Q10 Antioxidant Face Cream DIY

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Lab Note: My “Antioxidant Network” Experiment!

Hello Hello! 😀 Today I am so excited to share an experiment that is a bit “brainy” but so cool! I call it the Antioxidant Network. Usually, we just pick one “hero” ingredient like Vitamin C, but I wanted to try something different. I wanted to build a team!

The idea is the Redox Theory—it’s like a relay race for your skin. When one antioxidant gets “tired” from fighting free radicals, the others step in to “recharge” it so the whole system keeps working. It’s synergy in a jar! yeheee! 😀

The Team Members:

• Coenzyme Q10: The energy booster! It gives the cream a lovely yellow tint.

• SAP (Vitamin C): I used Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate because it’s way less “grumpy” and irritating than pure Vitamin C.

• Alpha-Lipoic Acid (0.5%): The “Universal” antioxidant. Warning: This stuff has a “Hell-Smell” of its own—it’s very sulfuric! I only used 0.5% because I wanted the benefits without smelling like a matchstick factory. 😛

• Vitamin E: To protect the oils and the skin’s lipids.

The Emulsifier “Fuss”: Hitecream 3000

I played with Hitecream 3000 for this one. It’s a vegetable, protein-based emulsifier that’s supposed to be super skin-compatible. I used it at 7% on its own. It gave a stable cream, but next time I might drop it to 5% and add a bit of Cetyl Alcohol to make the texture feel a bit more “posh.”

The Formula I Used:

Phase A:

• Distilled Water: to 100

• Glycerin: 2.0

• Carbopol Ultrez 21 / Xanthan: 0.3 / 0.2 (My hybrid gelling system!)

Phase B:

• Hitecream 3000: 7.0

• Kokum & Murumuru Butters: 1.5 / 1.0 (Love my dry butters!)

• Dicaprylyl Ether: 1.5

• Tocopherol (Vitamin E): 1.0

Phase C (The Antioxidant Cold Phase):

• Safflower & Ribes Nigrum Oils: 0.5 / 0.5

• Q10 / Alpha-Lipoic Acid: 0.1 / 0.5

Phase D (The Finishing Touch):

• SAP (Vitamin C): 1.0

• Rose Water: 10.0 (To dissolve the SAP)

• D-Panthenol / Preservative: 1.0 / q.s.

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Notes from my Beaker:

1. The “No-Stir” Trick: For the Carbopol Ultrez 21, I just let it float on the water until it hydrated itself. No clumps, no stress! Then I added my Xanthan-Glycerin slurry.

2. Heat it Up: Hitecream needs to hit 70°C to wake up and start working.

3. The Cooling Phase: I was very careful here. I pre-dispersed the Q10 and that stinky Alpha-Lipoic acid in the cold oils (Phase C) and only added them when the cream was cool. I also dissolved the SAP in Rose Water before stirring it in.

4. The Look: The Q10 makes it a pale yellow, but I added one drop of food colorant just to make it look “fresh” and pretty on my vanity.

Final Verdict: The synergy between the SAP and the Q10 really made my skin look vibrant! Even with the slight “sulfur” hint from the Alpha-Lipoic acid, I really liked how this cream performed. It feels like a high-tech shield for the face! ENJOY! 🙂