BUTTER-C
Face care
Soothing repair essence OEM/ODM manufacturing
Soothing Repair Essence · OEM/ODM
A soothing repair essence is made for skin that is sensitized and has a weakened barrier — after sun exposure, after over-exfoliating, or while using strong actives. Unlike other serums, the formulation principle here is to take away rather than add: a short ingredient list, no fragrance, no alcohol, no essential oils, and a reason for every raw material to be there. The soothing effect comes from choosing the right few actives and standardizing their content. Butter-C offers full-service manufacturing, from formula development to a finished, labeled product with its cosmetic product notification.
Formula base
Few ingredients, each with a job to do
A soothing repair formula usually centers on one key soothing active, a group of lipids to replenish the skin barrier and a group of hydrators. The three groups below are the directions Butter-C works with.
Centella and purified actives
Whole Centella Asiatica extract, or purified centella actives: Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid. Purified forms give consistent content from batch to batch, with less color and odor.
Copper PCA and Zinc PCA
Mineral salts of PCA — a component of the skin's natural moisturizing factor. Copper PCA is pale blue and carries metal ions, so it affects product color and the choice of polymers and chelating agents.
Soothing and barrier lipid replenishment
Panthenol, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Beta-Glucan, Ectoin; Ceramide NP/AP/EOP combined with Cholesterol and fatty acids in ratios close to the lipids of the stratum corneum.
What to weigh when choosing
Length of the ingredient list; a gentle preservative system; seasonal variation in crude plant extracts; and the considerably higher cost of purified actives compared with standard extracts.
Key technical points
Truly gentle, not just labeled gentle
Sensitive skin reacts even to things normal skin does not notice. That is why the four points below are considered before the actives themselves.
Minimalist formula
No fragrance, colorants, essential oils or drying alcohol; solubilizers kept to a minimum. Every added raw material adds a potential source of irritation, so the ingredient list is reviewed line by line.
Standardized extracts
Centella extract is selected by the marker active content stated on its certificate of analysis, not by extraction ratio. As a result, each batch feels and performs like the last.
Compatibility with metal ions
Copper and zinc ions reduce the viscosity of anionic polymers and promote oxidation. The formula uses electrolyte-tolerant polymers, a balanced chelating agent level and a set order of addition to keep viscosity stable.
pH and preservative system
pH is held at 5–6, close to physiological pH. The preservative system uses gentle options (1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone) and must pass a preservative efficacy test; an airless pump helps limit contamination during use.
Three formulation directions
One goal, three different experiences
Watery centella essence
Fluid, clear, fast-absorbing, suited to layering. A direction for oily sensitive skin and hot, humid climates.
Ceramide repair serum
A light, milky-white emulsion containing barrier lipids. It soothes and seals in moisture; a direction for dry and flaking skin.
Concentrated essence for short-term use
A higher level of soothing actives in a small size, used while skin feels uncomfortable before returning to daily products.
Packaging is designed together with the formula
An airless pump bottle is a good fit: the product does not come into contact with hands or air. A frosted bottle helps mask slight color changes in plant extracts.
Parameters we monitor
What our R&D lab measures on every sample
Below 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.
- Sensory profile & color
- Color, odor, clarity. The color of the extract and of Copper PCA is monitored over time.
- pH
- Measured directly at 25°C; pH drift monitored across stability time points.
- Viscosity
- Measured with a rotational viscometer; monitored for viscosity loss caused by metal ions.
- Marker active content
- Madecassoside and Asiaticoside assayed by HPLC — confirming the extract meets the selected standard.
- Heavy metals & residues
- Checked against the plant raw material certificates of analysis and tested in the finished product to regulatory limits.
- Stability
- Accelerated aging at 40°C, freeze–thaw cycling and light exposure; monitored for discoloration, haze and separation.
- Packaging compatibility
- Filled into the actual pump bottle to be used; checked for pump force, sealing and the amount of product left undispensed.
- Microbiology & preservative efficacy
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; preservative efficacy (challenge) test to ISO 11930.
- Assessment on sensitive skin
- Irritation testing on volunteers with sensitive skin — required support if the label says "suitable for sensitive skin".
Claims
Writing claims within the cosmetic scope
The word "repair" can easily slip into drug language. Butter-C reviews the wording on the label and marketing materials while preparing the notification dossier; below are commonly used phrasings.
Soothes skin
Instead of: anti-inflammatory, reduces inflammation, reduces swelling.
Helps support the skin's protective barrier
Instead of: heals, heals wounds, regenerates skin.
Helps reduce feelings of tightness, dryness and discomfort
Instead of: treats irritation, treats dermatitis, treats allergies.
Suitable for sensitive skin
State only when sensitive-skin test results are available. Instead of: completely safe, non-irritating.
When to use
Describe use within a daily skincare routine; do not state use after medical procedures or as a substitute for a doctor's advice.
Ingredient name on the label
Use the correct INCI name; "Cica" is a trade name for centella, and the ingredient list still reads Centella Asiatica Extract.
Manufacturing specifications
Available capabilities
- Format
- Watery essence, lightly viscous serum or light emulsion; clear to milky white.
- Packaging format
- Airless pump bottles, standard pump bottles or dropper bottles. Fill size agreed when selecting packaging.
- Minimum order quantity
- Agreed per order — depending on the formula direction and the packaging selected.
- Testing
- Performed at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; a certificate of analysis is supplied with each batch.
- Documentation
- Product Information File (PIF) and cosmetic product notification dossier prepared by Butter-C.
- Packaging
- Label design, printing and packing run in parallel with formula development.
Reference product
Butter-C Cica Soothing Serum
A product Butter-C currently manufactures, shown here to illustrate one specific formula direction. Your brand is free to choose a different direction — this is simply a starting point for discussion.
Centella (Cica)
The key soothing active, selected by marker active content.
Copper PCA
A mineral salt of PCA that helps retain moisture and balance the skin surface.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrates and helps skin feel less tight and dry; multiple molecular weights combined.
Airless pump bottle format
Frosted body with a clear overcap — the product does not come into contact with hands or air during use.
Customization options
What you can specify
The same product type can target very different customers depending on the brand. Tell us your requirements in the areas below, and our team of pharmacists will develop a matching formula.
Centella form
Whole extract or purified actives — this determines color, odor, stability and cost.
Soothing group
Panthenol, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Beta-Glucan, Ectoin; choose one or two rather than spreading thin.
Barrier lipids
With or without ceramides; with ceramides, the formula becomes an emulsion.
Texture
Water-light, lightly viscous or light emulsion.
Fragrance and color
Fragrance-free and color-free recommended for repair lines; the product color is the natural color of the raw materials.
Ingredient positioning
Fragrance-free, alcohol-free, essential oil-free, vegan — please state these at the outset so suitable raw materials can be selected.
Further reading
Related topics
Dry skin vs. dehydrated skin: differences, causes and care
What a weakened skin barrier looks like (in Vietnamese).
Choosing cosmetics by skin type
What sensitive skin should favor and what it should limit (in Vietnamese).
HA hydrating serum manufacturing
Multi-weight Hyaluronic Acid — the hydrating group often paired with repair lines.
How actives feel on skin
Why skin stings and how formulas address it (in Vietnamese).
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
Hotline +84 987 964 764 · [email protected] · Privacy policy ← Full catalog