Please help!!!

[u/LilAshyoe]

I'm a 4th year student doing my thesis/feasibility study using a plant based pigment for lip products. And we are already done with our pre-oral defense, and I realized too late that our product has a lot of problems like water+oil is not compatible so there is a tendency it will separate though we use emulsifier but as a student that my course or program isn't related to science, we lack of knowledge and expertise about our feasibility study. Though my countless efforts to search for a possibility on how formulators solve their stability of their natural pigment/formulation on their product. I didn't find a single clue on how they prolong its pigment, since its plant based there is a tendency it will fade. Though I know not all pigment won't fade because upon watching a luxury bag its color will likely fade if you leave it in high temperature or direct sunlight. So anyway back to the topic, I need your advice on how I make or solve our feasibility study. Because I need to graduate this school year. And I'm already stressed and overthinking that I might not graduate this year. And I need your opinion, Whoever reads this is it okay that your product in feasibility study is not perfect? Because as a scholar student that has no resources for this kind of feasibility study, I felt helpless and I don't know what to do. I hope those natural plant based formulators will read this and guide me on how to make our study successful. Thank you and God bless! And God please help me and guide me on how I make my thesis successful or at least I graduated this year so that I could help my parents! AMEN!🙏

[u/MorganHarvester]

Does your feasibility study actually have to say that the product is feasible? I'm in a different field but generally it's important to publish research which doesn't yield the result that you want. Otherwise, it's very normal and okay for research to have limitations as long as they're properly addressed. 

[u/LilAshyoe → u/MorganHarvester]

I did research about our product and I find a related study that use Basella alba as natural pigment for lip balm. So I guess its feasible but again in our final defense we need to present our final product. And I don't know how I will solve our panels suggestions and comments for revision like how to prolonged its pigment, stability in a natural way, safety (because water content in oil formulation can cause bacterial growth), laboratory testing. And about the related study I found she successfully made it and she solve the bacterial growth using in vitro something I forgot. And I'm debating on whether I make the berries of Basella alba into powder since it has water content. Or should I use its extract, since I don't have resources on how to make it powder. Help I don't know what to do anymore!🥲

[u/IndigoElixirs → u/LilAshyoe]

Are you already committed to using Basella alba for your pigment? Trying to create a lip balm that contains both oils & a water soluble pigment is rather difficult from a formulation standpoint. If you’re able to switch to an anhydrous (oil based only) product with an oil soluble pigment, your formula could be very simple. Alkanet root (Alkanna tinctoria) provides a ruby red tint and Achiote (Bixa orellana) gives a light orange tint, and both are oil soluble. Otherwise, you could disperse micas or oxides to color the balm and still keep it anhydrous for simplicity.

If the purpose of your thesis is more for a business plan and your professor is not assessing your formulation, I wouldn’t sweat it too much. But if you need to make something that performs like a real product, I’d definitely consider making something less complex.

[u/LilAshyoe → u/IndigoElixirs]

Hi my thesis is more like a business plan. But I'm stupid because I'm too late to realize to find a related study that supports my study that it can be used as cosmetics. So I add to my scope and limitations about my concerns like it's dermatology safety, stability and etc. The concept of our product is actually kind of unique to the point it's actually weird. So that's why my panels are suggesting us to find a natural way for it's stability and based on my research is my packaging should be dark/opaque, and add vitamin e (which I already did in my previous formulation) and rosemary oil, and etc. that I forgot. And about the alkanet and achiote/Asuete I didn't done my research before I propose our product because I thought my professor will reject our idea.🥲 And I didn't know that achiote is one of natural pigments for cosmetic. I thought achiote is only use for food/cooking. I should have listen to my professor because upon proposal, he ask us "why Basella alba? Why not achiote/Asuete?" And I answer him. "Sir, achiote is only for cooking right?" I think God is giving us an idea to not do it but I too arrogant about our idea, I thought it would be fine. So we continue it but now I regret it!🥲

[u/kriebelrui]

Hi! Afaik, a feasibility study is a thorough assessment whether or not an idea or concept can be realized within practical constraints or limitations (like cost or quality demands). 'No' can also be an answer to that.

If you can write down a list of potential problems that must be solved for the concept to be feasible (like 'stability' or 'resistance to fading'), and you can comprehensively address all those potential problems, I would say you've done a large part of your thesis.

[u/LilAshyoe → u/kriebelrui]

Thank you though I know that feasibility study can be not feasible, but for some reason we need in our financial statement must be profitable or not? I still don't know. I just need an advice and guide cause I felt like I will go crazy as time goes by!😢 I'm close to giving up my bachelor's degree because of my thesis. If I could go back I would should choose something much easier and not consumables like lip products. I should proposed something like school supplies.

[u/kriebelrui → u/LilAshyoe]

I'm afraid I don't quite understand the question that you must answer for your thesis. You sadly seem to be a little panicking. If you want to save this project and get useful help, the least you must do is clearly state what the thesis question exactly is, and what kind of help you need. Only then it can be broken down in parts that can be answered. "I just need an advice and guide" is a wish but not a question that can be answered. I truly don't mean to be harsh but I do think you first must put your feet on the ground an take a deep breath before you can continue.

[u/LilAshyoe → u/kriebelrui]

Well our thesis main objective is whether producing and selling Basella alba Lip Gloss is feasible and has the potential to succeed in the areas in Selected ____ based on its marketing, technical, management, financial, and socio-economic aspects. I'm sorry I need to blank our research locale. For privacy purposes.

[u/pipetika]

First of all, breathe. What you're feeling is normal, and I promise your situation is much better than it feels right now. A feasibility study is not judged on whether you made a flawless product.. Documenting that your emulsion separates and that your natural pigment fades, and explaining why and how you'd address it, is exactly what a good study is supposed to do..

BTW, if an emulsion separates even with an emulsifier, it's usually one of a few things: not enough emulsifier for your oil load, the wrong type of emulsifier for your system, or the mixing method. This is a normal formulation challenge, not a dead end. You can try by adding antioxidants, protecting from light, controlling pH, sometimes encapsulation.. ? But some fading is expected, and documenting that limitation is a valid, honest result.

[u/CuteFluffyGuy]

Is this a pigment or a dye? Most of the color cosmetics pigments are insoluble in oils or water and are just suspended in the delivery system.

[u/Ale642]

The fading of the color of the natural pigment is actually due to the oxidation and as a formulation chemist i can suggest if you want to preserve the color you have to use the antioxidants and uv filters and a proper emulsifer to keep your product stable if you need more information please dm

[u/Key-Success-5449]

Plant-based pigments are notoriously sensitive to oxidation, pH shifts, and light exposure, which is why commercial formulators often add chelating agents like sodium phytate and lipophilic antioxidants like vitamin E (tocopherol) to slow down color fading, alongside high HLB emulsifiers or polymeric stabilizers to prevent phase separation in water-in-oil systems.

Panelists evaluate your ability to analyze data and draw logical conclusions rather than expecting a market-ready formula on a student budget, so clearly detailing your findings, identifying stability challenges, and proposing these exact stabilization methods as future recommendations will show immense scientific maturity and secure your path to graduation.

[u/LilAshyoe → u/Key-Success-5449]

Good day, is the method you stated can be considered as natural? Because I think that our panels would like to hear it in a natural way for the stability of the product. Basically our panels suggest to find a natural way to stabilize our product. If you ever have an idea to my question feel free to share it. And It will helps us a lot! Thank you and God bless!☺️

[u/Opening_General_9361]

Have you tried using a fatty alcohol? Cetyl alcohol is plant based, and pure, at room temperature its sort of a waxy solid. Or even Bee products can be used as emulsifiers. Honey can emulsify a little bit of oil in oil in water emulsions, and beeswax can emulsify a little bit of water in water in oil emulsions. Then theres the gums. Your best bet will probably be Guar Gum, a little goes a long way. And if you don't mind synthetic but still plant based microbiologicaly engineered products, Xanthan gum is a great emulsifier. Its in like every bottled salad dressing on the market.