HOW TO CREATE GEL MASKS WITH SEPIMAX ZEN
Sepimax Zen is a versatile anionic emulsifier for gels, cream gels, serums, toners, surfactant-based products like face cleansers and body washes, etc. It is stable in a wide pH range (2-8) so this emulsifier can be used in acidic skincare products.
INCI: Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Usage Rate: up to 5%
2% for gel masks
emulsion stabilizer and thickener - 0.2-0.5
1% for toners
⚠️Sepimax Zen is not compatible with cationic ingredients such as BTMS-25, BTMS-50, Polyquartenium 7, Homeyquat, etc.
You can get Sepimax Zen at Lotioncrafter, The Formulator Shop, Make Your Own Buzz, etc.
how to choose ingredients for face masks
First, answer these 4 questions. Once you do, you’ll get the idea of where to start.
skin type
problems to solve
color/scent
texture
branding
My example:
1. normal, all skin types2. dull skin, light pigmentation
3. bright color, refreshing, herbal scent
4.cream gel/gel cream
5. botanical base
Keep in mind that face masks tend to have higher concentrations of actives. And that’s why we will concentrate on them.
🟢Papaya extract for its brightening properties and color (INCI Glycerin, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Aqua)🟢Sea Buckthorn FRUIT CO2 Extract has some anti-aging, regenerating, soothing properties and it gives a product a nice orange color (INCI Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn Fruit) Extract)
🟢SK-influx V Ceramide Complex prevents wrinkles, restores and hydrates skin, and improves skin elasticity and skin barrier (INCI Ceramide 3; Ceramide 6 II; Ceramide 1; Phytosphingosine; Cholesterol; Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate; Carbomer; Xanthan Gum)
🟢AQUAXYL prevents dehydration, moisturizes and hydrates the skin, and reduces wrinkles (INCI Xylitylglucoside (and) Anhydroxylitol (and) Xylitol)
The base for my mask is the Immortelle Hydrosol (immortelle - immortal) INCI Helichrysum italicum Floral Water and it gives my product a slightly herbal scent.
Dimethicone improves skin feel and reduces stickiness.Euxyl PE9010 is my preservative.
Propanediol is a humectant.
Naturally, you can use a different humectant or hydrosol, or you can omit Dimethicone and choose different actives and create your own fabulous face mask formulations. My goal is to give you an idea of what you can do with certain ingredients and after that, the sky is the limit.
I used Sepinov EMT 10 as texture as a skin feel enhancer but you can skip it.
Fruit Smoothie Papaya Brightening Gelly Mask
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Add the ingredients into a beaker in the sequence written in the formula.
2. Use an immersion blender to mix for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides with a silicone spatula. Mix for one more minute.
3. Now check the consistency and texture of the gel mask. Make sure there are no lumps of Sepimax or Sepinov left. If you see clumps, set the gel aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour and then blend until the product is homogenous.
📝NOTE: Although the product is thick enough for my preference it could be not enough for other people. At this step, you can add more Sepimax ZEN but make sure to recalculate the formula with the Weight to % Calculator
If you want to make a smaller or a bigger batch go to the Batch Calculator and type in your formula and the batch you want to make.
let’s reformulate
Now, let’s see how we can change the formula if the answers to the 5 key questions are as follows:
1. dry skin
2. wrinkles, dehydration
3. floral scent, pink color
4.cream gel/gel cream
5. flowers, flower garden, rose/lavender
Start with Actives:
hydration Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerine, Propanediol 1.3, AQUAXYL, Xylishine, Hydrolyzed proteins
wrinkles Matrixyl 3000, SYN-COLL, SYN®-AKE, LEUPHASYL, Argireline, SK-influx V Ceramide Complex, Age 22, CERAMIDE COMPLEX CLR, Coenzyme Q10 Q-MAX™, Gamma Oryzanol etc
Hydrosol: Lavender, Rose
Emmolients: Dimethicone, LuxGlide, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, Ethylhexyl palmitate, Isopropyl Myristate or some luxurious oil
Color: cranberry juice powder, mica, water-soluble dye, some plant extracts
A 40.00% Rose Hydrosol
A 41.80% Lavender Hydrosol
A 2.00% AQUAXYL/ Xylishine/
A 2.00% Propanediol 1.3 / Glycerine
B 2.00% Sepimax Zen
B 1.00% Hyaluronic Acid
C 1.00% Dimethicone / lightweight oil / ester
D 3.00% Rose Extract / Cranberry Extract / Tomato Extract/
D 3.00% Argireline
D 2.00% Hydrolyzed Protein of choice
D 1.00% Euxyl PE 9010
D 1.00% Coenzyme Q10 Q-MAX™
D 0.1% Rose Geranium Essential oil / Rose Absolute
D 0.1% Lavender Essential Oil
And that’s how easy it is to reformulate so don’t feel intimidated. You can start with a simple moisturizing mask and work your way up to more complicated formulations.
I shared 1 more formulation with Sepimax Zen for a high-performance face gel for wrinkle reduction on my Patreon. If you’re interested in more advanced formulations, more posts, and more goodies like printable formulations, and mini ebooks then consider becoming my patron🌹
My Formulation Journal for Cosmetic Formulations is now available on amazon!
It has a colorful design and more than 200 pages for tracking your formulations, batches, success, and learning process. I am super proud of this work and it took me a while to get it just right🧡. I hope it will help you in your cosmetic formulation journey.
Use my Airtable Base developed specifically for formulators and small business owners to keep track of all your formulas, ingredients, expenses, batch tracking, costs etc.
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