BUTTER-C
Face care
Blemish care serum OEM/ODM manufacturing
Blemish Care Serum · OEM/ODM
A blemish care serum is a concentrated active product for oily and blemish-prone skin, focused on three jobs: keeping pores clear, regulating oil and soothing irritated areas. The formulation challenge is that the key actives in this category (salicylic acid, niacinamide, tea tree oil) each need different conditions for pH, solvent and preservation, and all of them have regulatory concentration limits. A good formula strikes a balance between activity and skin tolerance. Butter-C offers turnkey manufacturing, from formula development to labeled finished goods and the notification dossier.
Formula base
Actives first, then the base and pH
In a blemish serum, the actives determine the pH, and the pH determines the thickener and preservative systems. That is why the active group has to be fixed first. The three groups below are the directions Butter-C works with; a formula usually combines one key active with one or two supporting ones.
Salicylic acid (BHA)
Oil-soluble, so it can reach into pores. Used within the regulatory limit, with a label warning. Poorly soluble in water, so it needs a solvent system (propanediol, butylene glycol, ethoxydiglycol) or a betaine complex.
Niacinamide
At 2–5%: regulates oil and helps fade post-blemish marks. Stable at pH 5–7; at low pH it gradually breaks down over time into nicotinic acid, which causes flushing, a direct conflict with BHA.
Supporting and soothing agents
Zinc PCA, an azelaic acid derivative (potassium azeloyl diglycinate), tea tree oil at 0.1–1% (needs solubilizing and antioxidant protection), centella extract, licorice, panthenol, allantoin, bisabolol.
Points to weigh when choosing
Regulatory concentration limits and label warnings; tolerance of the target skin group; natural essential oils oxidizing into irritants; and the cost of azelaic derivatives versus classic actives.
Key technical points
pH, solubility and oxidation: the three factors that decide whether a serum is well tolerated
With the same list of actives, changing the pH or the solvent system completely changes performance and stinging. The three items below are fixed together, not one at a time.
pH range
BHA works at pH 3.5–4.5 (non-ionized form); niacinamide prefers 5–7. Formulas combining both are usually set around 4.5 with temperature control during manufacturing, or split into two products when positioned for sensitive skin.
Solubility and crystallization
BHA is poorly soluble in water: too little solvent and it crystallizes in the cold, too much and the serum feels sticky and stings. Always tested at 4°C. Tea tree oil must go through a solubilizer at a low ratio so it does not cloud the serum.
Acid-tolerant thickeners
Standard carbomer loses viscosity at low pH; we use hydroxyethylcellulose, sclerotium gum, xanthan gum or electrolyte-tolerant polymers. The base is kept oil-free so it does not clog pores.
Oxidation and preservation
Essential oils and extracts discolor under light and heat: dark bottles and tocopherol as an antioxidant. Low pH allows sodium benzoate/potassium sorbate; a challenge test is still needed because the base is high in water.
Three formulation directions
One principle, three different experiences
BHA serum
Applied to the whole face or T-zone; a fluid, oil-free, low-pH base. Aimed at oily skin, blackheads and enlarged pores.
Soothing, mark-fading serum
Acid-free: niacinamide, an azelaic derivative, centella and zinc PCA at a skin-near pH. Aimed at sensitive, acne-prone skin and the post-blemish stage.
Spot gel
Higher active concentration in a quick-drying gel texture for targeted application. Requires stricter irritation testing than the two formats above.
Packaging designed with the formula
Dark glass bottles with a dropper; the dropper's gasket must withstand BHA and essential oils. Immersion testing runs alongside the samples, not afterward.
Parameters we monitor
What our R&D lab measures on every sample
These are the parameters Butter-C monitors during formula development and scale-up to production. Specific limits are agreed with you on the approved sample and then written into the product's in-house specification.
- Appearance & clarity
- Color, odor, clarity. Yellowing of essential oils and niacinamide is tracked over time.
- pH
- Measured directly at 25°C. For acid formulas, pH drift is the most closely tracked parameter.
- Viscosity
- Measured with a rotational viscometer, recording spindle and speed. Linked to the dropper.
- Active content
- Salicylic acid and niacinamide assayed by HPLC, mandatory because of regulatory limits, and checked on every batch.
- Crystallization at low temperature
- Held at 4°C and monitored for BHA crystals and essential oil haze.
- Stability
- Accelerated aging at 40°C, freeze–thaw cycling and light exposure; monitored for color change, odor change and separation.
- Essential oil oxidation
- Peroxide value of the essential oil phase across stability time points; oxidized essential oils are a common source of irritation.
- Packaging compatibility
- Immersion with the actual bottle, dropper and gasket to be used; monitored for gasket swelling, material odor and light penetration.
- Microbiology & safety
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; preservative efficacy (challenge) test to ISO 11930; irritation and stinging tests on volunteers before sign-off.
Manufacturing specifications
Current capabilities
- Texture
- Fluid oil-free serum, lightly thickened gel-serum or spot gel; clear or with a tint from extracts.
- Pack formats
- Dark glass bottles with a dropper, or small pump bottles. Volume agreed when packaging is selected.
- Minimum order quantity
- Agreed per order, depending on the formula direction and pack format chosen.
- Testing
- Performed at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory, including active assay; certificate of analysis delivered with every batch.
- Documentation
- Product Information File (PIF) and notification dossier prepared by Butter-C, including regulatory label warnings.
- Packaging
- Label design, printing and packing run in parallel with formula development.
Reference product
Acne Care Serum
A product Butter-C currently manufactures, shown here to help you picture a specific formula direction. Your brand can take a completely different direction; this is only a starting point for discussion.
Salicylic acid 2%
At the regulatory ceiling, with a solvent system to prevent crystallization and the corresponding label warning.
Niacinamide
Regulates oil and helps fade marks; formula pH is set at a balance point with BHA.
Tea tree oil
At a low ratio, solubilized and protected with antioxidants; a dark bottle preserves the oil.
30 ml
Glass bottle with a dropper, a familiar size for active serums.
Customization options
What you can specify
Within the same product type, each brand targets a different customer group. Tell us your requirements in the areas below, and our team of pharmacists will develop a matching formula.
Core active
BHA, niacinamide, an azelaic derivative or a combination; this determines pH, skin feel and label warnings.
pH range and tolerance
Stronger for oily skin or gentler for sensitive skin; these two directions are two different formulas.
Texture
Water-thin, lightly thickened or spot gel; linked to dropper or tube packaging.
Soothing agents
Centella, licorice, panthenol, bisabolol; safety-assessed before inclusion.
Fragrance and color
Fragrance-free is recommended for acne-prone skin; color from extracts or colorless.
Ingredient direction
Oil-free, alcohol-free, fragrance-free, vegan; please state these from the start so suitable raw materials can be selected.
How we work
From idea to finished batch
Eight steps and three milestones signed off by both sides: approved sample, notification number, finished batch. Step-by-step details (in Vietnamese) →
Get started
Tell us about the product you plan to launch
Send us your product direction and expected volume. Our team will get back to you during business hours (Vietnam time, GMT+7).
Head office: Huu Le village, Dai Thanh commune, Hanoi · Factory: Thanh Oai Industrial Cluster, Binh Minh commune, Hanoi, Vietnam
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