I was looking in the Wrong place and you may be too.

I really have been wanting to improve my formulation skills. One of the first things I did was research myself on basic formulation information. Topics like heating and holding, vitamin E's heat stability, what is high shear, etc. It felt like a lot of the information was, "Well, this is how I do it and it works." This response did not leave me satisfied at all. I started looking into where these claims came from, including various websites, professional websites, suppliers, formulation schools, and other bloggers.

It all seemed like conflicting information to me. Some say it is okay, some not, or only in certain instances. It led me to post more questions on my Instagram. If I have some chemistry knowledge, I wondered how others felt trying to find answers. I realized I could not be the only one with these questions.
I am going to be non-specific for a second. Recently, I read an article from an industry veteran. I posted about it and then had a lovely conversation with them. My mind was blown by what they were telling me.
I was looking at everything and trying to take it all in. I was missing a very important point. It is not conflicting information if it is incorrect information in the first place. That hit me like a wall. I was giving equal-weight information.
It is easy to feel that formulation needs to be one way without an explanation. However, this is not how science is done.
I was looking in the wrong direction. I was looking for information from people who said it worked for me. Not from people who have to face every issue.
"it worked for me" is a very flawed mentality. It could have worked because of certain parameters or exceptions. Who knows if it has been stability tested long enough? It is anecdotal evidence and should not be mistaken for facts or a scientific contentious. 
I help a lot of small brands with formulations. What they think is a problem is not always what is happening. For example, they may think it is an extract when they do not consider the charge of their ingredients. The conclusion I came to is that I need to experiment more and get help from professionals.
We are bombarded with information from other formulators, suppliers, consumers, etc. It is hard to decipher through the information. This post is not blaming anyone, either. The only way we all improve is by talking about this and holding everyone to a better standard. Without free resources, we would continue to think that all of the information was true or be deeply lost.
Resources:

• UL Prospector
• Chemist Corner
• Beauty Brains Podcast
• Happi
• Cosmetics and Toiletries