Hyperpigmentation Serum

With that out of the way, let’s talk about what we should add to the formulation.
Of course, the main star here is niacinamide. This ingredient is very common in skincare these days. There have been many claims made about it. I encourage you to refer him to it as I find it super interesting. One of the studies I read noted using 4% Niacinamide and 2% N-Acetyl Glucosamine. Not making any claims here, just using the percentages and going to test it out. My sources will be at the end of the post. N-Acetyl Glucosamine is another great ingredient that has many claims as well. I will link to the supplier information below as well. Note that not all N-Acetyl Glucosamine is vegan. The supplier I got it from noted that it is not vegan. I have tried to look at other places, and none of them mentioned the source. If you have any information on this, let me know. The next ingredient that I wanted to add was Alpha-arbutin. It is an underrated ingredient for hyperpigmentation. It does take a couple of months to see results, but it is well worth it! To draw water into the skin, I am using a combination of glycerin and butylene glycol. These are also going to be used to slurry the gum so that we can add it in cold-process. For the extract, I wanted antioxidant-rich extracts. Licorice root extract may also help with the apperceive of hyperpigmentation. To gel this formulation, I am using Xanthan Gum soft; it is way better than regular xanthan gum. I know that this ingredient is love or hate. So in the substitutions and alterations sections, I have included that. To preserve this formulation and make sure that it will have a good shelf life, I am adding liquid germall plus. It is a very easy preservative to work with.

Method:
Sanitize all your equipment, containers, and workspace. Gather all your ingredients and make sure that your notebook is set up. In a  clean and disinfected glass beaker, add all your phase A ingredients. Stir until the ingredients are uniform. In a glass prep cup, measure and mix phase B. While mixing, add phase B into phase A. After adding all of phase A, a nice gel should form. Check and adjust pH to 6. See note on adjusting pH. Pour into final packaging. Be sure to label and date your latest formulation.
Adjusting pH:
First, how I do it is controversial. If you have a certain way that you got consistent results, use that. In a separate glass beaker that is appropriate for your beaker, weigh out ten grams of the product. Mix it well and take the pH. If you are using strips, do not make a diluted solution no matter the viscosity; or the pH will be way off. Wait for the reading to be stable, take a note of the pH, and discard the Sample after. Then put the product on the scale and tare it. Add 0.10g either the 50:50 citric acid solution (to lower the pH) or the sodium hydroxide (to raise the pH). Stir well, then wait 1 minute before making another solution. Keep adding more of the pH adjuster solutions until you get the desired pH. You will be surprised how much it may take. I recommend making a bigger batch than you want so you can account for that. 
Substitutions and Alterations:
You can replace some of the water with a hydrosol if you want.
If you do not have one of the active ingredients, it is okay; replace the percentage with water.
If you do not have one of the extracts, you can use something else. Note you can not use an oil-soluble extract here.
You can substitute propanediol for glycerin if you want. If you do not have butylene glycol, you can replace it with more glycerin or propanediol if you are using that.
If you do not have sodium phytate, you can use EDTA at 0.20% as well. In this formula, it is not necessary, so it is up to you. Note that sodium phytate and many chelators have a negative charge, so they can not be used with any positively charge ingredients.
However, you can use another gelling agent but make sure it is compatible with the formulation and understand how to formulate it. The method is crucial.
Use: Apply this after cleansing and moisturizing your face. This can be used morning or night. Would you please do a patch test before applying this to your face?
Note Alpha-Arbutin takes a couple of months to work.