2024 09 Masterclass Workbook
2024 09 Masterclass Workbook
COM
FORMULA BOTANICA
MASTERCLASS WORKBOOK
FORMULATION IS
FUN, EASY &
EMPOWERING
FORMULA BOTANICA
WELCOME TO
FORMULA BOTANICA
We are the leading online teaching institution for organic formulation and indie beauty
entrepreneurship, and we are on a mission to teach the world to formulate. We empower
our students with the skills to change their lives through organic skincare and haircare.
Formulating organic cosmetics with plants, flowers and herbs is an amazing, empowering
skill that everyone can learn. Let us teach you how to become a formulator.
KEY FACTS
We have over 20,000
We’ve taught in 193
We employ 40 staff in our
students and graduates countries around the world accredited online school
We teach 8 award-winning We host 1 amazing CPD We are accredited by the
online courses membership site to cover the UK’s Open & Distance
latest trends Learning Quality Council
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U ' R E
YO TO
G
GOIN N TO
LEAR THIS
E
MAK REFORMULA
A M!
C
FACE
BOTANICA MASTERCLASS WORKBOOK
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WELCOME TO
YOUR MASTERCLASS SERIES
Our Organic Skincare Entrepreneur Masterclass will teach you how to become a formulator
and start your own organic skincare business.
Your Masterclass episodes will be released three at a time as a series, and you can catch
them from 9am EST / 2pm BST each day.
CALENDAR
OCTOBER 3 OCTOBER 4 OCTOBER 5 OCTOBER 6 OCTOBER 7
Episode 10
Live webinar
6pm (BST):
The Skincare
Entrepreneur
Blueprint.
Entrepreneur
Program
enrolment opens
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LESSON 1
CREATE YOUR FORMULATION
PHILOSOPHY
In this first episode, we teach you about the importance of your formulation philosophy and
then help you develop yours. We want you to understand why you’re doing what you’re doing
before you get started, so complete the exercises with Lesson 1 once you’ve watched the full
episode.
We also want you to view this task as the most important homework you’ll do throughout
the Masterclass series. It’s even more important than the formulation work itself - that’s why
we’re starting with it.
Fill in the table with the 3 definitions – shades of natural – we mention in the video.
Some people will view a natural ingredient as being picked directly from nature and having
undergone no chemical processing, whereas others take a more pragmatic view and are
happy to accept some chemical processing if they’re going to use a naturally derived
emulsifier or preservative.
Describe what they mean, and add some examples of ingredients that fall into each category.
Answer Y/N to whether you would accept the category in your formulations. Add another
shade of natural if you think of one! There are nuances for you to discover, and we only
mentioned the main three in the video.
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Would I use
Shade of natural My definition Example ingredients
it? (Y/N)
1.
2.
3.
Any other?
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Print and fill in this page for each ingredient that is important to you.
Name a specific ingredient you would like to use and where it comes from.
Under what conditions is it grown or harvested, and what is its ecological footprint?
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A balanced, effective formula that performs well and even exceeds customer expectations
needs to be the sum of many parts and not rely only on a single ingredient. To think like a
professional cosmetic formulator, you need to write a formulation brief before you start using
your favourite ingredients. Understanding your ‘why’ is important as it guides your choice of
ingredients and products. Ultimately, it helps define your brand.
These are big questions to think about. Have a go at them, as they will be the first steps to
defining your formulation philosophy and, ultimately, your future skincare brand.
Write down a type of product formulation you’d like to make, and if you wish, name some
key ingredients you’d like to include.
How are you going to change your customer’s life with it? What does it solve for them and
how does it make them feel?
How does this formulation/product fit in with my overall brand & range philosophy? (This
is a big question, but have a go!)
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LESSON 2
PREPARE YOUR
FORMULATION EQUIPMENT
Formulation is really easy. You don’t need a lot of tools, particularly when you’re starting out.
You just need a small kit with the basics, and that way you also save money when you make
your first formulations. In this episode, we show you the simple pieces of equipment you
need to become a formulator.
Follow along with the episode and fill in the blanks to complete your equipment
shopping list:
© pH strips
© _____________________________________
© Pipettes
© Mini homogeniser
© Lab book
© Gloves
© Apron
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LESSON 3
FORMULATE A
NATURAL EMULSION
You’ve arrived at your first formulation lesson, and we could not be more excited for you.
Now that you know how to create your natural formulation philosophy and which tools you
need to get started, in this lesson, you’re going to learn how to make a natural lotion in
a matter of minutes. Honestly, it’s so easy; you can do this too.
Ingredient Weight
Your task is to fill in the blanks as you follow along with the episode and then have
a go at making the emulsion base.
Remember that we weigh our ingredients rather than use drops, because this method is more
precise. You'll make this emulsion base botanical in Lesson 5 and then preserve it in Lesson
7, so you can also wait until then to make the whole formulation in one go.
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Write down the exact method you followed to make the emulsion:
Write down your observations about the formulation process: (Did anything work
particularly well? Did anything go wrong?)
Write down your thoughts on the emulsion’s skin feel, texture and fragrance:
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LESSON 4
HOW TO CHOOSE BOTANICALS
The dazzling array of plants available for use in skincare can make your head spin when
you’re first starting out. Many plants have huge benefits to offer to you and your skin, and
they’re so exciting to work with!
In this lesson, we’ll cover the 5 main criteria you need to research when choosing botanical
ingredients, and then tomorrow, we’ll put that into practice when we continue with our
formulation and make it botanical. Once you’ve watched the episode, choose a plant that
you’re interested in and use our Formula Botanica Ingredient Research Form to undertake
your own research.
4. Knowde - a free online tool to research ingredients available in the cosmetics sector
(knowde.com)
For example:
INCI: Benzyl Alcohol (and) Salicylic Acid (and) Glycerin (and) Sorbic Acid
You can find this preservative under the following trading names:
Preservative Eco
Geogard ETC
Plantaserv M
Mikrokill ECT
Depending on where you live, the very same ingredient but with a different name will come up
during your search.
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For example:
You would like to use Matcha tea in your emulsion. You can find the powder form, but is that
really the best choice for an emulsion? (Remember, this powder will not dissolve.) So, you
now either need to find the oil or the water-soluble version.
Alternatively, you can macerate it or infuse it depending on the compound you need from
Matcha (you’ll find many handy blog posts on maceration at formulabotanica.com/blog).
3. SOLUBILITY
Following on from the point above, think carefully about the solubility of the chosen
ingredient. If you have only the CO2 extract, what product can you use it in?
RESEARCH CHECKLIST
In the episode, we covered five key points to research. These aren’t the only aspects, but
make sure you think about them as you research your ingredients:
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INCI
Recommended usage %
Solubility
Dermal limit
Heat sensitivity
Melting point
Restrictions /
contraindications
Suggested applications
2. DESCRIPTION
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3. DIG DEEPER!
Certified
(ECOCERT, COSMOS etc.)
Compounds present
4. YOUR NOTES
INSERT A PHOTO OF
THE INGREDIENT
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LESSON 5
MAKE YOUR EMULSION
BOTANICAL
Ingredient Weight
You’ve now watched Lessons 3 and 5, so you’ll have seen Lorraine make our very simple
natural emulsion that’s now packed full of antioxidant-rich botanical ingredients. We’re nearly
finished with the whole formulation; the only thing we have left to do is make sure it’s safe.
Your task is to fill in the blanks as you follow along with the episode and then have
a go at making the emulsion base. You'll be preserving it in Lesson 7, so you can
wait until then to make the whole formulation in one go.
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Write down the exact method you followed when adding the botanical
extracts to the emulsion:
Write down your observations about working with the extracts: (How well did they blend
with the emulsion? Is there anything you would've done differently?)
Write down your thoughts on the formulation’s skin feel, colour, texture and fragrance
(what changed from the base you made in Lesson 3?)
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LESSON 6
HOW TO CHOOSE
PRESERVATIVES
Natural preservatives are a hot topic in the world of skincare. Various media and health
scares over the last decade have seen people move away from traditional broad-spectrum
preservatives such as certain parabens. Nonetheless, if you are going to be an organic
skincare formulator, you will need to understand preservatives, as you will often need to use
them. So how do you choose the right natural preservative for your formulation?
Follow along with our lesson, and as you’re watching the episode, fill in the blanks to
create your own natural preservative checklist.
2. _______________________________________ 6. _______________________________________
4. _______________________________________ 8. _______________________________________
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LESSON 7
PRESERVE YOUR EMULSION
NATURALLY
Now that you’ve watched Lessons 3 and 5, you’ll know that we’re very nearly finished with the
whole formulation. The only thing we have left to do is make sure it’s safe by preserving it.
Your task is to fill in the blanks as you follow along with the episode and then
have a go at making the complete formulation base. If you didn’t follow along
with Lessons 3 and 5, it’s now time to make your complete antioxidant-rich
botanical face cream.
Ingredient Weight
Geogard ECT / Preservative Eco – INCI: Benzyl Alcohol (and) Salicylic Acid
(and) Glycerin (and) Sorbic Acid
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Write down the pH you measured in your emulsion before you added the preservative
(did you have to adjust the pH? If so, what did you use to adjust the pH?):
Write down the exact method you followed to add the preservative:
Write down your observations about the formulation process: (How hard was it to measure
the pH? Is there anything you would’ve done differently?)
Write down your thoughts on the finished antioxidant-rich botanical face cream:
(What do you think of its finished texture, colour and fragrance? Has anything changed
after adding the preservative?)
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LESSON 8
CUSTOMISE YOUR NATURAL
EMULSION
Welcome back to our formulation lab. You’ve now made your natural emulsion using our
simple step-by-step process, incorporating gorgeous botanicals and preserving it naturally.
But you might be wondering if you can substitute any of the ingredients in the formulation
we made, so this lesson introduces you to a range of other oils, hydrosols, emulsifiers and
extracts that might be suitable for your formulation lab instead.
Your task is to follow along with the episode and write down which ingredients
you want to investigate first (and you can use our ingredient research form from
Lesson 4 to do so!).
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LESSON 9
MAKE YOUR SKINCARE BRAND
STAND OUT
Welcome to Episode 9 in your free Masterclass. In this episode, we introduce you to
5 of the 8 different (and exciting!) niches that you could consider for your future organic
skincare brand.
Your task is to follow along with the episode and complete your homework by filling
in the form below, which will help you create the blueprint for your future
life-changing beauty brand.
Write down any initial ideas for your organic skincare brand and any inspiration you got
after seeing some of the Formula Botanica graduates.
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LESSON 10
FORMULATE YOUR FUTURE
You’ve reached the final lesson in your free Masterclass, and we invite you to join our live
webinar, where we’ll show you how to become an organic skincare entrepreneur.
In this episode, we introduce you to the 5 steps you need to take in order to continue your
formulation journey beyond this fantastic free training.
Your task is to follow along with the episode and complete your homework by
filling in the form below, which will set out the next steps you plan to take after the
Masterclass.
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5
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We’re on a mission to teach the world to formulate, but our Masterclass alone isn’t enough,
which is why we've created this commitments list for you. We know that one day you'll look
back at this workbook and recognise that today was the day that everything changed.
My Commitments
Complete your checklist for yourself and sign & date it. We want you to mark this occasion by
signing this page for posterity — we're cheering you on every step of the way! Please do post
up your commitments in the Masterclass group so we can celebrate with you.
Signature Date
This is the date that you make a fantastic, exciting decision to commit to changing
your life and becoming a certified formulator.
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LIST OF PREFERRED
GLOBAL SUPPLIERS
Thank you for taking part in this free Formula Botanica Organic Skincare Entrepreneur
Masterclass. Every year, more than 80,000 people take part in this online training with the
dream of becoming a formulator, and we know that this can be life-changing for you too!
We hope you enjoy the lessons and bonus Facebook community. Throughout the
Masterclass Lessons, you’ve watched us create a beautiful antioxidant-rich botanical face
cream, which we taught you to make for yourself. By the end of Lesson 7, once you’ve
watched all of the formulation lessons, we’ll email you the full formulation with ingredients,
INCI names and weights.
One of the main questions we receive throughout this Masterclass is, “where can I buy
ingredients and equipment?”. We’ve compiled a list of our and our students’ favourite suppliers
around the world in this bonus supplier guide. Many of these suppliers ship globally.
VISIT: FORMULABOTANICA.COM/MASTERCLASS-SUPPLIERS
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TAG US WITH
#FORMULABOTANICA
SHARE YOUR WORKBOOK SELFIES
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We now want to introduce you to the roadmap that will take you from Masterclass attendee
to becoming a formulator and organic skincare entrepreneur.
Formula Botanica’s International Organic Skincare Entrepreneur Program will teach you
everything you need to know in order to go from complete beginner to expert organic
skincare formulator and entrepreneur.
By the end of this program, you could have your own successful organic skincare business.
This career-boosting program is aimed at people who want to take that all-important step
towards setting up the business of their dreams and changing their lives by creating their
own high-performance organic skincare range.
The global organic skincare industry is growing year upon year as more people demand
top-quality natural skincare and start to question the ingredients in mainstream cosmetics.
Become an organic skincare entrepreneur with our expert training. Our flagship program
opens for enrolment on October 9th 2024 and closes again on October 15th 2024.
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EVERYONE
SHOULD
FORMULATE
FORMULA BOTANICA MASTERCLASS WORKBOOK
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