| What is it? | TKB Mousse Medium is a cosmetic base that is proprietary to TKB Trading that can be used to create all sorts of long-wearing cream and liquid cosmetics. It feels lovely on the skin, with great slip and enough “play time” to easily apply it before it dries down. Simply add your choice of pigments and other cosmetic additives to it to create a wide variety of cosmetic products!
If you compare the ingredient lists of many long-wearing cream and liquid cosmetic products for sale you’ll notice the base ingredients are pretty similar; the majority of the differences are in pigmentation level, pigmentation type, precise colour, and any small tweaks to make a product more suitable for the particular purpose (more moisturizing for lips, better oil resistance for eye primer, etc.). The base ingredients are usually pretty darn similar, and TKB Mousse Medium can be that base for you. |
| INCI | Dimethicone (and) Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Isododecane, Aqua, PEG/PPG-20/20 Phenylisopropyl Caprylyl Dimethicone, Dimethicone (and) Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Hexylene Glycol. |
| Appearance | Milky semi-viscous liquid |
| Usage rate | 50–100% (though there’s room to play—experiment and have fun!) |
| Texture | Smooth, slippy |
| Scent | Faint, slightly chemically/makeup-y |
| Absorbency Speed | Fast |
| Approximate Melting Point | TKB Mousse Medium is liquid at room temperature (product should not be heated or frozen) |
| Solubility | TKB Mousse Medium is compatible with water-soluble, oil-soluble, silicone-soluble, and insoluble ingredients. |
| Why do we use it in formulations? | TKB Mousse Medium makes it really easy to create all kinds of cream and liquid cosmetics—eyeshadow, eyeliner, blush, lipstick, lip tints, foundation, concealer, highlighter, and more!
I like to add other cosmetic ingredients to customize the performance of each formulation; for example, eyeliner has greater adhesion/wear challenges than blush does, so an eyeliner formulation using TKB Mousse Medium will contain additional ingredients to boost adhesion and wear time. |
| Do you need it? | No, but if you love cream and liquid cosmetics I highly recommend it. It’s so easy to work with that it feels a bit like cheating (in the best way possible!). |
| Refined or unrefined? | TKB Mousse Medium only exists as a refined product. |
| Strengths | It’s a brilliant shortcut to formulating high-performance cream and liquid cosmetics. |
| Weaknesses | TKB Mousse Medium is only available from TKB Trading in the USA; it is their proprietary formulation. They do ship internationally, but I know that can get expensive. |
| Alternatives & Substitutions | You would have to formulate something comparable using similar ingredients. I worked on a similar formulation for quite a while before TKB released their Mousse Medium and it’s no small task! The initial ingredient outlay to start developing something like this would be around $100USD. |
| How to Work with It | Just stir your additives into it until smooth. TKB Mousse Medium is designed to be cold-processed as it contains several volatile emollients.
TKB Mousse Medium is formulated to accommodate additions of 40–50% and is preserved with that in mind. |
| Storage & Shelf Life | Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, TKB Mousse Medium should last at least two years when unopened. Opened packages of Mousse Medium should last a year. |
| Tips, Tricks, and Quirks | Check out this helpful page from TKB Trading for ideas and tips on how to work with their Mousse Medium. |
| Recommended starter amount | 2oz (57g) |
| Where to Buy it | TKB Mousse Medium is only available from TKB Trading; it is their proprietary formulation. |
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