Mascaras and Eyeliners

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Mascara coats the lashes to make them darker and lengthens them and/or volumizes them. In addition, mascara provides a contrast, better emphasizing the surrounding whiteness of the eye which makes you look younger.

Mascaras are generally either an oil-in-water emulsion, which makes it easy to wash off with water and cleanser, or solvent based which is waterproof and needs a makeup remover or oil based product to remove.

Mascara contains color, usually black but can be brown, blue, or even purple! The color can either come from color dispersions which are very easy to incorporate into mascara formulations or pigment in powder form. Some mascara formulas are clear, no pigment, and are used to define the lashes without color for a natural look.

Film formers are very important in mascaras because they help the mascara adhere to the lashes and aid in long wear properties. There are water based film formers and oil based film formers. If you have both a water phase and oil phase in your mascara formula, it is ideal to have both a water based film former and an oil based film former. If you can only have one film former in your formula then choose the water based film former. If you are trying to formulate a long wearing mascara, you can have more volatile, more wax, and more film former in your formula.

Mascara also has viscosity boosting ingredients. You do not want a mascara formula that is so thin that it drips from the mascara brush. Viscosity boosting ingredients include waxes, polymers, and clays. Preservatives are essential to a mascara formula because you do not want harmful bacteria/fungi to grow that can irritate and cause eye infections.

Mascaras can also contain conditioning agents, but they should also have either lash lengtheners or volumizers. Polymers that dry fast are good for lengthening because as you coat the lashes, it lengthens and then freezes. If you have fibers in a lash lengthening mascara, then you want longer play time so you can align the fibers as you brush the mascara from base of eyelashes to the tips. You can increase the play time by having lubricious materials. However, lengthening mascara usually does not contain many fibers; it is volumizing mascaras that contain fibers. The average amount of fibers you would use in a mascara is 1% but you can go up to 3%.

The brush is also critical to the formula. Different brushes can dramatically affect the formula. I would go as far as to say that a successful mascara is credited to 50% brush and 50% formula.

Liquid eyeliner formulas are similar to mascara formulas except that they are thinner and do not contain volumizing or lengthening ingredients.

Lipsticks

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A study conducted by Psychology professor Richard Russell found that as women age, the difference in redness between the lips and the surrounding skin decreases (as well as the luminance difference between the eyebrow and forehead) study source. A great way to enhance the contrast between the lips and face and hence look younger & more attractive, is to use lipstick.

Lipstick normally contains esters/oil, waxes, pigments/pearls, film former, and preservative. It can also contain fragrance and even sunscreen. The ester/oil provides a base for your formula. The wax gives structure. Pigmentary TiO2 can be included for coverage. Pigments that can be used are iron oxides and most lakes. Ultramarines and iron blue are not used in lipstick. As I have mentioned before, pigmentary dispersions are a lot easier to use than making your own pigment grinds. First, it is less work as the dispersion is already made and second, you can great great intensity from the high concentration of pigment that is already in the dispersion. Also, because the pigment particles in the dispersion have been milled to be made small, they will have increased gloss. Lips have very sensitive skin so if the pigments are not properly milled and dispersed, it will feel unpleasant on the lips. If you cannot use dispersions then I suggest using surface treated pigments so you can still reap the benefits of better color development. Treated pearls can also be added to lipstick for shimmer.

Microspheres can also be added to lipstick. The most common types of microspheres used are silica, polymethyl methacrylate, and polyurethane. They can enhance slip and texture as well as help fill in lines. One of the big advantages of using microspheres in lipstick is to increase payoff. If you are aiming for a matte lipstick, a higher percentage of oil absorbent microspheres will get you there as well as choosing oil and waxes that aren't as oily.

Film formers are commonly added for non transfer and long wear. If you want to make a lipstick with exceptional non transfer then you will need to use a lot of volatile in your lipstick. A film is left on the lips after the volatile has evaporated. There are pigmentary dispersions in volatile base. When formulating a volatile lipstick, explosion proof equipment is required. This type of lipstick has some disadvantages: it dries out lips, has poor shine, and a air tight component is needed.

There are some lipsticks on the market that contain water. These lipsticks have a cooling effect on the lips and and can moisturize. There can also be less transfer. However, because you would be rewetting the lipstick with your saliva, there can be pigment bleeding. Special watertight components are needed to prevent this lipstick from drying out.

Tips on How to Correct/Shade Match Liquid Foundations

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There are a few ways to test your liquid foundation. First, it is important to draw down some of the liquid foundation on a white piece of paper. This will reveal if there is any streaking. It is important that your liquid foundation not streak because it will not look right on the skin. Second is to look at the liquid foundation on your skin to feel how it applies and also how the shade looks on skin. There is skin tone and there is mass tone. Skin tone is the way the foundation looks on the skin and mass tone is the way the bulk looks. You want the bulk tone to match the skin tone as closely as possible. The mass tone is what the consumer sees (if the foundation is in clear/glass packaging) and this is what they will use to determine which shade they will choose that best matches their skin tone. If the skin tone is dramatically different from the mass tone then you have a problem. To further evaluate the shade, you can draw down the foundation on a lanetta card along side your standard. The black and white on a lanetta card helps to emphasize small differences in the shade and will give you a better idea on what you need to add to match the color. You can also put a sample of your foundation along with a sample of the standard side by side between two microscope slides to also evaluate color.

Shade matching is done at the end of a batch usually at room temperature. When color matching foundations, it is easier to make full formula extenders instead of adding straight pigment to the base. A full formula extender is the base formula with only one pigment instead of the combination of TiO2, yellow IO, red IO, and black IO. So you would have one TiO2 formula extender, one red IO formula extender, one yellow IO formula extender, and one black IO extender. If the shade is too opaque you can use a sericite full formula extender to lose some opacity.

Liquid Foundations

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Liquid foundations are also used to even out skin tone. They are heavier though than a pressed powder foundation and can provide more coverage.

Liquid foundations also use pigmentary TiO2 and iron oxides to provide color. The same ratios used in pressed powders apply to liquid foundations. An American shade is 10-12% pigmentary TiO2 and iron oxides (7% TiO2, 3% yellow iron oxide, 1.75% red iron oxide, and 0.2% black iron oxide). For much darker shades you would use much less pigmentary TiO2 (such as 1%) and a  more yellow, red, and black iron oxide. A Japanese shade contains more TiO2 than an American shade, ~10% TiO2. Though the percentage of each pigment will be different in each shade, you want the overall percentage of TiO2 and pigments to be the same for each shade so each will have the same feel.

Instead of using untreated TiO2 and iron oxides, which are hydrophilic, it is much better to use treated pigments. Treated pigments are easier to incorporate into oils, esters, and silicones. However, it is even better to use pigmentary dispersions than to make your own pigment grinds. The pigment in the dispersions are already well dispersed and the particle size is made small so that the color is more intense. Smaller particles provide for increased light scattering from the increased surface area of the small pigment. Also, a higher concentration of pigment can be incorporated into a dispersion because of the surface treatment on the pigment and manufacturing of the dispersion. You also get less streaking in liquid foundations when all the pigments are wet out, especially the red. Dispersions help in many aspects.

Silicones are frequently used in liquid foundations because of the lubricous feel and slip they provide. Water in silicone foundations dry slower than oil in water foundations and have more play time. If you have water in volatile silicone though, the foundation will dry fast because the silicone evaporates as you rub it out on your skin. Water in volatile silicone foundations also feel lighter on the skin than traditional foundations that do not have volatile.

Sunscreen actives can also be incorporated into a liquid foundation if you want to claim SPF. Film former can be added for long wear. Microspheres can be added to reduce any shininess that remains after its applied not he skin. Microspheres can also improve the feel of the of the liquid foundation on skin by creating more slip and a silky feel.

Cream to Powders

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Creme to powders are hot pours that are usually anhydrous and usually poured into a pan. Cream to powders are also called wet dry foundations. It feels creamy in the pan but when you apply on the skin it leaves a powdery, light weight feel. Creme to powders always have a liquid (can be silicone, oil, ester, etc), wax, and powder/pigments. Using hydrophobic materials are desired because there will be less issues with bacteria and less color changing issues.

Thin oils and silicone are best to use in this formula. In order to have the powdery after feel, you need a large amount of powder in the formula. Usually there will be as much as 15% TiO2 and several percent iron oxides. In addition, you want to have 20-25% of fillers or microspheres. A large size microsphere will give more of a powdery feel. Always add microspheres at the end. Using surface treated materials will help you to load a high level of powders because oil absorption will be reduced. Be sure though that you are not adding so much powder that the wax structure is negatively affected. You want good structure. Because you have waxes, you want to make sure there is no sweating in the cream to powder. Absorbent microspheres will help to prevent sweating.

Here is a basic formula of a cream to powder:

Phase	%	Ingredient
A	13	Pigmentary TiO2 (treated)
A	6	Mica
A	0.33	Yellow IO (treated)
A	0.33	Red IO (treated)
A	0.1	Black IO (treated)
A	0.1	Methylparaben
A	0.1	Propylparaben
B	29.04	Propylene Glycol Dicapryl/Dicaprate
B	17	Dimethicone
B	9	Ozokerite Wax
C	25	Microsphere
	100

 
Blend Part A until the color is fully developed. Heat Part B while mixing. Add Part A to Part B and mix until homogenous. Add Part C and continue to maintain temperature. Continue to mix and and then cool down a bit and pour into pans. 

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Pressed Powder Formula and Loose Powder

Here is a basic pressed powder formula:

Percentage	Ingredient
70.48%	Mica
10%	Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer (And) Polymethylsilsesquioxane
7%	Pimentary TiO2 and silicone treatment
2%	Zinc Myristate
1%	Yellow iron oxide and silicone treatment
0.86%	Red iron oxide and silicone treatment
0.46%	Black iron oxide and silicone treatment
0.1%	Propylparaben
0.1%	Methylparaben
2.5%	Dimethicone
2.5%	Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
2%	Dimethicone
1%	Dimethicone (And) Trimethylsiloxysilicate
100%

Micropulverize the powders until the color is fully developed. Then add the liquid binder to the powder and micropulverize well. Press at 500psi. 

Loose powders are the same as pressed powders except for the fact that you don't have a liquid binder and you do not press it. If you find that upon application you have a lot of fly away, then you can add a couple percentage of liquid to coat the powder and make it heavy so that it doesn't fly away. Liquid may also help the loose powder feel better. You can include a film former in the liquid so that the powder adheres on the skin better.