Please watch and add your comments.

We’re so close to a great SPF. It just doesn’t quite take care of flakiness well enough. I’ll keep plugging away at it, but it’s more of a long term project at this point. Nailing the perfect SPF with zinc oxide that takes care of flakiness is the hardest challenge I’ve come across in formulating a product.

Salicylic Acid: I’m plodding along with this. Our manufacturer is back from vacation mid-month, so I hope to have something out in the month or two following.

SPF15 Moisturizer: I found a great formula, which is saying a lot. I’ve tried well over 50 samples–I’m pretty sure it’s actually over 60 but I lost count. At any rate, I am loving the latest formula and am just swapping out preservatives right now to get it nice and stable. Once it’s nailed down it takes a few months in FDA required stability tests, after which point I can fill.

I think I found an adequate solution for SPF for summer. In the meantime, I’m getting closer to a good formula myself. My suggestion:

Olay Complete for Sensitive Skin + a few drops of jojoba oil

I know this sounds off the cuff, but believe me, I’ve tried just about everything and this is the best solution I’ve come across in the past several years. Try it and I think you’ll agree. If you do try it, let me know what you think.

Since I’ve been using the 10% AHA every morning, my skin is much more sensitive to the sun, necessitating a good SPF during the day. I was using a zinc oxide based SPF for the first few weeks with great results. My skin was 100% clear. Then, against my better judgement, I decided to try an avobenzone based sunscreen. Avobenzone based sunscreens have always caused breakouts for me in the past, but I like how they go on less white than zinc oxide based sunscreens. Thanks to the AHA I managed to use the avobenzone for a few days with no problems, but finally did end up with a few small comedones. Me no like. I immediately went off avobenzone and back on a zinc oxide SPF and the breakout is fading. This is probably the fourth time an avobenzone based sunscreen has caused me problems. I guess I’m ready to declare that avobenzone is comedogenic at least on my skin.

New and Improved Moisturizer: After many iterations of our moisturizer with increased moisturizing ingredients (humectants) and with little improvement, I’ve decided the best way for us to move forward is to keep our current moisturizer just as it is minus the stearic acid. The stearic acid is only in the formulation at .4% however, so it will stay remarkably similar. So what do people do who want more moisturization? Add a few drops of jojoba oil. I do this myself from time to time if I want more moisturization on a particular day. I found us a fantastic local, organic jojoba supplier so I’ll be able to offer that in the coming months once I order bottles and get them filled. In the meantime, because I seem to be unable to stop myself , I’m working on another few moisturizer formulas with our chemists which will include alpha hydroxy acid. I’ll keep you posted on that.

SPF Moisturizer: I sampled a micronized titanium dioxide moisturizer because it is supposed to be “translucent”, but these words are really just thrown around. It is not translucent. It goes on white. The bottom line is we’re going to have to deal with some whitening if we want full spectrum protection. I’ve got several more samples coming my way.

Salicylic Acid: I am a little obsessive and decided to do further research on the best options for each of our ingredients, and changed a few things here and there. I should get sampled on the final batch Wednesday. I’m hoping it still has the great feel everyone loved when we tested it.

10% Glycolic: People are loving the glycolic so it is good to go. I gave the final OK and got pricing. It is eye-poppingly expensive to produce, but the product is pretty darn great. I’ll try to keep the price as low as I can. Buy a lot of it so we can keep prices low.

Organic Jojoba Oil: I just need to order bottles and caps and we’ll start filling. Bottles and caps take a couple of months to produce.