LUSCIOUS took 54 tries! Here's how I got the perfect cream.

Know what's better than accidentally falling into the perfect formula??

Grinding. Grinding to get to that perfect, silky, luxurious cream that works. What I learned to get there would prove to be invaluable going forward.

I knew when I was finishing my Diploma in Organic Skincare Formulation that I had to nail down the perfect face cream. Now, the final formula to graduate didn't have to be the perfect face cream, but that's what I wanted it to be. A lesser formula would have fit the requirements. Well, that wasn’t happening.

My face cream would:

• support aging skin, so it would minimize the appearance of wrinkles, hydrate and ideally, repair skin.

• not leave a soapy, white trace on the skin - I hate that.

• have an ultra luxurious, high end feel and a light but silky texture.

• absorb quickly and completely, leaving no draggy, sticky or oily feeling behind.

• contain only natural ingredients that had solid foundations in science, but be inspired by ancient herbalism and medicines.

• contain ingredients that superbly hydrate, nourish or protect, or some combo of those 3 things.

• have a VERY low likelihood of causing any reactions or allergic response.


I started simply to learn how to combine oils and waters in an emulsion. It's tricky and technique matters - and so satisfying I must add! My first creams - "oil-in-water emulsions" or O/Ws - were basic and I experimented with a few oils and butters in different amounts and combinations. Then I added hydrosols, or distilled plant waters instead of plain distilled water, for their skin benefits and delicate fragrances. I experimented with some active ingredients here and there, but not until later because getting the skin feel down was a major concern.

Even the simplest formula needs a few basic things:

• Oils

• Waters

• Emulsifier to blend those oils + waters

• Gum(s) to thicken and add texture and stabilize the emulsion

• Glycerin for hydration and to disperse your gum and prevent clumping

• Vit. E / other antioxidant to protect your oils from rancidity

• Preservative, because water-based ingredients can be serious bug food!


The proportions have to be just right and the temperatures have to be just right; there are temperature sensitive ingredients you have to add later - but not too much or you'll destabilize the formula. Every ingredient you choose fits into either water-soluble or oil-soluble, so your %s and proportions have to be fully accounted for before you even start.

At one point, I did a couple dozen experiments using one formula with different emulsifiers and combinations of emulsifiers. That was a huge step in figuring out what was going to give me the sensory experience - the skin feel - that I insisted on!

THEN the formulas got more sophisticated; I was getting closer. I fell for all the "shiny things" that fascinated me and was just throwing them into formulas, but had to take a step back and think about what a face cream was meant to accomplish and exactly what ingredients would help with that task. Would any hinder the tasks, or would they not work ideally in this formula? I saw there were so many ingredients I couldn't possibly include in one formula - so when I decided a serum would be needed to complement and customize the user experience, it gave me focus and freedom to finish the cream as it should be!

When I finally reached #54, everything was falling into place. It had the right texture and feel. I was able to scale my batches up a bit with no issues. I had been using it and I sent it to friends and it was working!! I submitted it as my final project and YES! It got me an amazing grade and my Diploma in Organic Skincare Formulation was complete.

The formula has changed slightly since, just to optimize performance of certain ingredients and to use ingredients from suppliers I trusted to be ethical and consistent, but it is mainly the same.

All that I learned from those 54 tries has prevented that from EVER having to happen again! From all the trials, experiments, failures and successes, I learned so much about how to create a formula, how to think about the formula – what would it be like in its optimum state? What would it do for skin? What ingredients would make that happen, and can they work together? Will any work against each other? How will they affect skin feel and texture? Can I be sure that these ingredients comply with natural formulation standards and can I prove their authenticity?

Not only do I know the questions to ask now, I know how to find the answers quicker and from trusted sources. I also know not to waste time on shiny things and focus on the formula! (but...so…shiny!!!)

CHEERS!! To living and learning!

~ Marika