If you are sourcing a brightening face cream built around tranexamic acid (TXA) and niacinamide, the formula behind the label matters as much as the marketing on the front. This formulation guide breaks down how a dual-active capsule cream is designed: why TXA and niacinamide are paired, which pH range keeps both ingredients stable, how peptides and hydration support the system, and what stability checks a serious OEM partner should complete before you commit to production. Based on Lanthome's TXA + Niacinamide Capsule Cream (model CP07-SP), it is written for brand owners, product developers and buyers who need to evaluate, customize or benchmark a private label formula.
Both active ingredients in this cream are water-soluble, and that shared solubility is the first reason the pairing works. A cream base carries the water phase where TXA and niacinamide dissolve, so no special carrier is needed to bring the two actives into one system.
TXA is an amino-acid derivative that has been studied in dermatology for its role in pigmentary concerns. In the broader clinical literature, topical TXA products — typically in the 2–5% range in evaluated studies — have been examined for their effect on hyperpigmentation and related skin-tone issues. In cosmetic practice, TXA is commonly included in brightening-oriented creams and serums where a brand wants to address the appearance of uneven tone and dark spots.
Niacinamide, the amide form of vitamin B3, has a long history in face care. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel's final safety assessment of niacinamide and niacin concluded that niacinamide is safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations and conditions of use typical of leave-on products. In formulations, niacinamide is commonly used for hydration support, tone-evening appearance and as a familiar daily-care active that tolerates a wide range of companion ingredients.
The pairing logic for a brightening moisturizer is straightforward:
That is why dual-TXA/niacinamide creams appear across Face Care ranges in both K-beauty and Western brands, and why the reference product on this page leads with both actives plus peptides as its formula story.
The product name on the page is simply "Capsule Cream," with form listed as cream and packing as bottle. In today's market, "capsule cream" is a format label borrowed from K-beauty: a bouncy, jelly-like cream whose texture often reveals translucent, capsule-shaped particles that pop or melt on application.
For the formulator, the format question is the key buyer question:
The reference capsule cream is positioned for all skin types, adults, daytime use and daily care, and it carries a vegan positioning, which means the formula is built without animal-derived ingredients. The cream is offered in five net weights — 30 ml, 50 ml, 90 ml, 100 ml and 200 ml — all in bottle packaging, with customized logo accepted.
When you brief a supplier on a capsule cream, specify which of the three format variants you want: visual gel capsules, microencapsulated actives, or a standard bouncy jelly cream. Each variant maps to different MOQs and lead times, which we cover in the customization section below. If you are also evaluating serum formats to pair with a cream, the Serum collection on Lanthome's site is a useful starting point for seeing how the same actives travel across textures.
pH is the single most negotiated number in a dual-active cream. Here is the working range and why.
Formulators typically hold niacinamide creams in a mildly acidic to neutral window, around pH 5.0–7.0, where the amide form is stable. The CIR safety assessment notes that conversion of niacinamide to nicotinic acid (niacin) is a chemical pathway that formulators monitor, and holding the formula in the mid-pH range is the standard way to keep that conversion minimal while the cream sits on a shelf.
Tranexamic acid is a small, water-soluble molecule with good tolerance across a broad pH range. In the dermatology literature, topical TXA has been evaluated in products spanning roughly 2% to 5% — for example, a review of topical tranexamic acid in dermatology covers several pilot and clinical evaluations — though cosmetic concentration choices are subject to formulation, intended claims and the regulations of the target market. TXA itself is not the ingredient that pins the pH of the formula; the emulsion system and the preservative set are.
Most broad-spectrum preservatives perform best within a defined pH window, and cream bases (o/w emulsions) generally feel best to consumers in the 5–6 range. That is why a well-built TXA + niacinamide cream usually lands near pH 5.5 ± 0.5 — comfortable for the preservative, stable for the niacinamide, and well within TXA's tolerance.
| Ingredient | Role in Formula | Typical pH Window | Stability Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niacinamide | Hydration support, tone-evening appearance | ~5.0–7.0 | Monitor amide-to-acid conversion over time |
| TXA | Brightening-orientation active | Broad tolerance | Water-soluble; verify dose per market rules |
| Peptides | Supporting active | 5.0–7.0 | Keep away from strong oxidants and high-acid systems |
| Emulsion base | Carrier, texture, spread | 5.0–6.5 | Jelly-capsule textures need viscosity stability |
| Preservative system | Microbiological safety | System-defined | Must match final formula pH |
Practical buyer questions to put in front of any OEM partner: the final formula pH, the active concentrations or dose ranges the partner is comfortable disclosing, and the raw material COA (certificate of analysis) for TXA and niacinamide. A supplier that answers all three is treating the formula as a system, not a shopping list.
The product page lists peptides as an ingredient alongside the two lead actives, and that third layer is where a capsule cream earns its daily-care positioning.
Peptides are short chains of amino acids that are commonly used in cosmetics for their association with firmness and smoothness perception. In a brightening cream they serve two purposes:
Around the actives, the supporting layer of any cream of this type typically handles:
One more point on the vegan positioning in the product title: "vegan" means no animal-derived ingredients, and the honest way to verify it is to ask the supplier for a raw-material-by-raw-material vegan confirmation, since a single non-vegan emulsifier can break the claim. Lanthome's manufacturing team can handle this verification as part of the OEM customization process — it is a standard question, not a special request.
A cream is a high-water-activity system, and that is exactly why the preservative set matters more here than in an anhydrous balm or a low-water serum.
In the European Union, cosmetic products fall under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, which requires a documented product safety assessment before a cream can be placed on the market and restricts preservatives to those on the regulation's permitted list. If your brand sells into the EU, the preservative choice in the capsule cream is not free: it must come from the approved list, and the safety assessor will look at the combination of actives in the formula.
In the United States, cosmetics operate under the framework described by the FDA's cosmetics pages: there is no pre-market approval for most cosmetic products, but the product must be safe for its intended use and correctly labeled. That shifts more of the formulation burden onto the brand and its manufacturer to get the preservative system right the first time.
What to ask a cream supplier about the preservation of a brightening formula:
Keep the framing realistic: preservation is a system property. A preservative that passes a challenge test in a simple cream can behave differently in a jelly-textured capsule cream, so the test should always be run on the final, full formula — not on a model formula.
Stability is where a good dual-active formula proves itself. For a brightening capsule cream, the checklist below is the minimum set a buyer should expect the manufacturer to run (or to have run on a reference formula) before the first production batch.
| Test | What It Checks | Why It Matters for This Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Accelerated stability (elevated temperature/humidity cycles) | Phase separation, viscosity loss, color shift | Jelly textures show changes early; TXA/niacinamide creams can yellow slightly if the base is stressed |
| Long-term stability (room temperature) | Slow chemical drift, active degradation | Niacinamide amide-to-acid conversion is a slow process you only see over months |
| Freeze–thaw cycles | Emulsion robustness after cold-chain logistics | Protects brands shipping across long freight routes |
| Centrifuge test | Hidden phase separation | Catches separation that the eye would miss in a translucent cream |
| pH re-check after storage | pH drift | Drift outside the ~5–6 window weakens the preservative and shifts niacinamide behavior |
| Preservative challenge test (PET) | Microbiological protection of the final formula | Mandatory thinking for any cream sold in the EU; good practice everywhere |
| Package compatibility | Bottle, cap and any pump against the cream | The reference product ships in bottle packing; confirm the closure seals the bouncy texture well |
| Organoleptic panel | Smell, feel, spread, finish over time | A daily cream for all skin types lives or dies on how it feels in week 12 |
Three formulation-specific notes for this product:
The reference product's own order terms show how production timing works: in-stock items ship in under 7 days, and custom production runs 9–21 working days after payment — which is why the stability file for your customized version should be agreed during sampling, not after.
The capsule cream is built for private label from the first unit. Here is the commercial structure straight from the product page:
| Order Stage | MOQ | Lead Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sample | 1 piece | Quick proofing available |
| In-stock order | 100 pieces | Under 7 days |
| Custom formula/packaging | 500–1,000 pieces | 9–21 working days after payment |
| Special process | 3,000 pieces | Case-by-case |
Practical reading of the tiers:
The factory sits in Baiyun district, Guangzhou, near the airport — a detail that matters more than it looks, because finished cosmetic freight benefits from fast, direct air links. Lanthome states 15 years of experience in the product listing, and the team publishes its approach to OEM/ODM services on the About Us page. If your launch also includes a stick or balm format to pair with the cream, the PDRN Balm Stick OEM guide walks through how multi-format lines are planned.
The standard path for a first capsule-cream order looks like this: sample (1 piece) → formula/packaging brief → customized 500–1,000 piece batch → QC and stability confirmation → shipment. Every step is documented, and the Contact Us page is where the brief starts.
A capsule cream is a cream format — popularized in K-beauty — with a bouncy, jelly-like texture that often shows visible capsule-shaped particles. Formulation-wise it sits between a gel and a cream: the same actives (here TXA, niacinamide and peptides) are carried in an emulsion, but the texture architecture is more complex, which is why jelly-creams need extra texture and stability testing.
Yes. Both are water-soluble, both are stable in the mildly acidic to neutral pH range that cream bases typically use (around pH 5–6), and the combination is common in brightening-oriented face care. Final concentrations and claims remain subject to formulation, testing and the regulations of your target market.
Most cream emulsions land near pH 5.5 ± 0.5. That window keeps niacinamide in its stable amide form, sits comfortably within the preservative system's effective range, and is well inside TXA's tolerance. Ask your OEM partner for the exact final pH of the reference formula and for pH re-checks after stability cycling.
That is exactly what the MOQ structure is for: 1 piece for sampling, 100 pieces for in-stock orders, and 500–1,000 pieces for custom formula and packaging work with customized logo accepted on the bottle. Formula adjustments, vegan raw-material confirmation and size selection (30 ml to 200 ml) are all part of the custom tier.
For the EU, ask for the product safety assessment basis, the preservative list compliance with Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, and the factory's ISO 22716 / GMP documentation. For the US, the same factory documentation plus COA and MSDS for the exact formula is a solid baseline. The reference product page lists ISO 22716, GMP, BSCI, SGS, Intertek, CE, COA and MSDS among the documentation and certification services offered according to your needs.
Browse the Face Care collection for the full cream and moisturizer range, or read earlier formulation guides on the Lanthome blog — including deep-dives on eye creams, sunscreen systems and brightening ingredients.
About the Author
This article was prepared by the Lanthome skincare manufacturing team, with experience in private label formulation, packaging development, quality control, and international OEM/ODM projects.
