Formulating For Efficacy®

While a product may claim to have a certain percentage of an active ingredient, this does not necessarily mean that the full percentage will be delivered into the skin. In other words, how much of the active actually penetrates the surface of the skin and enters the stratum corneum?

Components needed to ensure adequate delivery into the skin:

Formulating For Efficacy® (FFE) is a computer software program that aids in identifying the proper humectants for a skincare formulation. The software works by entering the SMILES codes of actives and humectants to create a database of potential active ingredient and humectant combinations.

We are employing the software to optimize the formulation and hone in on the target concentration. The software identifies a ratio of the humectant system in which the active ingredient is fully dissolved and there is enough drive for adequate delivery of the active.

Optimizing these combinations and generating percentages to use in the whole formulation will allow for a range of products to be created focusing not only on aesthetics, but delivering active efficacy as well.

ACT Solutions Corp has used the software to create a line of products containing various actives and humectants best suited for delivering efficacy.

Zemea®, a brand of propanediol, has shown to be the most optimal primary humectant to use with each of the active ingredients we have studied.

The software goes about creating the formulation in four different ways. When analyzing results, numbers appearing in blue on the “XXX page” meet the solvency for the target concentration, while those appearing in red do not.

While polar, water evaporates too quickly from the surface of the skin; this usually leaves the actives behind to sit on the surface of the skin. Need help with testing? Drops us a line.