Cosmetic Your Ways Blog

Zachariah Kovac 4/8/26 Zachariah Kovac 4/8/26

Ingredient Guide: Erythrulose

Zachariah Kovac 4/8/26 Zachariah Kovac 4/8/26

Ingredient Guide: Dihydroxyacetone (DHA)

Learn more about the active in sunless tanner.

Zachariah Kovac 4/6/26 Zachariah Kovac 4/6/26

Pastel Matte Eyeshadows (Formula and Color Blends)

I have been obsessed with Rosie (@thelabgurrrl) with all her color cosmetic formulations. With clean girl makeup gone, we're back to creative makeup. So I want to start sharing formulation with a bang. Zara Larson's makeup artist, Sophia Sinot, has been carrying the creative looks. So, I want to make some pastel eyeshadows.

Zachariah Kovac 4/6/26 Zachariah Kovac 4/6/26

Collodial Oatmeal Ingredeint Guide

Understanding Foam: How to Describe Surfactant Lather

Zachariah Kovac 4/3/26 Zachariah Kovac 4/3/26

Preview

Understanding Foam: How to Describe Surfactant Lather

When formulating cleansers, it’s easy to say a product “foams well” or “doesn’t lather enough.” But in cosmetic chemistry, foam isn’t just about quantity—it’s about quality.

A rich, creamy lather feels very different from big, airy bubbles, even if both technically “foam.” Learning how to describe foam properly will help you formulate more intentionally—and communicate more clearly.

Let’s break down the language of foam.

Why Your Foaming Surfactant Formula Is Not Working (and How to Fix it)

Zachariah Kovac 3/30/26 Zachariah Kovac 3/30/26

Preview

Why Your Foaming Surfactant Formula Is Not Working (and How to Fix it)

Zachariah Kovac 2/23/26 Zachariah Kovac 2/23/26

What Is Happening? Why Did My Hair Spray Turn Milky?

I recently made a hair spray formulation, and something interesting happened: the batch turned milky immediately upon mixing — and it has stayed that way ever since. My main suspect is the preservative system (Euxyl PE 9010 — Phenoxyethanol and Ethylhexylglycerin), which I used at 1%

Zachariah Kovac 1/23/26 Zachariah Kovac 1/23/26

Preservative Ingredients Chart 2026

Starting off with a bang. Going thought all my content gave me lots of ideas for new posts and areas to focus on. This post was inspired by my preservative ingredients post. I thought I would be convenient to have a chart for it. This is not just for people who want to make their own preservative blends this is also so you can double check your preservative and know if your preservative blend from a supplier is actually broad spectrum.

Zachariah Kovac 1/5/26 Zachariah Kovac 1/5/26

I Need Your Help!

I have a ton of ideas for blog posts, but I'm not sure what you are interested in. Recently, I have become fascinated with foaming surfactants, emulsifiers, preservatives, body scrubs, and makeup formulations.
Are there formulations or things that you are struggling with?
Let me know in the comments below.

Zachariah Kovac 12/1/25 Zachariah Kovac 12/1/25

Which Thickeners Can We Use with Cationic Ingredients?

To review, ionic emulsifiers: cationic ingredients have a positive charge, while anionic ingredients have a negative charge. How I remember this is the “t” in Cationic is like the “+” charge. When cations and anions are mixed, they want to bond together, which leads to precipitation (separation from the solution) because they prefer bonding to each other rather than to water.

Disclaimer:

You are at your own risk when making anything from this blog. I am not liable for any mishaps that may occur. I do my best to include everything in the procedure to minimize the likelihood of accidents. My recommendation is always to read the post entirely first and then make the product.
Please keep in mind that these recipes/formulations are NOT meant to be sold or reproduced in large quantities. None of my recipes has been appropriately stability tested. I recommend seeking professional help if you want to start your own line of business. (link)
Always test a patch of new ingredients before using them.
Comments and opinions written by authors on Cosmetic Your Ways are their own and do not represent the views of any past, present, or future employers.