# Aftershave Balsam, too oily!



## Sapwn (May 25, 2015)

I have made dozens of small batches and attempts but still cannot figure this out.

  I make my own aftershave balsam using the oils that I want, however I always get the same result. A cream that leaves the skin too greasy. I cannot understand what I should (or shouldn’t) use in order to make the cream absorbed like the quality aftershave balsams do.

  I have used various percentages of water/oils and made balsams of various densities. It doesn’t change anything, in the end they all leave the skin oily. 

  This could be an example of a recipe:
  25% liquid oils (olive oil, coconut oil, …)
  25% butter (shea, cocoa, mango, macadamia) 
  50% water
  Right amount of emulsifying wax 


  Does anybody know what I am doing wrong?

  Thank you for reading this.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (May 25, 2015)

Your recipe percentage should include the emulsifier and the preservative. So:

Oil %
Water %
Emulsifier %
Preservative %

That should add up to 100%

I think your recipe is too oil heavy. I made a 'lotion' that was 70% water and I use the '' because it was really quite thick and more like a night cream than a general lotion. I need to up the water and/or use less olivem1000 to make it thinner. 

If that doesn't lower the greasy feel, try something like tapioca or corn flour. There is also another additive that helps lotions to absorb quickly and less greasily, but I can't remember what it is


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## Sapwn (May 25, 2015)

Thank you efficacious!

I have made recipes with 80% water and the result is oily as well.
I will use corn flour to see if there is any improvement. At what percentage would you recommend?
Should I add corn flour in the oils, in the water, or after adding the emulsifier?

  I have thought on using clays like kaolin clay. Will this make any difference?

  If you remember what is the other addictive that you miss at the moment please let me know.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (May 25, 2015)

There is a thread in this section called 'body butter greasiness' where folks helped me out with reducing the greasiness in my body butter. Lots of great info in there


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## Sapwn (May 25, 2015)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> There is a thread in this section called 'body butter greasiness' where folks helped me out with reducing the greasiness in my body butter. Lots of great info in there



Great thread, thank you!

Isopropyl Myristate was the addictive.


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## shunt2011 (May 26, 2015)

IPM works well to help with greasiness. It certainly made a difference in my butters.


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## Sapwn (May 27, 2015)

shunt2011 said:


> IPM works well to help with greasiness.



 I just ordered it online and I hope to receive it next week. 
I was thinking about the right percentage and when to add it.
If someone has any experience with Isopropyl Myristate in creams he could be helpful. Do I add it in the oils? Do I add it in the end? What percentage?


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## snappyllama (May 28, 2015)

I use 2% in the oil phase for my lotions. To reformulate a recipe, you'd normally substitute IPM for a percentage of your oils.


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## lionprincess00 (May 28, 2015)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> Your recipe percentage should include the emulsifier and the preservative. So:
> 
> Oil %
> Water %
> ...



For lotions and the such, I was under the impression it was (an example recipe) 
Oils %
Butters %
Stearic acid %
Emulsifier %
Water % 
Totals 100%


Then use .5-2% preservatives per total weight of the above 100% (depending on the preservative recommendations)
.5% fo per total weight after you reach the 100% formula. 
In other words, the preservative isn't included in the original 100% of the recipe. 

Am I doing it wrong lol? Wouldn't be a first I'll admit! (little worried now :think


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## snappyllama (May 28, 2015)

I've been following the swiftmonkey way of doing things.  She includes FO and preservative as part of the overall recipe.... everything adding up to 100%.


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## Sapwn (May 28, 2015)

snappyllama said:


> I use 2% in the oil phase for my lotions. To reformulate a recipe, you'd normally substitute IPM for a percentage of your oils.



Thank you very much!


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (May 29, 2015)

snappyllama said:


> I've been following the swiftmonkey way of doing things.  She includes FO and preservative as part of the overall recipe.... everything adding up to 100%.




Me too!


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## lionprincess00 (May 29, 2015)

I'll have a look. I went off soap queen, so I'm very intrigued at learning about this! Thanks snappy and teg


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## shunt2011 (May 30, 2015)

Sorry, I use 2% as well.  It adds a drier feel to things for sure.


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## Dahila (May 30, 2015)

yes everything should add to 100% including fragrance and preservative,   I would not use Olive oil and CO in aftershave lotion, too heavy,  If you have to add 1%of IPM


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## Sapwn (May 30, 2015)

Thank you Shunt and Dahila!





Dahila said:


> I would not use Olive oil and CO in aftershave lotion, too heavy


I wouldn't use olive oil either;  however, I want to add levander infusion and laurel leaves infusion  which I made using olive oil because this was what I had in abbondance. I  didn't think about using it in aftershave balsam when doing it


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## Dahila (May 30, 2015)

Oh so maybe use a small percentage of that and add "dry oil" like hazelnut or Macademia oil.  It should be more balanced.  Using Emulsimulse would give you drier feeling or IPM


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## Sapwn (May 31, 2015)

Dahila said:


> Oh so maybe use a small percentage of that and add "dry oil" like hazelnut or Macademia oil.  It should be more balanced.  Using Emulsimulse would give you drier feeling or IPM



I didn't know the term "dry oils", I guess you mean that some oils produce a less oily final product? Or maybe you mean solid oils like butters and stearic acid?



I am thinking to use:

[38%]
Maccadamia butter
Mango butter (or maybe Shea butter instead - which is "drier oil"?)
Laurel and Levander infusion in olive oil

[55%]
Aloe vera gel 
Chamomile water infusion

[7%]
Emulsifing wax
Optiphen
IPM

I want in to be thick as a cream, but not oily.


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## Dahila (May 31, 2015)

http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/search?q=oils
check it out, 
Butters are very occluding and better to use them in small percentage.  E-wax does introduce oily feeling to skin. 
Dry oils would be something like; Macademia, Hazelnut , rice brain , even Soya goes right into skin not leaving oily feeling.  
you need to add 9.5 g (lets think they are grams ) of Ewax (25% of all oils) so you calculation is off already  YOu should start from scratch on swiftmonkey blog, study it and you will know exactly what to do.  She gives you everything.  Just put aftershave balm in search bar


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## Sapwn (Jun 12, 2015)

Made and used today a new aftershave balm with 3% IPM.
It didn't have any effect. The balm leaves my face too oily :sad:


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jun 12, 2015)

Well, that IS a lot of butter and so on.  I made a lotion and at 75% water it was very thick.  Maybe more water would be helpful here?  

* I am a lotion novice, though.


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## Sapwn (Jun 12, 2015)

I used 40% oils and EW, and 60% water (aloe gel and chamomile).
I also added 1% lanoline. Could this be the problem 


I was surprized to read that some members here have made body butters, which means approximately 100% oils butters and IPM, and it didn't feel greasy :shifty:


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## DeeAnna (Jun 12, 2015)

When we say "dry" we mean a skin feel that is the opposite of greasy. 

"...some members here have made body butters, which means approximately 100% oils butters and IPM, and it didn't feel greasy..."

Fine, but you're talking about apples and oranges if you try to compare a body butter with a facial product! What works on the body will not necessarily be fine for the face.

The "doesn't feel greasy" perception varies depending on the condition of the skin and what skin you're talking about. A body butter might feel really good and soak in quickly if used on dry legs and arms in the winter-time, but the most fantastic body butter is likely to feel too heavy and too greasy on the face. You just can't use the same approach to create a facial product that you do to create a body product.

Study the label of a commercial product you do like. I bet you're going to find the % of actual oils and butters (and lanolin) is fairly low. The other ingredients in the product are included to create a "dry" feel and add conditioning and soothing properties without adding a heavy, greasy skin feel.  

Some butters are drier and other butters are more greasy, but as Dahlia says, they are all heavier than most liquid oils and are usually used in small amounts, if at all, in facial products.

Your choice of emulsifier and thickener is important. E-wax and Polawax feel greasier. BTMS and conditioning emulsifier will feel drier and will also add oil-free moisturization to the skin. If you add a thickener (helps to stabilize the emulsion), then stearic acid will feel heavier and waxy while cetyl alcohol will feel lighter and softer.

If you are determined to use a high % of fats in your product, I doubt you will get a result you like for face use. I agree with the others' recommendations -- More water-based liquids. Less total fat. Back off or eliminate the butters. Study Swiftcraftymonkey's blog.


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## lsg (Jun 12, 2015)

Here is link to a recipe I make for my son.  This is not an answer to your first post, but maybe can be used as an example.

http://www.makingcosmetics.net/recipes/92-Refreshing After Shave Cream-Gel.pdf


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## kumudini (Jun 12, 2015)

Sapwn said:


> I used 40% oils and EW, and 60% water (aloe gel and chamomile).
> I also added 1% lanoline. Could this be the problem
> 
> 
> I was surprized to read that some members here have made body butters, which means approximately 100% oils butters and IPM, and it didn't feel greasy :shifty:



I made a lotion from the body butter I made, since the butter is starting to turn liquid and in general greasy for the unusually humid weather we have now in Michigan. So, about 30% oil phase with 2% IPM, rest water phase with aloe powder, 2% glycerine and 1% each of preservative and EO in cool down. Used E wax for emulsifier. Now this feels almost as greasy as the original body butter, but it is absorbed much more readily, so it's not as greasy after sometime. So, I think the IPM is helping. Thanks to Shunt, for mentioning this ingredient in the thread that Gent referred to.
As for as the butters with 100% fats being less greasy, I think people just use it in much smaller amounts than a lotion.


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## Dorymae (Jun 12, 2015)

Sapwn said:


> I used 40% oils and EW, and 60% water (aloe gel and chamomile).
> I also added 1% lanoline. Could this be the problem
> 
> 
> I was surprized to read that some members here have made body butters, which means approximately 100% oils butters and IPM, and it didn't feel greasy :shifty:



You can also try substituting all of your e-wax for BTMS or BTMS-50. I hate greasiness and it is the only thing I use in my lotions. ( I don't use IPM).


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## DeeAnna (Jun 12, 2015)

Yep, I also like BTMS-50 or BTMS-25 a lot. Although Susan (swiftcraftymonkey) says she has much better luck with BTMS-50 vs. BTMS-25, I've never had any problems using BTMS-25. 

***

I used the term "conditioning emulsifier" in my earlier post. Just to explain, it is roughly the generic equivalent of BTMS-25.


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## Sapwn (Jun 14, 2015)

[FONT=&quot]Thank you for the answers. I ordered BTMS (not 50) to repeat the recipe with some modifications.[/FONT]
  [FONT=&quot]I used a couple of times this last balsam again.[/FONT]
  [FONT=&quot]It gives a burning sense as applied to the face. It is gone after a couple of minutes.[/FONT]
  [FONT=&quot]Could it be the 30 drops of lavender essential oil in 200cc of cream?[/FONT]


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## DeeAnna (Jun 14, 2015)

The skin of the face is often more sensitive than skin elsewhere on the body, and I know that EOs can cause lots of trouble even in small doses. So it's entirely possible the lavender might be irritating your skin. But it could be something else, including your butters and oils -- really hard to say. I'd make your next recipe with no scent and see if that makes a difference. If it still irritates, then you know it's another ingredient causing the irritation. 

I wouldn't just "put up with" this irritation because it could trigger dermatitis or even an allergic reaction.


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## Sapwn (Jun 14, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> I'd make your next recipe with no scent and see if that makes a difference.



Good idea!


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## Dahila (Jun 14, 2015)

what percentage and what did you use?  The same as above my post?  No doubts it is oily


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## Sapwn (Jun 15, 2015)

Dahila said:


> what percentage and what did you use?  The same as above my post?  No doubts it is oily





The oil phase was 40% and I used 
Olive oil
Macadamia butter
Emulsifying wax 8%
IPM 3%
Lanoline 1%
30 drops Lavender essential oil


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## Sapwn (Jun 15, 2015)

I did another one yesterday with:

80% aloe vera gel (no chamomile, no water)

8% olive oil
6% Em Wax
4% IPM
1,5% Vit E in oil
0,5% tea tree essential oil

It seems to be ok or at at least very improved. I must wait until tomorow to shave test this balsam.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jun 15, 2015)

I hope you're making small batches, as there is no real preservative in there.  Keep it in the fridge and use it fast, or a post-shave face is the last place that I would use it.


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## Sapwn (Jun 15, 2015)

The last batch is 50ml.
Of course I keep it in the fridge, as well as my industrial-made balms which are full of preservatives. 
From tomorrow on, my whole apartment will be in the fridge; temperature will reach 37C and air conditions will take over until the end of August.


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## Sapwn (Jun 17, 2015)

I shave-tested the last batch made with 80% aloe gel today.
It is significantly less oily. I am very close to what I want to achieve.
Thank you all for the comments!


I used the last drops of optiphen in the previous batches and I need to buy a new preservative. Which would you recommend for an aftershave balsam?


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## Dorymae (Jun 17, 2015)

Sapwn said:


> I shave-tested the last batch made with 80% aloe gel today.
> It is significantly less oily. I am very close to what I want to achieve.
> Thank you all for the comments!
> 
> ...



Liquid germell plus.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jun 17, 2015)

How much do you use?  You didn't list it in your recipe before.............


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## Sapwn (Jun 17, 2015)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> How much do you use?  You didn't list it in your recipe before.............



If you are talking about the optiphen, I use it in 1%. But the last batch with 80% aloe gel was made with no preservative at all because I run out of optiphen. I only put 0.5% tea tree essential oil for some antibacterial properties. In a couple of months this batch will finish.


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## Dahila (Jun 17, 2015)

Sapwn said:


> [FONT=&quot]Thank you for the answers. I ordered BTMS (not 50) to repeat the recipe with some modifications.[/FONT]
> [FONT=&quot]I used a couple of times this last balsam again.[/FONT]
> [FONT=&quot]It gives a burning sense as applied to the face. It is gone after a couple of minutes.[/FONT]
> [FONT=&quot]Could it be the 30 drops of lavender essential oil in 200cc of cream?[/FONT]


 to much of EO, however lavender does not burn,  Maybe it is something else?
2 drops of essential oil for an ounce of lotion is more than enough.  EO are very potent


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## Sapwn (Jun 18, 2015)

Dahila said:


> to much of EO, however lavender does not burn,  Maybe it is something else?
> 2 drops of essential oil for an ounce of lotion is more than enough.  EO are very potent



 Could it be optiphen? Or maybe not all EO are the same. I remember I had 3-4 different qualities of lavender EO to choose. Maybe the one I chose irritates my skin?

The cream has a light lavender scent. If I had used less EO it wouldn't have any scent at all.


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## DeeAnna (Jun 18, 2015)

Lavender EO can irritate the skin if it's old and oxidized. Oxidized lavender EO will also trigger DOS in soap.

And a few people are simply sensitive to lavender EO even if it's fresh and perfect. Only a tiny percentage of peole, mind you, but there are a few.


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## Sapwn (Jun 18, 2015)

I bought it new from the shop and I used it after a week. 
And lavender EO is one of the most commonly used. I doesn't stay long on the shelf.

There were 3 types of lavender EO though, maybe it was the one I chose. Next time I will try the ther ones.


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## Sapwn (Jun 20, 2015)

I used again the previous version with 40% oils and lavender EO.
  The burning sensation was a lot less and the cream felt less oily.

  Cannot understand this, do creams need a curing time as well?
  How could this balsam improve its characteristics after 10 days of “curing” in the fridge? :crazy:


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