Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating A Cream without any Emulsifiers? Is it possible?

  • A Cream without any Emulsifiers? Is it possible?

    Posted by pepe on October 21, 2016 at 2:31 pm

    Hello all,

    I am a chemical engineer who is working in cosmetic industry.

    Lately I came across a body cream formulation that contains no emulsifiers. I wonder if it is possible to formulate?

    Here is the formulation:

    Mineral Oil  25-30
    Aluminum Stearate  2-3
    Parafin Wax   12-15
    Petrolatum  20-25
    Beeswax   2-3
    Eutanol G   1-2
    Zinc Oxide   8-10
    Water   15-20
    PEHG   0,5-1
    PARFUM   0,5-1
    EXTRACT   0,5

    Can you please explain the mechanism of this emulsion? İs this a real emulsion or what? What is the role of each component?

    Thank you in advance

    pepe replied 7 years, 5 months ago 6 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • bobzchemist

    Member
    October 21, 2016 at 3:15 pm

    That’s not very much water, even for a w/o emulsion.

    Aluminum stearate is a soap, so it is at least one of the emulsifiers in this system. The fatty acids naturally present in beeswax can also be neutralized/saponified to form w/o emulsifiers (see Beeswax/Borax, for example) so that may be the other emulsifier even though that formulation does not have a pH adjusting agent listed.

  • david

    Member
    October 21, 2016 at 3:29 pm

    1. what Bob said.
    2. Depends how you define a “cream” , most people define it as an emulsion, and an emusion without emulsifier i inherently unstable.

  • chickenskin

    Member
    October 21, 2016 at 5:32 pm

    Mineral Oil  25-30  - oil
    Aluminum Stearate  2-3  - emulsifier
    Parafin Wax   12-15 - thickner
    Petrolatum  20-25 - thickner/oil
    Beeswax   2-3 - oil
    Eutanol G   1-2 - emollient
    Zinc Oxide   8-10 - active/whatever
    Water   15-20 - water
    PEHG   0,5-1 -  polyethlylene glycol?  
    PARFUM   0,5-1 - fragrance
    EXTRACT   0,5 - extract of what?

    this seems more like a suspension that an emulsion.  you should try

    phase1
    Mineral Oil  25-30  - oil
    Aluminum Stearate  2-3  - emulsifier
    Parafin Wax   12-15 - thickner
    Petrolatum  20-25 - thickner/oil
    Beeswax   2-3 - oil
    Eutanol G   1-2 - emollient
    Zinc Oxide   8-10 - active/whatever

    phase 2
    Water   15-20 - water
    PEHG   0,5-1 -  polyethlylene glycol?  

    phase 3
    PARFUM   0,5-1 - fragrance
    EXTRACT   0,5 - extract of what?

    Heat phase 1 and phase 2 to 75 C.  Once at temp With high mixing add phase 2 to 1.  mix until 45C then add phase 3.

    fire in the hole! haha im not sure if this will work

  • belassi

    Member
    October 21, 2016 at 6:09 pm

    Sounds like something designed for use by World War 1 soldiers.

  • johnb

    Member
    October 22, 2016 at 8:37 am

    PEHG = Iscaguard
    PEHG is a blend of Phenoxyethanol with efficacy boosting
    Ethylhexylglycerin. With its primary registered function being a skin
    conditioning agent, ethylhexylglycerin improves the quality of cosmetic
    products while reducing the reliance on preservatives. Use level:   0.5 – 1.0 %.

  • pepe

    Member
    October 31, 2016 at 1:06 pm

    Yes @johnb you are right PEHG:Iscaguard PEHG…

    By the way the process is like:

    - Add aluminum stearate into the mineral oil while stirring fast. Heat until the aluminum stearate become gel(approx. 85-90 C). Leave it for 24 h for maturing in room temperature.

    - Parafin wax+petrolatum+beeswax+eutanol g+span 83. Heat the oil phase components until the temperature reaches 90 C.

    - Under a high shear at 90 C add aluminum stearate gel into the oil phase slowly. 

    - Heat up the water to 90 C and add onto the oil phase.

    - At 65 C add zinc oxide slowly right into the vortex.

    - Homogenise a little bit.

    - At 40-45 C add parfum and preservative.

    - At 40 C pour the emulsion into small aluminum jar.

    The problem is; the final product is extremely hard to pick up. Is there any problem with the process? or should I play with the numbers?

    Sorry for my English :) Thank you so much

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