Using the Formula Generator

Overview

The AI Formula Generator creates complete cosmetic formulas from a natural-language description of your desired product. Instead of building a formula ingredient by ingredient, you describe what you want, and the AI produces a starting recipe with suggested ingredients, percentages, and a production procedure. The Formula Generator is available on the Pro tier and above.

Accessing the Formula Generator

There are two ways to start generating a formula:

• From the formulas list. Navigate to Formulas in the sidebar and click the AI Generate button at the top of the page.
• From the chat panel. Open the AI Assistant in the sidebar and type your product description directly into the chat.

Both methods use the same AI engine and produce the same results.

Generating a Formula

1. Open the Formula Generator using one of the methods above.
2. Describe the product you want to create. Type a natural-language description of your desired product. For example: "a gentle face moisturizer with hyaluronic acid and ceramides for dry, sensitive skin."
3. Click Generate (or press Enter in the chat panel).
4. The AI processes your request and returns a formula that includes:
   • A list of suggested ingredients with percentages.
   • The phase each ingredient belongs to (water phase, oil phase, cool-down phase, etc.).
   • A step-by-step procedure for making the product.
   • Notes on the formula's intended properties and any relevant considerations.
5. Review the generated formula carefully before saving. Check that the ingredients are appropriate, the percentages total correctly, and the procedure makes sense for your production setup.

Refining and Iterating

The Formula Generator supports iterative refinement through the chat interface. After receiving your initial formula, you can ask the AI to make adjustments:

• Adjust percentages. "Increase the hyaluronic acid to 2% and reduce the glycerin accordingly."
• Swap ingredients. "Replace the cetearyl alcohol with BTMS-50 for better conditioning."
• Change properties. "Make this formula lighter and more suitable for oily skin."
• Add ingredients. "Add vitamin E as an antioxidant at 0.5%."
• Simplify the formula. "Reduce this to fewer than 10 ingredients while keeping the core benefits."

Each follow-up request builds on the previous version, so you do not need to repeat your original description. The AI remembers the context of your conversation.

Saving a Generated Formula

Once you are satisfied with the formula:

1. Click the Save Formula button that appears below the generated formula.
2. Enter a formula name and optionally add your own notes.
3. Click Create. The formula is saved to your library with all ingredients, percentages, phases, and procedure steps pre-filled.

After saving, you can open the formula in the Formula Builder to make further manual adjustments, assign costs, or log a batch against it. See Formula Builder Overview for details on working with formulas.

Using the AI Troubleshooter

If you have an existing formula that is not performing as expected, the AI Troubleshooter can help diagnose and fix the issue:

1. Open the AI Assistant from the sidebar.
2. Describe the problem you are experiencing. For example: "My lotion is separating after 24 hours" or "My soap is developing orange spots."
3. The AI analyzes your description and suggests potential causes and solutions.
4. If the AI needs more detail, it will ask follow-up questions about your ingredients, percentages, or production process.

The Troubleshooter is particularly useful for stability issues, texture problems, discoloration, and unexpected reactions between ingredients.

Using the Cost Optimizer

The Cost Optimizer helps you reduce formula costs without sacrificing quality:

1. Open the AI Assistant and describe what you want to optimize. For example: "Suggest cheaper alternatives for the emulsifiers in my face cream formula."
2. The AI reviews the ingredients in question and recommends substitutions based on what is available in your ingredient library, along with cost comparisons.
3. Review the suggestions and decide which substitutions to apply.

The Cost Optimizer works well in combination with Profit Guardian. When you receive a margin alert on a formula, use the Cost Optimizer to explore ways to bring costs back in line.

Tips for Better Results

• Be specific about the product type. "A whipped body butter" gives better results than "a moisturizer."
• Mention your target audience. "For sensitive baby skin" or "for mature skin" helps the AI select appropriate ingredients and concentrations.
• Include desired properties. "Lightweight, fast-absorbing, matte finish" guides the AI toward the right formulation approach.
• Specify ingredients you want included or excluded. "Must include squalane" or "no silicones" narrows the results to match your preferences.
• State any regulatory constraints. "EU-compliant" or "free of ingredients banned in California" helps the AI avoid restricted substances.
• Always test before production. AI-generated formulas are informed starting points, not guaranteed production recipes. Make a small test batch first, evaluate stability and performance, and iterate as needed before scaling up.