Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Isopropyl alcohol and beeswax

  • Isopropyl alcohol and beeswax

    Posted by Oladoo on February 5, 2018 at 4:29 pm

    Please how do I use to stabilize an ointment formulation containing beeswax and IPA? I used IPA as a solvent for the active ingredient. But the ointment is not stable, it appears the oil is separating

    Oladoo replied 6 years, 1 month ago 5 Members · 13 Replies
  • 13 Replies
  • oldperry

    Member
    February 5, 2018 at 5:07 pm

    You would need to provide more information for anyone to answer.  Specifically, what is your whole formula?

  • Oladoo

    Member
    February 5, 2018 at 5:33 pm

    Thanks Perry. The formula goes like this: Beeswax 0.5%, IPA 5%, Oil around 90%

  • Oladoo

    Member
    February 5, 2018 at 5:37 pm

    Sorry, beeswax is around 11%

  • belassi

    Member
    February 5, 2018 at 11:30 pm

    IPA is polar, you cannot expect to mix that with the nonpolar waxes without an emulsifier, and then it would become like a water-in-oil emulsion I assume.

  • Oladoo

    Member
    February 6, 2018 at 8:33 am

    Thank you Belassi. Which emulsifier will you suggest please?

  • belassi

    Member
    February 6, 2018 at 4:52 pm

    I’m unable to help, sorry. W/O emulsions are outside my current areas of expertise. I’m sure others will assist.

  • doreen

    Member
    February 6, 2018 at 5:13 pm

    The numbers don’t add up to 100, what is the whole formula?

  • Oladoo

    Member
    February 6, 2018 at 6:08 pm

    Thanks. The whole formula: Beeswax 10%. IPA 9.2%. Essential oils 10.5%. Coconut oil 70.2%.

  • belassi

    Member
    February 6, 2018 at 6:13 pm

    Essential oils 10.5%. MADNESS!

  • doreen

    Member
    February 6, 2018 at 6:15 pm

    Wow, that’s a lot of essential oil!
    Why IPA btw? I see nothing that needs solubilizing?

  • Oladoo

    Member
    February 6, 2018 at 6:25 pm

    An API needs to be dissolved in IPA, 

  • bill_toge

    Member
    February 6, 2018 at 7:52 pm

    what you need is an intermediate solvent that is miscible both with beeswax/coconut oil, and with IPA

    try using an ester of some kind

  • Oladoo

    Member
    February 6, 2018 at 10:32 pm

    Thank you Bill

Log in to reply.