Plastic Test Tube Rack 2 Pack 21 Holes Lab Test Tube Rack Holder for 30mm and Below The Test Tubes, Detachable, 21 Holes

I mean it will very much depend on how much time and money you can invest. I pretty much buy what i want and spend as much time as i want. I've been doing it for about 7ish months now and I've got a few creations that i like, though i wouldn't call any of them finished quite yet. It can help a lot to buy a couple good quality formulas for inspiration. Since you don't have a ton of time to invest you should think about how to learn your materials as efficiently as possible. Something that works for me is i got a test tube rack and some wide test tubes https://a.co/d/086EW1lf https://a.co/d/0geBL7Iu They fit perfectly in the rack and the rack slots are all labeled so it is easy to test like 6-12 different mixtures while keeping track of everything so you can take notes and continue adding ingredients to see how they interact. Also you can dip a couple test strips in some single ingredient dilutions and take the strips with you and smell how they change over time while you're going about your day.