Newbie Tuesday on Monday: Modifying the facial cleanser even further with hydrolyzed proteins

I'm so glad you're enjoying the facial cleansers you've made (original recipe, then the modified recipe can be found in those links)! So let's add a few more things to the mix!

As I modify recipes, I ask myself a few questions...
What's the goal of this product?
What will I be using after this recipe on my face? Toner? Moisturizer? Serum?
What did I like about the previous version? What didn't I like? What did I miss?

As someone with greasy skin, the goal of my cleanser is to wash my face gently to remove sebum, dirt, chocolate, and make-up. I don't want it to be too foamy, and it would be nice if it didn't sting the heck out of my eyes when I use it. I don't want my skin to feel tight or dry after washing. I think it's safe to say that all skin types would like what I've just written here, so let's move on to the next question...

What will I be using after this recipe on my face? I generally use a toner and nothing else as I have greasy skin and I don't get along with oil based products, like a moisturizer, oil based serum, or silicone based serum. (I do like my oil-free moisturizer, though, but I've run out and don't get time in the workshop these days...) Believe it or not, this is a really big deal because what you'll put in your cleanser will depend on what you're using next. If this cleanser is the first step in a larger regimen, you may want to stop with the modified recipe we made the other day and rejoice!

Having said this, I encourage you to keep going and modifying this recipe to see if you really need those next steps or if this facial cleanser is exactly what you want!

What kind of modifications could I make to this product to make it more moisturizing, more hydrating, and more awesome?

The short answer is that there are more modifications than I could cover in a month of making facial cleansers, but we'll review a few more ingredients today. In the last post we covered humectants and cationic polymers. Let's meet another of my favourite ingredients...

HYDROLYZED PROTEINS
I admit it; I'm addicted to hydrolyzed proteins. I love the way they film form and hydrate my skin without oils. There are so many to choose from, but my favourites are hydrolyzed silk protein, which can be found as silk peptides or amino acids, and hydrolyzed oat protein. (Although I'm kinda loving the hydrolyzed baobab protein from Lotioncrafter* and the pisum sativum from the Formulator Sample Shop* as it has a dry, silky feeling I've never seen in a protein before!)

I recommend hydrolyzed oat protein for normal to oily skin as it forms a film that hydrates our skin. I recommend hydrolyzed silk protein for normal to dry skin as it can penetrate our skin and hydrate from within. You can use either for your skin type, or choose another one. Let's use it at 2% to 5% in our cleanser to increase mildness, hydrate or film form.

Why would I choose 2% over 5%? More isn't always better. I've found that 2% offers me the right amount of film forming and hydrating on my skin, while 5% can get a bit sticky at times. I'm finding some of the newer proteins I'm using, like the pisum sativum, don't get that sticky feeling, so I've been trying it at higher levels. I quite like 4% as well for that one...

As an aside, if you've always wanted to make shampoo, if you have the ingredients to make cleanser, you have the ingredients to make a shampoo! So check out the hair care section of the blog to see how you can make that, too. Oh, and you can make body wash. Check out this section or do a search for "body wash" - I make so many and I haven't updated the section yet - and you'll see those recipes! And a bubble bath! And a hand cleanser! I know, mind blown, right? 

Do you need it in a facial cleanser if you're using something else next? I would argue yes, because it increases mildness in the product and hydrates your skin. Some would argue "no" because you're washing it off, but I do notice a difference with as little as 2% in my products. As with all our products, it's up to you to see what you think! Always keep great notes!

I do blind product testing sometimes, getting Raymond to pour something into a bottle without telling me what it is, and I have noticed a difference in non-protein body washes and facial moisturizers. I haven't noticed a great difference with my shampoo, but notice it when it's missing from my leave in conditioner. 

So how would this recipe look if we were to add 2% to 5% hydrolyzed protein to the facial cleanser? If I adapt the recipes we made the other day - check out this PDF - then I would add 2% into the surfactant phase and remove 2% of the distilled water to balance the recipe to 100%.

Notice I've added 2% hydrolyzed protein to the surfactant phase and removed 2% distilled water to ensure the recipe totals 100%. You can do this with all the recipes we've created so far!

FACIAL CLEANSER FOR DRY OR SENSITIVE SKIN
SURFACTANT PHASE
10% BSB
5% SLeS
10% cocamidopropyl betaine
5% glycerin
3% cationic polymer - I like polyquat 7
2% hydrolyzed protein
0.5% liquid Germall Plus

WATER PHASE
64.5% distilled water

CROTHIX PHASE
up to 2% liquid Crothix

FACIAL CLEANSER FOR NORMAL SKIN
SURFACTANT PHASE
15% LSB
15% BSB
10% cocamidopropyl betaine
3% glycerin
3% cationic polymer - I like polyquat 7
2% hydrolyzed protein of choice
0.5% liquid Germall Plus

WATER PHASE
49.5% distilled water

CROTHIX PHASE
up to 2% Crothix, if desired

FACIAL CLEANSER FOR OILY SKIN
SURFACTANT PHASE
15% C14-16 ole[in sulfonate
15% DLS
10% cocamidopropyl betaine
3% glycerin
3% cationic polymer - I like polyquat 7
2% hydrolyzed protein
0.5% liquid Germall Plus

WATER PHASE
51.5% distilled water

CROTHIX PHASE
up to 2% liquid Crothix

Weigh the surfactant phase of the product into a container and mix. I suggest using a fork and mixing so you don't get a ton of bubbles. It's not the end of the world if it gets bubbly, but you'll have to wait a few days for the bubbles to go down.

When the product is uniform, add the water, then mix again until it is blended. Again, try to avoid too many bubbles.

Add the Crothix 0.5% or 1% at a time. Mix well with the fork. It will likely fall to the bottom, so I suggest stirring from the bottom to make sure you're integrating the Crothix. If it isn't thick enough, add another 0.5% to 1%.

For oily skin, don't go over 2% as it can feel a little too moisturizing. For other skin types, you can go as high as 5% if you wish, but this will be very very moisturizing. If you can't get the visosity you want right now, it's okay. This is why we have pump bottles!

If you're playing at home, here's how you can catch up and play along!
Newbie Tuesday: We're making facial products! 
Shopping list
Equipment list
Let's start making facial cleansers! - Your skin type
Surfactants - what are they?
Meet the surfactants
pH of our surfactants
Facial products - the base recipe

Facial cleansers - modifying them with humectants and cationic polymers
Did you make cleanser? What did you think? (part one)
Did you make cleanser? What did you think? (part two)
Did you make cleanser? What did you think? (part three)
Did you make cleanser? Submit your recipes! 
Question: Can you add carrier oils to cleansers?

Join me tomorrow as we take a look at using aloe vera in the recipe!