Lecture
While using minoxidil, we noticed an interesting thing that could not help but raise a logical question — why can the color of minoxidil range from completely colorless to bright orange, and sometimes even have a brownish tint? As ordinary users we did not try to "dig into" this to understand it, but once we created the Minoxon brand and began manufacturing our own product, we could not help but look into this question.
Lotion manufacturers state that a normal color for minoxidil ranges from clear and colorless to yellow or even orange. And this is indeed the case. When buying original Kirkland minoxidil from a trusted seller, it was noted that, depending on the batch, the color really did differ. Most often the minoxidil had a light yellowish or a rich tint, less often it was almost transparent and colorless. This property had no effect whatsoever on the effectiveness of the product.
Another interesting question. From our own experience, we can conclude that the fresher the lotion, the more colorless it is.
In the photo on the right, the lotion is only 1 week old, but even over such a short period a difference can be seen:
A photo of a completely new lotion, only 3 days old. As you can see, it is practically colorless:
And here is a photo of an "old-timer" minoxidil, 3 months old:
Of course, one cannot really speak of "age" for such a minoxidil, since the lotion's shelf life is 2 years, but the difference in color is obvious.
It should be noted that the color of the finished product is influenced not only by the freshness of the batch, but also by other factors:
Evidently, the change in color is influenced by the oxidation process, which causes pigmentation of the solution. The presence of an acid in the composition (azelaic or citric) leads to a fading of the pigment, so 10% and 15% lotions containing azelaic acid, despite having double or triple the concentration of minoxidil, begin to change color significantly more slowly than a 5% or 2% product without azelaic acid. A similar situation can be observed with the 5% Black Edition product, which contains azelaic and nicotinic acid. Even after 3 months, the product has not changed color:
Azelaic acid at a certain concentration gives a slight yellowish tint, so 10% and 15% minoxidil that includes this acid usually has a slight coloration.
Of course, at home, without special equipment, it is simply impossible to perform an analysis and determine the exact composition of the product. But there are two signs indicating the presence of minoxidil in the composition. We will not describe how to identify a fake using a specific brand as an example. These signs of minoxidil authenticity apply to any manufacturer. These are — color and taste.
Minoxidil can range from colorless to bright orange in color. A change in the product's color does not affect its effectiveness. However, this property allows one to further confirm the authenticity of the product and the presence of actual minoxidil in the composition.
Another characteristic of minoxidil is a bitter taste. And, as with the color, the product becomes bitter over time. Products containing acids (azelaic, nicotinic, citric) accordingly have a sour-bitter taste.
However, the best guarantee is to buy from a trusted, honest seller.
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