DIY Cosmetics LLC

 Making Gels and Crème Gels
 
Let me first talk a bit about the gel base that I use, Naturajel™. This product will allow me to formulate gels like no other gel base can. It has been around for awhile and you will find it in many high end natural products. This ingredient is imported from France and made by the well renowned company Alban Muller. There are some replications now on the market but I have yet to try them to find out if they are of the standard of the Naturajel™.  Let me list just few of the unusual properties of this gel base and what sets it apart from other gums that are used for thickening.

1. It has a nice clear clarity and does not leave a powdery film on your skin.

2. It is not sticky. It has a beautiful soft feel on the skin and will soothe and smooth it.

3. Like the synthetic carbomer it can incorporate up to 20% oil. There is no other gel that you can mix oils into without separation. Unlike carbomer it is not pH sensitive and does not have to be neutralized.

4. It cannot be defined as an emulsifier as such but it has an exceptional capability to create a network around the oil particles. 

5. It is a 100% natural polysaccharide with exceptional thickening properties. Many of the more natural emulsifiers are tricky to stabilize and Naturajel™ is able to stabilize the most delicate formulas.

6. It is able to suspend non soluble elements such as glitters and micas for makeup and foundations.

7. It creates stable formulations with difficult ingredients such as AHA’s, essential oils, mineral salts, ethanol and anionic, cationic and amphoretic molecules. (Surfactants)

How to Make a Basic Gel

Instructions

• Measure your water out in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Heat it up. This is not like heating water for a lotion or cream. Heat it to warm or hot and the gum will dissolve quicker.
• Decant the water into your mxing vessel. If you are making a larger lot you can use a canning jar. 
• Add your Naturagard Ultra™ and Lactic acid and stir. Next sprinkle the Naturajel™  over the top and begin to mix.
• It may take awhile to get it to the thick consistency that you want. The longer you mix the better the end product will be.

 
Basic Base is now ready to use. 

• Oils may be mixed directly into your gel. I don't recommend using for that 10-15%.
• Botanical Extracts: First dissolve them in Distilled water (about 5% of total) and then mix them directly into the gel.
• Vitamins: Oil soluble vitamins may be mixed directly into the gel.
• Micas and pigments may be mixed directly into the gel.
• Exfoliates may be mixed directly into the gel.