Topical Ingredient - and just how do I make one!?

[GlasgowCelt]

Hello,

I am trying to make a skin/hair topical but kind of dont know how to make one, what to mix it with, what heat when mixing. I'm no chemical scientist but wouldn't mind some guidance of somesort... Please!

Do these topicals have a gel, cream, or waterlike texture/thickness?

When I was born or only young I had what you called trinea capilis (or something along those lines) and that was the flaking of the skin of the scalp in a small area, well my mother being the genius that she is decided to peel it off! so I have a tiny baldspot on a normal nw1 head that ive had since I was young, this would be a good experiment as Ive had no hair there at all ! although its easy to cover with the rest of my hair.

Anyone any ideas / directions? I plan on needling there I suppose I can kee[ everyone updated!

 

[harold]

Utterly depends what you are trying to make a topical of. Some things have poor water solubility and others poor solubility in alcohol, lipids... If you are trying to put it on a hairy scalp you will prob find a cream or paste to be cosmetically unacceptable. I try to use/make hydroalcoholic lotions but even then they sometimes drry in such a way as to make the hair stick together.
Some substances are poorly absorbed by the skin while oters are well absorbed. Lipophilic substances are often better absorbed then hydrophillic substances.
Having looked into it a bit it honestly seems to be a bit of a black art. There is not a lot of "general rules" particularly if you are trying to make something have a purely local effect. There are some books out there and a lot of research on liposomes and stuff but this is beyond the average guy tinkering in his bathroom or wherever. Learn about the substances you are trying to apply and then try to apply them in the best way possible. Search pubmed to see if anyone has applied the same substance topically and how they did it.
hh