Formulation Is an Art. But It’s Also a Weapon.

By Paul Teasdale — The Unfiltered Formulator

Formulation is equal parts creativity and chemistry — a collision of vision and verification

Let’s talk about formulation.

Not the influencer version with whipped butters and essential oils. Not the stripped-back stuff dressed up as “ancestral” because it uses three ingredients and a mason jar. I’m talking about real formulation. The kind that takes years to master and still humbles you daily.

Because here’s the truth nobody wants to say out loud.... Skincare isn’t simple. It’s strategic.

And when it’s done right, it’s powerful.

Good Formulation Isn’t Just Functional. It’s Intentional.

Every ingredient should be there for a reason. Every fraction should be doing a job. And every interaction inside that formula should have been stress-tested across time, pH, packaging, and reality.

Formulation isn’t just about what goes in. It’s about what works.....and why.

Great formulation solves problems. Bad formulation sells fantasies.

One earns trust. The other burns it.

Intentional formulation starts with purpose — every ingredient, every ratio, every result.

Science Isn’t the Enemy of “Clean.” It’s the Foundation of Safe.

The clean beauty movement had a point in the beginning. Consumers deserved more transparency. They deserved to question what they were putting on their skin.

But somewhere along the way, the mission got hijacked.

Now? Science is treated like a threat. Chemists are painted as villains. And some of the safest, most effective ingredients in the world have been turned into clickbait villains.

That’s not progress. That’s ignorance in expensive packaging.

If you want to formulate without preservatives, fine. But you’d better have the microbiological data to prove your product won’t become a petri dish. If you’re removing emulsifiers, great. But show me the penetration data that proves your actives are doing anything but sitting on the surface.

If you’re stripping things down to sound more “natural,” just know this .... nature is full of things that will absolutely wreck your skin if you don’t respect them.

Clean beauty without science isn’t safe. It’s marketing wrapped in wishful thinking.

The Gap Between Trend and Truth

There’s a wide, gaping hole between what’s popular on Instagram and what actually performs on skin.

That’s where I live. Right in that uncomfortable space. Because I’m not trying to sell you a dream.

I’m trying to build products that stand up to scrutiny. Formulas that work in the real world. Solutions that make consumers come back, not complain.

Real formulation walks the line between what sells and what works. Few dare to balance both.

Real Formulation Is Creative. But It’s Also Ruthless.

You want a moisturiser that absorbs fast, hydrates deeply, doesn’t pill under makeup, supports the microbiome, avoids controversial preservatives, and feels rich without being greasy?

That’s not art! That’s warfare!

Balancing textures, phases, compatibility, and compliance. Optimising actives without crashing your emulsion. Finding the one damn surfactant that won’t trash your skin barrier and play nice in your cleanser.

Formulators know. This isn’t a hobby. It’s a battleground!

Behind the feel of your cream is a war zone of textures, compatibility, and compliance.

If You’re Gonna Play in This Space — Respect It !

This industry is being diluted. Not by competition. By ego. By a flood of self-taught mixers who confuse “natural” with “safe” and “minimal” with “mastery.”

I’ve got nothing against DIY or indie brands. In fact, I love them when they do the work. But slapping together a balm in your kitchen doesn’t make you a formulator. Just like buying a scalpel doesn’t make you a surgeon.

If you want to call yourself a formulator, earn it!

Study. Test. Fail. Learn. Repeat.

This is a profession. Not a Pinterest board.

Respect the profession. Mastery is earned in the lab, not in a Pinterest post.

Final Thought

Skincare is personal. But formulation isn’t emotional. It’s scientific. It’s structured. And when done right, it’s almost invisible because the product just works.

That’s what I care about.

That’s what The Unfiltered Formulator is about.

No buzzwords. No bullshit. Just performance.

Let’s build better. Or stop pretending we care.

Paul Teasdale

Cosmetic Chemist. Strategic Partner. Unfiltered Voice of Formulation.

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