something burns....

[kienzan]

Hey everyone!

I've been playing around with citric acid, and no matter what Ph the lotion is, I will get a slight burning sensation from the lotion. Even the smallest amount I add, around .25%, still gives my friend and I a burn.

Is there a special way to add citric acid? I put it into the water phase and make it dissolve.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[IrishLass]

The best time to add citric acid is not to put it in the water phase, because you don't yet know what the actual pH of your lotion will be until the lotion has actually been made, and you may not even need to add any at all. The pH should be tested at the end when you've got a stable emulsion and after all the ingredients/additives have been mixed in. Then you can add citric acid if needed.

The best way to add it is to first make up a 20% citric acid solution by dissolving 20 grams of citric acid to 80 grams of distilled water in a bottle, and then add it drop by drop to your lotion until desired pH is reached.

IrishLass

 

[TJ]

If you're adding fragrance to your lotion with either fragrance oil or essential oil you may check to see if that would be the culprit for the burning sensation also.

I've never heard of putting citric acid in lotions before so I am no help, but I just thought I'd mention about any FOs or EOs you may be using because sometimes they can cause burning.

 

[carebear]

it could also be your preservative.

is your scale precise enough for your lotion batch size?