How to Formulate an Oil Serum

[@laurieguzman5577]

Thank you for explaining in more detail about serums. You honestly have a gift. The way you explain things in such great detail and the examples you give at times, make me giggle. Like drinking a glass of olive oil..Please don't ever change who you are, or how you provide your wealth of knowledge and experience. You inspire and teach many people with such honesty. Thank you again.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Thanks so much, Laurie! You kind words have put a big smile on my face :)

[@esthernjoroge9221]

I love how you break down the science-y stuff to layman understanding. Keep up the great work. You are an inspiration.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

❤️ Thanks for watching!

[@jenia785]

Very pertinent, and timely. You are a great teach and interesting and fun to watch. thanks so much.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Thanks so much, Jenifer!

[@mariahn5764]

I know this video is older now but it inspired me to get down and make my own oil serums and my skin is loving it. My favorites are argan oil, seabuckthorn seed and seabuckthorn berry at night. And my favorite morning is camellia seed oil and German chamomile e.o.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Beautiful! Argan oil is one of my first and most enduring loves ❤️

[@shellbell8062]

I have just started researching seed oils and it's so much more complex than I imagined! From what I have learned so far it is important to understand the fatty acid profiles off various oils to ensure that you are combining them correctly. Susan M Parker wrote a comprehensive book on this.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Yes, fatty acids are so important! Oils are such a wonderfully complex thing 😄 You might also enjoy Modern Cosmetics-it's a fabulous textbook packed with info :)

[@utymarin]

Hi, Marie, you looked radiante in this video. I want to say that i found Argan Oil thanks you! It is fantastic and my skin loves it. I mix it with Rosehip oil and some evening primrose oil. Tkanks you!

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Thank you so much! And I'm so glad to hear you've fallen in love with argan oil-it's so fantastic! 😁 And it's extra fantastic when you aren't paying Sephora prices for it, ha!

[@AleLau84]

I really needed this video! I love the way you explain things

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Thanks so much!

[@gnomebeard407]

A few ingredients in use in my beard oil is macadamia nut oil, sandalwood and Texas cedarwood...omg it smells sooo good. Macadamia nut oil is strong so I consider it when blending fragrances.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

I freaking LOVE macadamia nut oil! I just wish hazelnut oil had the same scent strength, but hazelnutty. SWOON. I wold smell like nutella all the time, LOL!

[@marie-zz5km]

How much of them How much to start

[@chrislaffin4370]

I love Andiroba. I have used it alone however I can't wait to use it in a blend. It is a magic oil for irritated skin.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

I've enjoyed formulating with andiroba as well, it's such a neat oil!

[@atlantisfae1111]

I just adore you, you really are the best! So much useful information.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Thank you so much, Atlantis!

[@maameboamaa]

None of these oils come close to Tamanu oil! It’s so powerful and has a lot of healing properties and I’m in love with it!

[@huffin_and_puffin]

I just love your channel immensely, thank you so much for all the time and effort you put in your content. I've recently started my own diy cosmetic products (on a very small scale, just playing around for now) after realising that all of the store formulas I tried had at least one irritant that my skin would not accept to save my life (they tend to be perfumes). You've saved me so much time (and product!); next to some other books and chem forums you're hands down my diy bible

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

I'm so glad! Happy making 😄

[@Sweetyammie33]

Thank you for being my inspiration 💕💕

[@ivaninhaf]

Nikki Dang Same here! 😍

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

❤️❤️❤️

[@christielivingstone4069]

Thank you for another great video, Marie! Just want to say a few words about minimum percentage at which an oil becomes effective. I think it depends not only on the type of oil, but also on the quality and on how one's skin will respond to it. I had several kinds of tea tree oil, and I personally thought that investing in "food-grade" expensive brands is not justified. But guess what. Not only I would add more of a cheaper oil, but even at higher percentage it won't be that effective. I recently made a face serum for my daughter, to reduce the acne and clear acne scars from her face. It seemed to work for a couple of weeks and then it seemingly stopped. I asked her what she was eating, and she did not add any new thing to her diet. I decided to add just 1 drop of Young Living tea tree oil to the 30 ml serum and see. Her face started clearing and becoming so much smoother. Just one drop. It may not work like that for everybody else, but it did for her. So, as Marie says, we each need to do our own research. It's so much fun, I won't miss it for anything anyway!!

[@Shoshauney1980]

Just a suggestion, but I think that if you put 'DIY' somewhere in your video names -you would get a ton more hits. Not that I am down playing the amount of times they have been watched already, I just know that from what I found, you're one of the best out there! there's people that do Way crappy videos that have a lot more hits. When I first started looking for resources on KZbin that is the main keyword I was searched before naming a specific item I was looking for. For example "DIY mango body butter." I can totally understand why you used the wording you do, but I think a lot of people may be missing out on finding your awesome videos simply because of the way that we search when we are looking for things like this. Thank you for all of the awesome info you give out. I'm certainly glad I found you :-)

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

I'm giving it a go! I modified the titles of about 50 videos so I can see if it works 🤞 Thanks for the tip!

[@jaekae6833]

I definitely agree because I’ve been researching on KZbin for about a yr now and today is the first I’m seeing this page! Im over the moon though! Thank you so much for all your content❤️🙌🏼

[@CheryshDakota]

So glad I found your channel

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

❤️ Welcome! Don't forget to check out my blog (humblebeeandme.com) as well-I've been blogging since 2011 while I’ve only been on KZbin since about 2016, so there are a lot more formulations on the blog. The blog is also where my totally free ingredient encyclopedia and FAQ live, and they're both packed with tons of super-helpful information ❤️ Happy making!

[@roki5337]

This was presented well! In such a real life conversational way but full of your knowledge.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Thank you so much!

[@leekitten]

Thank you for this very informative video. You are looking particularly radiant in this video. Always a pleasure watching and learning from you 😊

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Thanks so much!

[@cybill28]

Very well explaine, always a pleasure to watch you, Mari., You are lovely!

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Thank you, happy making! :)

[@dianantari8288]

Salmon-y! That "characteristic fragrance" for EPO is indeed salmon-y! Haha! I still love how it improves my skin, I finally survived months of PMS without any serious pimples anymore. Totally worth it ❤

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Yup haha-erk :P At least it works like magic to make up for it!

[@meritaholmes9582]

awesome video Marie! I love this.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@yonnesiouffi1319]

Very useful information, thank you so much for sharing 🙏

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Thanks for watching!

[@mdml0]

Me: Spreads organic lard all over my face every evening for a nice dewy glow. 💆‍♀️ Thanks for the video!

[@afiongedet5835]

I love your skin!

[@hazbabe28]

great vid, something I've been meaning to learn more about. i was really silly the first time i tried making a serum- used half a bottle of jojoba, half a bottle of sweet almond oil, a whole mini bottle of rosehip oil, then bunch of drops of lemongrass. I'm very sensitive to strong smells so ofc, I hated this. the consistency was weird too, felt sick everytime I used it. so after that I just gave up and used straight up avocado oil and it worked great (i had very tight, dry skin from rosacea which got irritated even when i put lukewarm water on it) but I can't help but feel like I could be making a better serum if i tried blending again. will try only a few drops at a time this time ☺ you mentioned oils going bad, how long does it take? i got a bunch given to me for christmas and have only used a few of them pending experimentation. also how do you test essential oils without irritating your skin? how diluted in a carrier oil? thanks!!

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Your first story sounds familiar! I made some very unappealing melanges in my early days, ha :P Rancidity usually takes 1-2 years to set in; you can tell by the smell of your oils. If they smell like old nuts, they've got rancid.

[@shonamosites]

Thanks so much for the video. I've been using straight rosehip oil with a few added EO's for years, but always felt like it was too simple? And a better product would be more complex?...now I know that is not the case, and I should keep doing what's working for me :)

[@playbeauty7809]

Exactly! More complex does not mean better!

[@walaahegazy6529]

before I finish watching. is it rude to ask about your skin care routine? you look glowy and clean

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

It's not-I keep meaning to do a video about my routine, but it changes so often I never know what to say :P Suffice it to say I focus A LOT on hydration!

[@cwood8579]

Very informative video! However I just spent the last 2+ hours reading the blog post you linked and as an avid soap maker and lover of all things botanical I am 😭😢😩😭😔 at the fungal acne information. After reading the blog and being someone who has literally never had a clear skin day since the age of 12, pretty much everything I make can contribute to fungal acne...

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Aww no! What a bummer :( Hopefully leads to a solution for you, though! And perhaps the formulation challenge will be fun?

[@ghettogirl5229]

@@Izzazzo hey thanks mac but my skin cannot handle hyaluronic acid. Any alternative?

[@yyaassmmiinn]

Thanks for the video! As a subscriber who struggles with fungal acne, I was wondering if you would ever address this! "Safe" products can be hard to find, especially SLS free haircare (don't get me started on products for afro textured hair!). I think it's a real gap in the market at this time, and given how much the SSS blogpost has blown up, demand for products/DIY recipes that don't feed malassezia must be at an all time high! Something to consider perhaps for the blog? Keep up the good work!

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

I have definitely thought about formulating fungal acne safe products, but the idea of messing that up really scares me-I'm afraid I don't know enough about it to safely formulate for it.

[@laurengianna9944]

For a 4 ounce jar how would I formulate: apricot seed oil, jojoba and rosehip oil with lavender and rose essential oils? Please and thanks so much 🙏🏼❤️💫.

[@char2261]

Do you refrigerate or even freeze oils to keep them fresh for a longer time before using in a formula?

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

You certainly can, though I typically don't. I refrigerate more expensive oils that are known to have shorter shelf lives, but don't bother for things like grapeseed oil :)

[@pryvacy1392]

Thanks for doing a video on oils there's lots of great information on here! I've been obsessively researching oils for the past month and reading scientific papers. I'm still confused about certain attributes of oils specifically with saturated and unsaturated fats and I'm wondering if you could shed some light on this. Usually we consider polyunsaturated fatty acids to be better as they have lots of antioxidants in them and so many benefits plus saturated fats have a name of causing heart disease etc. In my research I did find that although polyunsaturated fats are great for you they oxidise and go rancid pretty fast through light heat and air, because they have one or more double bonds they are much more unstable than saturated fats. So my question is that if that is true then it makes sense that it would be better to use oils with more unsaturated fats because they'd be more stable and that since your putting it on your skin and then going out in the sun wouldn't something like coconut oil be much better for the skin because uv rays wouldn't oxidise it as fast? I read this long paper all about what causes acne skin. One of things it said was that acne type skin contained less squalene and vitamin e so it's not that the oils are being eating by the fungus that's the problem but that there's nothing protecting the oils. From this I was wondering what causes dry skin (since I have it) the usual consensus is just the generic thing that dry skin has less sebum but I'm inclined to think there must be more to it. Like is it just an underproduction of sebum or is it that there's less amounts of certain fatty acids, vitamin e or squalene? And what types of fatty acids are we missing? Is it better to use unsaturated or saturated fats etc?

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

I think you should pay a visit to Lab Muffin (labmuffin.com/), SSS (simpleskincarescience.com) and The Beauty Brains (thebeautybrains.com/blog/). I am not concerned about oxidization on my skin; oxidization takes months to years to set in when oils are in their bottles, so I have a hard time being concerned about that process over the course of 8 hours. I'd refer to the SSS article on fungal acne regarding your last point.

[@pablo10302]

I need help I have avocado oil rosehip seed oil and hempseed oil and jojoba oil can someone help me formulate one serum?

[@CieloSkin]

Hi Marie, any recommendation for an emulsifier for an o/w serum? Thank you💙

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

I love the versatility of Glyceryl Stearate (and) PEG-100 Stearate :)

[@asifarehman6150]

I have pigmentation... Can I add licorice extract in it?

[@gnomebeard407]

I'm a big believer in face serum oils. Instead of making a beard oil for myself I rather make a serum for my entire face and beard. But I usually apply something like this before bedtime. I don't like leaving the house with oil on my face. Can you get refined carrier oils anywhere? I feel if we all use the refined oils we don't have to worry about the older and can play around a little more with our essential oils.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

I buy a selection of refined and unrefined oils; certain versions of each seem to be more common. You'll generally have to search around to find whatever you're looking for-I don't know of a single source that only sells refined oils.

[@minzyminzy2699]

Hello can you help me I know what I want in my formula but don’t know how to go about it like what’s the math LOL for making serum. I have two oils I want and eo and aloe Vera I don’t know how to make a serum though and how to go about the math when it comes to making large batches

[@sabirose8947]

What percentage of tea tree oil should I use? I don't think I'll have much use for the book as the only essential oil I use is tea tree oil. Love your videos and bubbly personality btw!

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Tisserand's maximum dermal amount is 15%, but that's extremely high for actual use; you'd be best to stick to 3% or less, remembering that tea tree oil is orally toxic and should not be used around the mouth :)

[@sabirose8947]

Humblebee & Me thank you so much! And sure I'll keep that in mind lol. Can't wait to make my oil blend.

[@xelykoyax2997]

Can I mix SHEA BUTTER (it gets very soft because of the hit here) with a couple of oils for Serum?

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Try it and see :) There's no reason you can't.

[@xelykoyax2997]

@@HumblebeeAndMe thank you so much,I can’t not believe you answer back, I am a huge follower 💥🥰

[@coreyannis4995]

When making body creams and lotions, what do you do about the evaporated water while melting everything?

[@marlenekramer6372]

Hi Corey, maybe I can help. I always re-weigh my water after heating and before adding it to the oil phase. I always have some additional heated distilled water "on standby" to make up the amount that may have evaporated during the heating phase and add it as needed. I'm sure Marie will have some tips as well, but I hope my answer is helpful.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

I always increase my water part by 10% to compensate for this; Marlene's method is also great!

[@MURPHxiii]

Great video! I love eminence organic skincare but some of their serums are insane in price, been wondering how hard it would be to just make my own ☺️ also, I have a request, I recently tried a sample of Lush D’FLUFF shaving soap and fell in love with the consistency and hydration. Anyway to do a dupe?? Thank you and I love your videos!!

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Hmm; I looked at the ingredients and there's a few things in there (fresh strawberries & egg whites) that would make creating a shelf stable version of that at home impossible. I'll have to poke it if I'm around a LUSH store and see what it feels like!

[@TracyD2]

I love sea buckthorn oil. I pop open a pill and a smear it on my face. It’s very orange. I’m not that fair so it’s a good look for me. 😬

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

☀️😄

[@dezeedav7043]

How do you thin down a mixture of carrier oils?

[@AfricanMusume]

Would I need to add preservatives to extend the shelf life? Or to prevent water contamination

[@clarissathompson]

I use my oil blends as my exclusive moisturizer (after hydrating with water cleansing and hydrosol toning) I keep mine in tightly capped, in a dark coloured bottle with a dropper lid in a cool dark place for maximum storage life. I also use in it a tocopherol blend (vitamin Es) made for cosmetics, the antioxidant properties help to extend the life of your oils, maybe by a month or two, but nature will always have its way and the oils will go rancid over time. Be sure to research the shelf life of your oils and throw away anything that is left of your blend by time the oil with the shortest shelf life has expired. I'm not Marie, but that is my experience! Good luck!

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

No preservatives are necessary if the product doesn't contain water (an oil serum wouldn't) and won't come into contact with water (again, an oil serum shouldn't). You should include vitamin E at 0.5% to extend the shelf life :) Clarissa is correct about rancidity always eventually setting in, though-we're just delaying it with the vitamin E. You'll know when something has gone rancid-it'll smell definitively "off", like old nuts.

[@reynansadventures153]

Thank you for visiting my house.

[@itsadaezeukaegbu]

When testing oil blends to see what works, how long would you recommend to test it before approving its okay or adjusting it? I made an oil blend of 6 oil and the first couple of days it was clearing my skin, evening it out and making it brighter but a week into using it, the day after I scrubbed my face I noticed it was making my eye area darker (which it made brighter before) and I was breaking out but not as much just one or two pimples. I'm tempted to go back and change somethings but I also want to wait for another week or so

[@maryrigby5362]

thank you so very much for this video

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Thanks for watching!

[@anareyalvarez7822]

Hi sweetheart, Can you please recomend me a good brand to buy the oil?

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

www.humblebeeandme.com/resources/ :)

[@anareyalvarez7822]

@@HumblebeeAndMe thank you so much. I am really new to this but I want to transition to more natural skin care. New to your chanel as well and I didn't know that you sell the essential oils. Thank u 💓

[@candicesolomon7035]

Is there a calculator that I can use?

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Not that I know of.

[@carolhanson3198]

I'm having a vitamin E oil dilemma. There are too many to choose from. Could you please tell me (or direct me to) some information about which I can use for makeup formulations?

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

This is the one I use (www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/products/raw-materials/vitamin-e-mt50-full-spectrum.html). Refer to the "Technical Documents" tab and the "more information" document to learn more!

[@ulmakhatri6080]

Great video😍. Marie can u plz help me in making rose hydrosol from dry rose petal powder..is there a particular quantity or do I just go by the scent of it.😯

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Sadly that's not going to work; you'd need a still and many, many pounds of fresh rose petals to make rose hydrosol. I'd recommend purchasing a professionally made hydrosol so you can ensure its purity and shelf stability.

[@ulmakhatri6080]

Thanks a ton Marie for your reply..feel so glad to have found your amazing site♥️

[@stephanieclark2078]

Hi! By adding water won't you need to add a preservative?

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Yes, but... this is a video about making oil serums? We aren't adding water. If I was making a roast it would need to be stored in the fridge and consumed in a few days, but that's not covered here, either 😝

[@lukepowell2477]

If I were to make a serum, but wanted to add water how would I emulsify it but keep the light, liquid consistency? Like I want it to be simple (about 2 oils, water and preservative). But I don’t want to use an emulsifying wax because I don’t want it to thicken up. Are there any emulsifiers like that?

[@KittenBowl1]

If you want a gel-like consistency, which most OTC serums are alike, you can use already prepared gel like aloe vera gel, or other serum base with Carbomer in place of water and add oils and nutrients. You can use lecithin (comes in powder and liquid form, as well as granular), and add in oil phase. You would have to use electronic hand blender/milk frother to blend the mixture and blend until it cools down completely and broad spectrum preservative and sterilizing all equipment and containers are a must. Add more water for liquid like consistency for both lecithin and even emulsifying wax too.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Solubilizers like Polysorbate 80 will help incorporate small amounts of oils in large amounts of water, but also tend to produce sticky end products; you likely will want to use an e-wax, but you can use less with a smaller oil phase to create a thinner, more milk-like end product. There's an excellent post on serums like this here: itsallinmyhands.com/2013/03/16/how-to-formulate-a-serum/ :)

[@ikimchi4753]

How about hair serums?

[@Tajwedacademy2971]

Can we sale this serum in market How we can save this serum maximum for 3 year Plz reply me must mam Thnk u so much

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Hey! You'll find the answer to your question in my FAQ on my website at humblebeeandme.com/faq/ 😊Happy making!

[@minithomas137]

You are an encyclopaedia which travels at a speed of 100 miles/hr hahah…Thanks a lot 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

📚💨 🤣 Thanks for watching!

[@kiaranaria7211]

How can people have neem oil anywhere near them? It smells soooo bad! I use it as a "natural" pesticide with a ~2% concentration in water and have to put all the plants I treat on the balcony for at least a day. Because it makes me gag! I don't care about any benefits whatsoever, the moment that bottle is empty there will never be any neem oil in my vicinity again. Anyway.... thank you for your hard work and all the great content! You are fabulous!

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

I'm with you there! Neem oil = 🤮 Don't forget to check out my blog (humblebeeandme.com)-I've been blogging for over 8 years while I’ve only been on KZbin for about 3.5, so there is TONS more content on the blog!

[@227olalola]

Speaking of water for skin the new Clinique Moisture Surge is the best moisturizing gel I have ever used in my life!! My boyfriend even noticed after a few uses! wish we could figure out how to make it here?!

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Ooh, looks like there are some good ingredients in there! Not all are available to home crafters but it's an idea to riff on :)

[@227olalola]

Humblebee & Me yes gurl! Humblebee and Me’s first gel cream! I can’t go back to anything else for my face no joke.

[@marlenekramer6372]

I would love to learn how to make a moisturizing gel. Some Aloe Gel, green tea extract, something perhaps oil-free.

[@shon1924]

Can this formula be used for hair oil as well

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

This isn't really a formula, but you could apply these principles to a hair oil formulation :)

[@shon1924]

​@@HumblebeeAndMe Could you do a hair oil or serum? I cant find any online. I want to make one that last and doesn't stink or get old fast and its been hard.

[@rojooz2003]

If you search her blog, she has numerous recipes. www.humblebeeandme.com/?s=Hair+serum&et_pb_searchform_submit=et_search_proccess&et_pb_include_posts=yes&et_pb_include_pages=yes

[@ANATORRES-mk3pu]

Thank you !! ✌🏽🌺🌺

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Thanks for watching!

[@walaahegazy6529]

are there other facial serum that aren't oily?

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Definitely! Here's a good post to read: itsallinmyhands.com/2013/03/16/how-to-formulate-a-serum/.

[@GR-hy3tf]

Hi Marie, just a silly question maybe but are you slightly South East Asian? Had to ask as you look a lot like someone I'm friends with and she is.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Not even the slightest, though you aren't the first to ask :)

[@____Ann____]

Oh my. You say evening primrose oil smells funky and neem oil horrible. To me evening primrose smells absolutely disgusting, like a plastic package of bacon when you just open it. Absolutely revolting. I want to buy neem to put in a shampoo but now I am terrified.

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Yeah... I wouldn't put neem oil in shampoo. Or anything, really. Ick.

[@____Ann____]

@@HumblebeeAndMe So. I bought neem powder. I was in the Indian supermarket and the guy showed me the neem oil and the powder. He was a big fan of the oil. I said I was scared of the smell and would try the powder first. I assumed leaves smell less strong than seed oil, right? He seemed to find it a bit weird I was afraid of the oil. And afterwards I hope he didn't think I found him smelling weird. The powder was all right. A herbal smell like henna. I don't like that smell but it doesn't offend me. So today I went back to buy the oil. I was in luck, said the same guy, 'last bottle of neem oil!' When I stepped out of the shop I was tempted to open it immediately since I was so curious about the smell. But was afraid my backpack would eternally smell of rancid garlic. So I didn't. And went toa restaurant where I was again tempted and saw visions of clients running outside and me being thrown out for that smell. When I came home even the bottle warned me: it needs to be diluted to 1:10 neem:carrier oil and preferably use essential oils to mask the smell. When I opened the cap there was an extra large, plastic seal so no smell would escape. My hopes were high. And? A mild smell, first I smelled sesame oil. And then smoke. I smells like sesame oil mixed with shea. Not bad at all! I put some straight on my face... My oil is very dark, so it seems like the real stuff. Tomorrow it will go into a shampoo bar and now I am making a emulsifing hair mask. My oil smells a million times better than that horrible primrose oil. The brand is Ayumi and it is also sold in Holland and Barrett shops, internet tells me.

[@karolinapolgari1887]

You are so beautifull!

[@relaxmezone]

For explanation of oils ok..but looks boring in your mere talking without even have some images... about the oils you are talking about

[@afiongedet5835]

I love your skin!

[@HumblebeeAndMe]

Thank you so much!