Create and edit a formula

What you will accomplish

You will create or edit a formula with a clear product target, raw materials organized by phase, a repeatable method, and useful lab notes. You will also know which save choice changes version history and which formulas can be selected for a batch.

Before you start

Add the raw materials you plan to use to your library. If a material is still provisional, you can add it quickly and verify its details later. Decide whether you will enter the composition as percentages, weights, or a mix of both.

Open the formula builder

1. Start a new formula. Open /formulas/new from the Formulas page.
2. Open an existing formula when you need to edit it. Choose the formula, then use its edit action to open /formulas/[id]/edit.

Define the formula identity and target

1. Enter Formula Name. Use a name that distinguishes the product and iteration.
2. Choose Formula Type. Select the product structure that best matches the formula.
3. Set Status. Use Draft, Testing, Stable, Production, or Archived to communicate maturity.
4. Add Category and Description when useful. These fields make the formula easier to find and understand.
5. Enter Batch Size and Unit. This is the formula's base yield.
6. Enter Units Made. This supports unit-yield and cost-per-unit calculations.
7. Record product targets. Add final pH, shelf life, and storage details when they apply.

Build the composition

The Formula by phase section keeps charge order visible while you formulate.

1. Choose the input mode. Use % w/w for percentages, Weight for fixed amounts, or Hybrid when the formula needs both.
2. Add a raw-material row. Search your raw-material library and select the correct record.
3. Assign the phase. Use the phase code and functional phase that match the manufacturing sequence.
4. Enter the amount. Complete the percentage or weight field shown for the selected input mode.
5. Repeat for each raw material. Keep phase codes consistent with the method you will write.
6. Review the totals. A non-draft formula must have a valid composition, including a percentage total of 100 when percentage amounts apply.

Add the method and notes

1. Select Add Method Step. Add one manufacturing action at a time.
2. Complete the step details. Record the phase, instruction, temperature, hold time, or mixing note that the operator needs.
3. Add Formula notes. Use the notes area for development observations, substitutions, or decisions that do not belong in the manufacturing method.

Save with the intended history behavior

1. Create the formula. On a new formula, select Create Formula.
2. Save an edited formula. Select Save Changes to open the version choice.
3. Choose Update current version for a minor correction. This choice makes the edit with no version history entry.
4. Choose Save as new version for an intentional iteration. This choice creates a version history entry that you can compare or restore later.

Approved-source exception: Editing an approved formula still creates a draft version, even when you choose Update current version. This preserves the approved source while placing the edited content into a controlled draft.

Use the formula in a batch

Formula status communicates readiness; it does not limit the batch picker. At /batches/new, all non-archived formulas are available to select. Archive a formula when it should no longer be offered for new batch records.

For a worked product example, watch Create a formula with Haircare Lab.

Check your work

• The identity and target describe the intended product and base yield.
• The composition contains the intended raw-material records and phase codes.
• Percentage-based amounts total 100 where required.
• The method follows the same phase order as the composition.
• The formula appears in the batch formula picker unless it is archived.
• For a formula without an approved source, the version timeline changes only when you deliberately save a new version; an edit to an approved formula creates the required draft version.

If something does not look right

Archive and Duplicate in the formula list show a refusal when the action cannot complete. An archive refreshes the list only after the server confirms the record changed; a duplicate opens only after its new record is confirmed. If the response is interrupted, use Reload and check the formula list before trying again, since the first write may have saved. Archiving retains saved versions and linked batch history.

• If a raw material cannot be selected, confirm that it exists in your raw-material library and that you have access to it.
• If save validation fails, resolve missing required fields and review the composition total.
• If the server rejects a save, read the message beside Save, or inside the version dialog. Your entered values stay in the open editor so you can resolve the problem and retry. A rejected save has not persisted the changes; avoid closing or reloading the editor until you have kept a copy of your work.
• If an amount changed unexpectedly after switching input modes, check every row before saving.
• If a formula is absent from the batch picker, confirm that it is not archived.

Next steps

• Import an existing formula
• Scale the formula for a target batch
• Create, compare, branch, or restore versions
• Submit a formula for team review
• Start a batch at /batches/new when the formula is ready for execution.