FORMULATION OVERVIEW: Exfoliating Lip Serum

Discover how to formulate a gentle exfoliating lip serum that leaves lips feeling smoother, softer and deeply hydrated—without relying on abrasive physical exfoliants.

Exfoliating lip serums offer a modern alternative to traditional lip scrubs. Instead of using ingredients such as sugar to physically scrub away dead skin cells, they contain chemical exfoliants such as AHAs, PHAs or fruit enzymes. These help loosen the bonds between dead skin cells so they can be removed more gently, helping to improve the appearance of dry, flaky and uneven lips.

Chemical exfoliants are sometimes considered harsh or irritating, but when formulated correctly, they can be surprisingly gentle. PHAs are particularly exciting ingredients for lip care because they combine mild exfoliation with powerful humectant properties, helping the lips feel soft, smooth, hydrated and plump.

In this class, you’ll discover:

• How exfoliating lip serums work and the benefits they offer.
• The characteristics of lip skin and how these influence your formulation choices.
• The differences between chemical exfoliating serums and physical lip scrubs.
• Key exfoliating, hydrating and soothing ingredients to consider.
• How to develop your own products using a versatile formulation template.
• Examples of exfoliating lip products on the market for inspiration.

You’ll receive a professionally formulated Gentle PHA Exfoliating Lip Serum, giving you an exciting example of how exfoliation, hydration and soothing ingredients can be combined in one elegant product.

The formula uses gluconolactone, a PHA chosen for its gentle exfoliating and hydrating properties. It is combined with glycerin, propanediol and high molecular weight hyaluronic acid for additional hydration, alongside ectoin, panthenol and allantoin to soothe, soften and support the lip barrier.

The result is an attractive, medium-viscosity gel serum with a gentle pink color and glossy finish, designed to glide easily onto the lips using a convenient doe-foot applicator.

With the formulation, we’ll share the product development questions, detailed formula, instructions and product specifications. You’ll also receive guidance on substituting ingredients and troubleshooting, plus a formulation template you can use as a starting point for developing your own exfoliating lip serums.

By the end of the class, you’ll have a greater understanding of how to formulate with chemical exfoliants in lip care and the confidence to experiment with this innovative product type in your own formulations.

This class includes a beautiful PDF textbook to download and a demonstration video showing our cosmetic scientist making the Gentle PHA Exfoliating Lip Serum, which you can follow along with step by step.

Not a member of the Club? Join now and use your first month's credits to access the Exfoliating Lip Serum class, plus another 25-credit class of your choice.

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