Formula Builder Overview

About the Formula Builder

The formula builder is the core tool in Formuley. It lets you define every aspect of a cosmetics formula -- from ingredient composition and phase organization to cost calculations and manufacturing procedures. This article covers each section in detail.

Basic Information

The top section captures identifying details for your formula:

• Formula Name (required) -- up to 100 characters. Choose something descriptive so you can find it later.
• Formula Type -- determines which compatibility checks and defaults apply. Options include General, Emulsion, Anhydrous, Surfactant System, Cold Process Soap, Hot Process Soap, Melt & Pour Soap, Liquid Soap KOH, Syndet Bar, Color Cosmetics, Fragrance/Perfume, Haircare, and Sunscreen.
• Status -- tracks the lifecycle of your formula: Draft, Testing, Stable, Production, or Archived. Only Production formulas appear in batch logging by default.
• Category -- a free-form grouping for filtering and organizing formulas in your library.
• Description -- optional context about the formula's purpose, target market, or design intent.

Batch and Properties

These fields define the physical characteristics and yield of a single batch:

• Batch Size (required) -- the total weight or volume of one production run.
• Unit -- the measurement unit for batch size (g, kg, oz, lb, ml, L, fl oz).
• Units Made -- the number of finished product units one batch yields. This value is used to calculate Cost per Unit.
• Target pH and Target Viscosity -- optional quality targets you can check against during production.
• Shelf Life -- the expected shelf life in months, useful for labeling and compliance.
• Storage Conditions -- free-text notes on storage requirements (e.g., "Store below 25C, away from direct sunlight").

Input Modes

The Input Mode Toggle at the top of the ingredients section controls how you enter amounts:

• Percentage -- enter each ingredient as a percentage of the total batch. The totals bar will tell you whether your percentages sum to 100%.
• Weight -- enter absolute weights. Useful when you have a fixed recipe from a supplier or lab notebook.
• Hybrid -- combine both methods in the same formula. Some ingredients can be entered as percentages while others use fixed weights.

Choose the mode that matches your workflow. You can switch modes at any time, though switching may require you to re-enter some values.

Phases and Ingredient Rows

Ingredients are grouped by manufacturing phase, reflecting the order in which they are typically combined:

• Water Phase -- water-soluble ingredients added at the start.
• Oil Phase -- oils, butters, waxes, and oil-soluble ingredients.
• Emulsifier Phase -- emulsifiers that bind the water and oil phases.
• Active Phase -- active ingredients added after emulsification.
• Cool-down Phase -- heat-sensitive ingredients added once the batch has cooled.
• Fragrance Phase -- fragrance oils, essential oils, and aromatic compounds.
• Other Phase -- anything that does not fit the above categories.

Each ingredient row includes:

• Ingredient -- a searchable combobox that filters your ingredient library as you type.
• Phase -- a dropdown to assign or reassign the ingredient's phase.
• Percentage / Weight -- the amount field, determined by your input mode.
• Q.S. (Quantum Satis) -- when checked, this ingredient automatically fills the remaining percentage to bring the total to 100%. Only one ingredient per formula should be marked Q.S.
• Delete -- removes the ingredient row from the formula.

Compatibility Checks

As you add ingredients, Formuley runs real-time compatibility analysis:

• pH warnings -- flags if two ingredients have incompatible pH requirements.
• Temperature sensitivity -- alerts you if a heat-sensitive ingredient is in a high-temperature phase.
• Usage limits -- warns if an ingredient exceeds its recommended maximum usage percentage.

New formulators can expand the "Quick Guide for Beginners" panel for plain-language explanations of common compatibility issues.

Totals Bar

The totals bar at the bottom of the ingredients section provides a live summary:

• Total Percentage -- green when exactly 100%, red otherwise.
• Total Weight -- the sum of all ingredient weights.
• Total Cost -- calculated from your ingredient purchase prices.
• Cost per Unit -- total cost divided by the Units Made value.

These numbers update instantly as you add, remove, or adjust ingredients.

Procedure Steps

Below the ingredients section, you can add numbered manufacturing steps. Each step is a text field where you describe one part of the process (e.g., "Heat oil phase to 70C," "Slowly add water phase while mixing at 1200 RPM"). Drag steps to reorder them. Clear procedure documentation ensures batch-to-batch consistency.

Notes

The Notes field accepts up to 2,000 characters of free-form text. Use it for supplier notes, alternative ingredient suggestions, observations from testing, or anything else relevant to the formula.

Editing and Version Saves

When you edit an existing formula and click Save, a Version Save Dialog appears. This dialog lets you add a note describing what changed before creating a new version. Each save increments the version number, so you always have a complete history. For more on this feature, see Version Control and Branching.