Skin Care Part 2: Water Based Facial Serums
Water Based Facial Serums
Build on the skills learned in Part 1 and move beyond oil-based skincare by learning how to create your own high-performing water-based serums from scratch.
In this hands-on workshop, you will be guided through the process of formulating lightweight, elegant skincare designed to deliver deep hydration and high-performance active ingredients for visible results.
Instead of relying on expensive, pre-made products, you will learn how to build effective formulas using humectants, botanical extracts, and performance-driven active ingredients. We will explore how different ingredients interact with water, how they contribute to hydration and skin feel, and how thoughtful formulation can improve both product performance and user experience.
This workshop includes a practical introduction to modern water-based formulation, giving you the knowledge to confidently create your own serums, hybrid treatments, and lightweight lotions beyond the classroom. You will learn how to select and combine ingredients with purpose, balance hydration and skin feel, and build formulas that are both effective and cost-efficient.
Unlike anhydrous formulation, water-based products require a different approach to preservation and stability. You will learn why water creates an environment that can support microbial growth, how preservatives help protect your formulations, and how proper manufacturing practices contribute to product safety and quality. We will also introduce pH monitoring and adjustment, an important skill when working with many modern cosmetic ingredients and active compounds.
Throughout the workshop, participants will gain hands-on experience working with multi-dimensional humectants, advanced hydration systems, and active ingredients commonly used in professional skincare formulations. You will learn how to incorporate these materials correctly to maximize performance while maintaining product elegance and stability.
Each participant will create four full-size skincare products, including a Multi-Level Hydration Treatment, an Active Brightening Serum, a Silky Hybrid Serum, and a Weightless Botanical Lotion. More importantly, participants will leave with the knowledge and confidence to formulate sophisticated water-based skincare products for themselves, family, friends, or future business ventures.
What You Will Learn
How to choose water-soluble actives based on skin concerns: Students will learn to select ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid for deep hydration, Vitamin C for brightening, or Niacinamide for skin texture, matching the active to the desire outcome.
Understanding humectants and how they impact hydration: Learn how ingredients like Glycerin and Hyaluronaic Acid act as magnets for moisture, drawing water into the dermis to keep skin dewy and plump.
The critical role of preservatives and pH in product safety: Discover why broad-spectrum preservatives (like Leucidal SF or Liquid Germall Plus) are mandatory for water-based products to prevent the growth of bacteria, mold and yeast.
Best practices for shelf life, sanitation, and stabilization: Learn the importance of using distilled water to avoid mineral contamination, the necessity of a 10% bleach solution for sanitizing equipment and suing amber glass to protect light-sensitive actives like Vitamin C for oxidizing.
Precision pH testing and adjustment: master the use of pH strips to ensure serums (especially Vitamin C) fall within the safe and effective range of 2.5 to 3.5 (for L-Ascorbic Acid) or approximately 5.5 for general hydration treatment.
Class can be messy - please wear older clothing, comfortable footwear, a full apron (if you don't own one, one will be provided) and several pairs of disposable nitrile gloves. Participants with known allergies to nuts, fragrance oils, essential oils, herbs, or other botanical ingredients should carefully consider whether this workshop is appropriate for them.