why? I just ordered some stainless steel spatulas for mixing.

Thanks!

Hi Kassy,

Not sure if you saw my post above about the reason not to use metal utensils. I will make sure I use plastic but still would like to know why. Thanks so much!!

Sorry 'Skindeep' I didn't see your post. The reason I choose not to use metal utensils, is I don't want to take the chance that metal ions could leech out when in contact with acids.

I have no evidence or links to point you to, because quite frankly it's just a thought in my head... Embarassed

I haven't researched the subject at all.

I'm glad you're enjoying the possibility of DIY and the recipe's... It's not only fun, but quite rewarding when you see your skin responding so favorably. The $$$ saved, is the icing on the cake Very Happy

.

Good tip on the sterilizing technique DM! I've been just jamming my 'stuff' in the little dishwasher compartments, but the mesh bags are a great idea! (I'm sure I have some tucked away from when I sterilized the little guys bottles etc..) Thanks for that great idea!

free skin care · Thu Apr 15, 2010 1:52 pm

Thanks for the explanation Kassy. It's just something I hadn't thought of and I will avoid using metal and find some other use for the steel spatulas I ordered... lol

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