How to Use Starphere P5-GR12 in Your Formulations
Understanding Starphere P5-GR12
Think of Starphere P5-GR12 as tiny, biodegradable packages that deliver a multi-sensory experience to your customers. These beautiful, jade-green pearls are designed to be suspended in a product, creating an eye-catching appearance on the shelf. When the user applies the product, the beads burst with gentle pressure, releasing their core ingredients—in this case, the antioxidant Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate) and a hint of color.
For the beginner formulator, these beads are one of the easiest ways to add a professional, “wow” factor to a product. For the experienced chemist, they represent a stable, starch-based encapsulation technology that protects actives and provides a controlled, friction-activated release, enhancing product efficacy and user experience. The large 850–1200 μm particle size ensures they are clearly visible, making them ideal for transparent or translucent formulas where the visual effect is a key selling point.
Formulation Tips
Never add when hot: Do not add Starphere beads to heated phases. Heat can cause swelling or premature breakdown.
Usage rate: Use at 0.5%–3%. Start around 1% for a noticeable visual effect, and increase for a denser appearance or higher active delivery.
Incorporation: Add during the final cool-down phase below 40°C (104°F). Stir gently until evenly dispersed. Avoid high-shear mixing to prevent damage to the beads.
Suspension: Use in sufficiently viscous bases so the beads remain suspended. Clear gels (e.g., carbomers, natural gums) and thicker creams/lotions work best; thin liquids may allow settling.
Compatibility: Versatile across serums, gels, emulsions, and surfactant systems. Stable across typical cosmetic pH ranges when added at cool-down.
Key Performance Benefits
- Dramatic Visual Appeal: Pearlescent jade-green color and large bead size create a stunning, luxurious look in transparent or translucent bases.
- Engaging Sensory Experience: Provides a satisfying burst-on-application that transforms routine use into a memorable moment.
- Targeted Active Delivery: Encapsulates Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E) to protect in-formula and release directly onto the skin during use.
- Natural and Biodegradable: Corn starch-based system offers a clean alternative to plastic microbeads.
- Formulation Versatility: Works across gels, serums, creams, cleansers, and masks to add both function and aesthetic value.