For Vitamin C Serum DIYers
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Mon Mar 23, 2009 3:21 am

Sorry for posting again but sea kelp grows just up the road from me in Scotland. Could i do anything to this so i could use in recipies or would that just be gross hmm

free skin care · Fri Apr 10, 2009 2:06 am

I was wondering if it is ok to use warm or even hot water to dissolve the ascorbic acid, rather than wait for an hour. Or does warm/hot water change the chemistry of the product significantly?
Same question for the niacinamide recipe posted a few pages back. Is it ok to use warm/hot water to dissolve?

free skin care · Fri Apr 10, 2009 10:46 am

neondaze wrote:

I was wondering if it is ok to use warm or even hot water to dissolve the ascorbic acid, rather than wait for an hour. Or does warm/hot water change the chemistry of the product significantly?
Same question for the niacinamide recipe posted a few pages back. Is it ok to use warm/hot water to dissolve?

Never 'heat' the water! For a very stubborn (old Crying or Very sad

) LAA, that is taking more than 30 minutes to dissolve, you can sit it in a "gently warmed" water bath only!!!!! Heat and light are what degrades LAA.

Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:56 pm

Hi, everyone. I'm really new to DIY and this forum and have a pretty basic question. How do I calculate % of active ingredients for my Vit C mixture? I've bought both water-stable/water soluble and oil-soluble vit C. Do just weigh everything and calculate that way, or is there a special way to do this using volume....or moles? I'm so confused!

free skin care · Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:26 pm

Ahh! ok. thanks for that Kassy. I should have known there was a reason why everyone was being so wonderfully patient!

free skin care · Sun Apr 19, 2009 2:17 pm

Hi Everyone,
I buy my DIY actives at lotioncrafter.com. They sell L-Ascorbic Acid Ultrafine Powder and Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)USP. Both of these powders dissolve in seconds - not minutes or a half hour or more. I would say that if your LAA or niacinamide powders are really hard to dissolve or are leaving residue then they are probably not pure IMHO. HTH.

Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:20 pm

Hi, I've been watching this forum a long time and this is my first time posting. This is so wonderful that people share their beauty secrets to the other.

Kassy or anyone who know please help me with my vitamin C.

1. I made the vit. C, recipe on page 8 from Kassy, my vit. C is very thick paste, is it what yours is? My LAA and MAP dissolve well well in water, but then when I add FA, the solution turns cloudy, FA does not go in the LAA/MAP solution, is it right?

2. When I apply to face, it seem to form a film/layer on the skin (feel little sticky)and it makes my skin shinny. If I massage on it, that film/layer peel off (like death skin) and my face just like a mess. Have you experienced with it?

3. Should I wait for 30 minutes and then message to remove the film/layer before applying moisturizer/lotion.

Thanks for your time.

free skin care · Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:28 pm

Busymom wrote:

Hi, I've been watching this forum a long time and this is my first time posting. This is so wonderful that people share their beauty secrets to the other.

Kassy or anyone who know please help me with my vitamin C.

1. I made the vit. C, recipe on page 8 from Kassy, my vit. C is very thick paste, is it what yours is? My LAA and MAP dissolve well well in water, but then when I add FA, the solution turns cloudy, FA does not go in the LAA/MAP solution, is it right?

2. When I apply to face, it seem to form a film/layer on the skin (feel little sticky)and it makes my skin shinny. If I massage on it, that film/layer peel off (like death skin) and my face just like a mess. Have you experienced with it?

3. Should I wait for 30 minutes and then message to remove the film/layer before applying moisturizer/lotion.

Thanks for your time.

Hi busymom, and welcome to the forum....

I think you might have got something wrong there, as it should not at all look like "a thick paste".. Shock

It should be on opaque whitish serum.. FA is what makes it opaque, which is quite alright.. I also find it absorbs in very quickly.

Please double check what you did against the recipe as it's posted.. (Printing it out, and following the directions exactly should really help you out.)

If you need more help, please quote the recipe you are referring to and any further questions in the other thread, so I know exactly how to advise you.

Don't give up!

Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:57 am

Well Im quite excited as i have now ordered some ingredients from skinactives ready to make Kassy's recipe of vitamin c serum with the ferulic acid plus vit E. Including shipping I think I have now spent £28. Hope it hurries up and gets here!!
Just need to find this distilled water....no luck at the chemists. Maybe Ill try catching the steam from the kettle Bad Grin

lol

free skin care · Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:40 am

mummytoaprinceandprincess wrote:

Sorry for posting again but sea kelp grows just up the road from me in Scotland. Could i do anything to this so i could use in recipies or would that just be gross hmm

You can do loads with sea kelp! Very Happy

The most obvious thing you can do with it is to eat it depending on how clean your beaches are. If you are very crafty you can make soaps and balms from it, but a simple thing to do is to blend the kelp and use it as a face or body mask or dry it and make kelp tea with it.

One website says...

Quote:

When I started learning about herbs I never considered that edible and medicinal plants grew in the ocean. When I saw that my mentor Karen Sherwood was offering a class on sea vegetables, I signed up without hesitation. I was not sure what was more appealing, learning plants in a new ecosystem that was under my nose the whole time, or getting to spend a weekend camping and gathering in the San Juan Islands.

One of the things that really stuck with me is that in our area, there was only one sea weed that was poisonous. And, if you ever actually came across it, it looks so disgusting, that you would not pick it anyway. Then, it comes down to texture, and what plants are pleasurable to consume or easy to work with.

Though there are many wonderful sea vegetables we can use for nutritious and medicinal purposes, one of the easiest to gather and study is Kelp.

Kelp are large seaweeds, belonging to the brown algae and classified in the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. As far as gathering goes, you mostly likely harvest Nereocystis (bull whip kelp), Macrocystis (Giant kelp), Laminaria (Kombu) or Alaria (Wakame).

Now, I know that most of you do not live near an ocean, let alone clean waters to gather. If you ever want to experience sea vegetable gathering, I suggest taking a hands-on class. However, sea vegetables are plants that we can all enjoy by purchasing them dried.

And another writes...

Quote:

Kelp is especially high in iodine, which must be present for proper glandular function and metabolism. It also contains iron, sodium, phosphorus and calcium, as well as magnesium and potassium. Kelp is a source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E, plus amino acids. Kelp also makes a popular salt substitute.

I don't want to take this thread off topic, but just google "kelp" and you'll find loads to do with it. It makes me wish I had your beach!

Wed Apr 22, 2009 5:45 am

Thanks Kasssy for fast reply. You're the best.

This is the recipe of Vitamin C I tried to make

((Vitamin C Serum (Just about 20%)

1 tsp LAA
½ tsp MAP
¼ tsp Ferulic Acid
¼ tsp Vitamin E oil (or whatever other oil you use with high E content)
3 tsp H20 (distilled)
1 tsp SKB
½ tsp Glycerin
½ tsp Hyaluronic Acid
5 gtts Kukui Oil (optional, but supposedly it helps with melasma + hyperpigmentation)

To mix, use 2 shot glasses again;

#1 glass

LAA + MAP stirred into H20, then add Ferulic Acid and stir after the C has dissolved. (It will take about 15 or 20 minutes!) Stir frequently!

#2 glass

Add all other ingredients, stir well. Now add contents together a little at a time, stirring constantly.

Pour into a dark bottle and shake well. ))

I followed your direction. Can you tell me where I got it wrong
1. First I dissolver LAA + MAP in water, the solution became clear. When I added Ferulic acid, the solution became cloudy.
2. In the other shot glass, I added the rest of the recipe in, it became a thick gel.
3. I added LAA solution into the 2nd glass and mixed. It became a very thick serum. I couldn't pour into the glass, I had to use a spoon to scoop it.

When I apply on face, there is a layer/film that made my face shiny.

BTW, how much is 5 gtts Kukui oil? I did not know what gtts mean so I may put it too much.

Sorry for long message. Thanks a lot.

free skin care · Wed Apr 22, 2009 10:08 am

Hi,

I would like to make my own DIY Vit C serum to use on the body.

I am having a hard time finding L-ascorbic Acid here in the UK. I have found one site that sells it: https://www.yourhealthfoodstore.co.uk/details.php/p1160_solgar_vitamin_c_crystals_pure_l_ascorbic_acid.html Solgar Vitamin C Crystals (Pure L Ascorbic Acid)...

That's the only L Ascorbic Acid I have found! Everything else is just Ascorbic Acid - is Ascorbic Acid ok to use for a DIY Vit C serum instead of LAA?

Just so I know if I should buy the one LAA I have found.

Thanks

free skin care · Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:48 pm

Busymom wrote:

I followed your direction. Can you tell me where I got it wrong
1. First I dissolver LAA + MAP in water, the solution became clear. When I added Ferulic acid, the solution became cloudy.
2. In the other shot glass, I added the rest of the recipe in, it became a thick gel.
3. I added LAA solution into the 2nd glass and mixed. It became a very thick serum. I couldn't pour into the glass, I had to use a spoon to scoop it.
When I apply on face, there is a layer/film that made my face shiny.

BTW, how much is 5 gtts Kukui oil? I did not know what gtts mean so I may put it too much.

Sorry for long message. Thanks a lot.

Hyaluronic Acid is what would cause the thickening, perhaps you added a little too much? (Also to consider is the fact there are different variety's and strengths of HA, which I wasn't aware of when I posted that recipe.. Crying or Very sad

)

'gtts' means drops.

My suggesstion if you want to try again is to keep the recipe the same with these chances only;

Use 1/8 tsp of HA + 1/4 tsp of vodka added to the 2nd glass. (The vodka is best for emulsifying the FA, and will keep the HA from balling up also.)

In fact for anyone else who wants to try this one, please make these same changes.. (1/4 tsp of HA is too much for those using pure HA)

Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:00 am

Thanks so much Kassy, you are so helpful. With a big help from you, I won't give up...

free skin care · Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:59 pm

Busymom wrote:

((Vitamin C Serum (Just about 20%)

1 tsp LAA
½ tsp MAP
¼ tsp Ferulic Acid
¼ tsp Vitamin E oil (or whatever other oil you use with high E content)
3 tsp H20 (distilled)
1 tsp SKB
½ tsp Glycerin
½ tsp Hyaluronic Acid
5 gtts Kukui Oil (optional, but supposedly it helps with melasma + hyperpigmentation)

OMG..

I'm a total screw up, and it's all my fault your recipe wound up as spackle..

It's actually supposed to be .3 ml of HA, but to simplify it I thought 1/2 ml would be easier to understand.. I see now I put tsp, instead of ml.. Please forgive me Embarassed

If you have a childs medicine dispenser syringe around, you will easily see where the ".3 mark is.)

Argh... I'm so sorry.. Embarassed

free skin care · Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:40 pm

misspointy wrote:

Well Im quite excited as i have now ordered some ingredients from skinactives ready to make Kassy's recipe of vitamin c serum with the ferulic acid plus vit E. Including shipping I think I have now spent £28. Hope it hurries up and gets here!!
Just need to find this distilled water....no luck at the chemists. Maybe Ill try catching the steam from the kettle Bad Grin

lol

Misspointy you should be able to find distilled water in the supermarket in 2 litre bottles.

free skin care · Fri Apr 24, 2009 5:41 am

Hello,
OK I made a C (around 20%) + Ferulic + Vit E following Kassy's recipe.

The serum looks OK Smile

The only problem I have is that... when I put it on... my face feels like I have a mask on (you know that tight feeling), that I can't really move it. Is this normal?

free skin care · Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:27 am

Josee that is how my face feels until I put my next product on about 20+ minutes after the c-serum. That is at least my normal.

Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:30 am

Kassy,

After correcting from 1/2 tsp to 1/8 tsp of HA and adding 1/4 tsp of Vodka, my vit. C turned out very good. It is not a thick serum like I got before and it absorbed into skin beautifully. Thanks so much...

Josee, have you seen the correction of Kassy about the amount of HA need to use. I used to use 1/2 tsp of HA, and I felt like a mask on my face, I actually could massage to peel it off. I just finished another batch with 1/8 tsp HA and 1/4 tsp Vodka and it absorbed into skin well, no mask feeling.

Fri Apr 24, 2009 1:07 pm

Hi, does anyone know the timing of Vitamin C to fully absorb into the skin?

I know Vitamin C starts to absorb immediately on topical application but I was wonder how long it takes to get the most from the topical solution we apply.

P.S. I have search extensively online and here at EDS and haven't found this answer.

free skin care · Fri Apr 24, 2009 1:28 pm

papines I believe the minimum amount of time you need to let the c-serum absorb before you put other products on is 20 minutes best if you can wait 30.
Somewhere in a thread (that I can't find now) Kassy talks about c-serum absorption; I remember part of her advice was the above and that after an hour the c-serum is fully absorbed.

Fri Apr 24, 2009 1:45 pm

Thanks for the reply Alley.

I would much more prefer rinsing off the topical Vitamin C then apply a new topical rather than layering on top of Vitamin C.

If in fact 1 hour is the full time, that would work out well.

P.S. I should have mentioned, that I am phrasing this question knowing that the Vitamin C topical would be of the proper ph(2-3.5)and percentage ( 10%-20%).

Fri Apr 24, 2009 1:49 pm

papines wrote:

Hi, does anyone know the timing of Vitamin C to fully absorb into the skin?

I know Vitamin C starts to absorb immediately on topical application but I was wonder how long it takes to get the most from the topical solution we apply.

P.S. I have search extensively online and here at EDS and haven't found this answer.

Here is a thread that will answer your question:

Vitamin C Uses, and Wait Time info (Long)
http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=18491&highlight=wait

Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:35 pm

Has anyone used Aminopropyl ascorbyl phosphate instead of LAA? The Herbarie has it (VitaC Stable), and I just ran across it the other day. It's apparently rather new, just as effective as LAA, and also very stable. Here's a link with some info:
http://www.truthinaging.com/2005/12/aminopropyl-ascorbyl-phosphates.html

I ordered some because I'm having too much trouble using the LAA without blackheads, whiteheads, and allergies when adding things to make it stable.

free skin care · Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:50 am

Kassy_A wrote:

Never 'heat' the water! For a very stubborn (old Crying or Very sad

) LAA, that is taking more than 30 minutes to dissolve, you can sit it in a "gently warmed" water bath only!!!!! Heat and light are what degrades LAA.

I don't know what's with my Vit C Sad

I ordered one from skinactives and it just took forever to dissolve and did not dissolve completely, even after leaving it overnight!

Then I bought one from bulkactives and the same thing happened... it actually dissolved even less!

However... with a little heat it did dissolve. But then I read this post Sad

Does anyone know what's the highest temperature that one can "heat the water" without affecting the ascorbic acid?

Does anyone have tips for making it dissolve?

Thanks!

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