score

In one line: what is the formula doing wrong?

In development / reformulation — troubleshooting before launch

Bench prototype only — never scaled or formally tested

Selling or about to launch — and we have a problem

Already launched and customers are complaining

It's gone off — mold, spoilage smell, or a customer got an infection / bad irritation

It separates / splits / weeps oil or water over time

The pH drifts — between batches or over time

A full program: long-term + accelerated + freeze–thaw, in final packaging

We watched a jar on the shelf for a few weeks

Our product type doesn't need one — it's inhospitable to microbes and we have that documented

It failed, and we're reworking the preservative system

A complete master batch record — order of addition, temperatures, mixing speeds and times, pH-adjustment procedure with target range

Bench notes — enough for us to remake it in the lab

Our contract manufacturer makes it — we've never seen their batch record

Yes — stability and compatibility in the actual container

Tested in lab jars — not the final pack

Retained samples from the approved standard — we ran failed vs. retained side by side

This is our first batch — there's nothing to compare to yet