Kalós Curated

Johannesburg's winter air is drier than most people realise — and your skin formulas need to keep up. ❄️

Three ingredients worth adding to your winter formulations right now:
🌿 Sodium Hyaluronate — locks moisture into the skin before it can escape
🌿 Pentylene Glycol — humectant that works harder in low-humidity conditions
🌿 Fision Hydrate Pro — mimics your skin's own natural moisturising factors

All available at Kalós. Links in bio. 🔗

One of the most common formulation questions we get: "How do I make a gentle cleanser that still lathers well?"

The answer almost always involves two surfactants working together. We've put together a quick explainer on SCI-85 and Cocoamidopropyl Betaine — two of our most versatile surfactants and why they perform so much better in combination.

Both available at Kalós Cosmetics:
👉 SCI-85 → kaloscosmetics.co.za/products/sodium-cocyl-isethionate-sci-85-powder
👉 CAPB → kaloscosmetics.co.za/products/cocoamidopropyl-betaine-liquid

If you've been looking for a silicone-free emollient that actually performs — Isoamyl Laurate is worth adding to your next formula.

It's a polar emollient derived from renewable raw materials that spreads fast, absorbs cleanly, and leaves no greasy residue. It's the ingredient behind the "light but luxurious" feel in premium serums and moisturisers.

Shop it at Kalós Cosmetics from R30.97 for 20g. Available in 20g, 50g, 80g, and 200g.

🔗 kaloscosmetics.co.za/products/isoamyl-laurate

We're planning our June content series — and we want your input.

Which ingredient category do you want us to cover in depth? Cast your vote:
🔵 Emollients & Carrier Oils
🟢 Actives & Serums
🟡 Surfactants & Cleansing
🔴 Preservatives & pH

Most voted wins. Results this week. 👇

One of the most common points of confusion in formulation: which emulsifier to reach for, and why.

We've broken down three of our most popular emulsifiers — Glyceryl Stearate Citrate Powder, the Waxy Pearl Pellet blend, and Cetostearyl Alcohol — so you can match the right ingredient to the right formula.

Browse the full emulsifier range at kaloscosmetics.co.za/collections/kalos-emulsifiers 🔗

The reason your pressed powder actually presses. 🤍

If your mineral makeup crumbles, cakes, or refuses to bind — magnesium stearate is the quiet fix.

A plant-derived anti-caking agent, it stops powders clumping and gives that smooth, silky glide you feel in a well-made foundation or blush. It also helps pressed formulas hold together in the pan instead of shattering.

Why formulators reach for it:
🌿 100% vegan, plant-derived
🧴 Improves slip & skin-feel in powder formulas
💪 Binds pressed powders so they don't crumble
⚖️ A little goes a long way — typically 1–5%

Small quantities, no bulk minimums — from R53.55.

Shop now 👉 https://kaloscosmetics.co.za/products/magnesium-stearate-vegan-anti-caking-agent

The ingredients you keep coming back to. 🤍

Every month, a few quietly become favourites — the ones that end up in cart after cart, formula after formula. Here are three that earned their place this month:

🔹 Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate — a 100% natural, PEG-free water-in-oil emulsifier derived from sunflower oil. The backbone of rich, stable creams and balms.

🔹 Oryza Sativa Starch — a rice-derived powder that's silky to the touch and brilliant at absorbing oil. The secret to a soft-matte finish.

🔹 Isoamyl Laurate — a fast-spreading natural emollient that glides like silicone, without the silicone. Lightweight slip for serums and lotions.

Three different jobs — emulsifying, absorbing, conditioning — all loved for the same reason: they make good formulas better.

Explore the full range 👉 https://kaloscosmetics.co.za

Honest question — how many of these have you done? 🙋

We've all been there. Formulation has a steep learning curve and most of us learned the hard way. So here are the 5 most common beginner mistakes we see — and exactly how to fix them.

❌ Mistake 1: Measuring by volume instead of weight
✅ Fix: Always use a digital scale accurate to 0.01g

❌ Mistake 2: Ignoring pH
✅ Fix: Check and adjust pH after every formulation — use a pH meter, not strips

❌ Mistake 3: Adding oil to water incorrectly
✅ Fix: Add water phase to oil phase slowly, with constant mixing, at the correct temperature

❌ Mistake 4: Under-preserving water-containing formulas
✅ Fix: Use a broad-spectrum preservative at the correct usage rate — every time

❌ Mistake 5: Skipping the patch test
✅ Fix: Always patch test finished formulas for 24–48 hours before use or sale

Save this post and share it with a fellow formulator who needs to see it 👇

Which of these caught you out when you were starting out? Tell us in the comments — no judgement here, we've all been there 😄

🔗 Shop premium cosmetic ingredients at kaloscosmetics.co.za — small quantities, no bulk minimums.

If you're only using Pentylene Glycol as a humectant, you're leaving half its value on the table. 💧

Here's what this best-selling ingredient actually does in your formulations:

🔵 HUMECTANT — draws moisture from the environment and binds it to the skin, keeping your formula hydrated and your customers' skin feeling plump and comfortable.

🔵 PRESERVATION BOOSTER — Pentylene Glycol has genuine antimicrobial properties. At higher usage levels it actively inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi, which means you can reduce the amount of traditional preservative in your formula without compromising safety. For clean beauty formulators — this is a big deal.

🔵 PE*******ON ENHANCER — it helps carry other active ingredients deeper into the skin, making your actives work harder.

🔵 TEXTURE IMPROVER — adds a light, silky slip to your formula without greasiness. Works beautifully in serums, toners, and lightweight moisturisers.

Usage rate:
· As a humectant: 1–5%
· As a preservation booster: 2–4%
· As a solubiliser: up to 10%

Compatible with: water phase, most actives, natural and synthetic preservative systems.

One of the most versatile ingredients in our range — and one of our best-sellers.

🔗 Shop Pentylene Glycol: https://kaloscosmetics.co.za/products/pentylene-glycol