What do we put into our cool down phase? (Click here for the original post.) We put in the ingredients that might be sensitive to heat, such as our silicones (cyclomethicone and dimethicone), essential and fragrance oils, some preservatives, and extracts, amongst other things. For most ingredients, it's easy to find out whether they are heat sensitive or not - your supplier should have some information, and I've tried to include it in the information I've written about ingredients (look to your left and down a bit!)
There are, however, some ingredients about which there is a dispute. For instance, I've seen allantoin recommended for the cool down phase but my supplier (and my textbook) recommend it for the heated water phase. If you're in doubt, talk to your supplier or do some experimenting. For instance, I've found allantoin in the cool down phase for me tends to result in shards, something I've not experienced by including it in the heated water phase. (For a longer, more in-depth post about how to figure out the right phase for your ingredient, click here.)
After I've finished mixing, I like to assemble my cool down phase in a small container so I can clean up my counter to get ready for the packaging phase. Many times, a plastic shot glass is more than adequate to hold all the heat sensitive ingredients, but you can add the cool down phase directly into your product when it reaches the right temperature. Take notice if you have to dissolve the ingredient first - for instance, an extract or a powder - before adding it to the container. There's nothing worse than a powder that doesn't dissolve into your lotion, thereby ruining all that hard work!
I like to let my product cool to about room temperature - so 20˚C to 25˚C - before packaging.
Join me tomorrow for fun with packaging our products!
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