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Oil cleansing balm separation
Years ago, I made a cleansing balm for myself using BTMS-50 and Argan oil. After a while, some oil separation occurred. I didn’t really care too much at the time as it was only for myself and I just remixed before use. Now, I am looking to formulate for sale with BTMS-25, but it still separates. I looked online for recipe inspiration and no formulator seemed to mention separation issues, but then when I searched for commercial oil balm separations, I found plenty of customers complaining of this with various brands. I then went into Sephora to take a look and found separated oil cleansing balms. I haven’t been able to find any reason online for why this happens, and clearly even large brands have this issue. I’ve always wondered if it was because it is an oil-in-water emulsifier and it is missing its sufficient water phase to stabilize it?
Recently I’ve tried 25% BTMS, 75% Argan oil, and after a while there was a little oil separation and it went grainy (due to slightly heating and re-cooling over time).
After learning from the Institute for Personal Care Science that below 5% water doesn’t require a preservative, I tried:
4% neroli floral water (which has some light preservatives included by the manufacturer), 25% BTMS-25, 75% a mix of Argan and Caprylic/Capric triglycerides. This also separated, but in a weird way. There is a layer of what looks like oil, but if I dip into it, it smells like the neroli. The rest is a balm texture that also smells like the neroli floral water. So somehow the oil either mixed with the water yet stayed liquid, or got scented from close contact?
When I make an actual lotion, it works wonderfully with no separation even after years. But without that larger water phase, it always seems to separate. Any thoughts on why, and how to avoid it?
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12 Replies
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Oh, and just to add, I’ve made balms with only a little BTMS-25 without any separation. I don’t remember the exact percentage off-hand, but probably around 5%, in combination with other non-emulsifying waxes.
Just wondering if anyone has thoughts or ideas before I continue various trial formulas for this.
Thanks!
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@PhilGeis I would like to hear your thoughts on the comment:
“After learning from the Institute for Personal Care Science that below 5% water doesn’t require a preservative…”
Thank You.
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As a general rule, that’s bull. The important metric is Aw of the water phase or product, as made and in use, not % in finished product. Powders are anhydrous and we know preservation is an issue for many.
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I was still definitely planning on having it tested including while being used before selling, but just want to get the separation issue resolved, with or without the floral water.
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the scent transfer to the oil is not uncommon. You used the neroli flower Water which normally is the Water Destield Neroli Flower. Some Components of this Water distillate will be Soluble in oil so if you mix it with oil it will take a part of the scent that is Hydrophil and Lipophil to a certain percentage and therefore the oil phase will have the scent as well.
on the separation, I don’t have a direct idea.
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Thanks
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Can yoy describe your manufacturing process?
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For the version without any water, which is what I am focusing on first, I just heated the oils and emulsifier together, poured, and cooled. I tried different cooling methods (leaving on counter to cool on it’s own, putting in freezer, a mix of both). They still separate.
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Your system has such a large amount of oils compared to the amount of water to be a w/o emulsion (you don’t even have a proper emulsifier for that type of system). To be honest, I don’t know how that system could keep together. What I’d do is to remove the water-based extract….or perhaps try adding a w/o emulsifier, to see if it helps.
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It separates without adding any water. The addition of the floral water was just something I was trying out, but just oil + emulsifier separates. Cleansing balms are usually made with an oil-in-water emulsifier because it is easier to mix it with water in the face to wash off. Commercial cleansing balms seem to often have separation issues as well. My theory was because maybe the emulsifier needs that large water phase to be stable, but I was hoping for more information.
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If you only mix your BTMS and your Argan oil, you won’t have an emulsion. The little oil you see separating might be just syneresis.
Cleansing balms are actually emulsions, and for that, you need a decent amount of water and a nonionic surfactant as well (BTMS forms a very rigid structure when emulsified with water, so, if your water phase doesn’t have enough viscosity, you might experience phase separation). Check for the formulas of big brands as reference (CeraVe has a nice Cleansing balm).
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Many big brand cleansing balms don’t have any water. And many who do have it quite low on the ingredients list. When I make a “normal” emulsion with the BTMS25 (or 50), it is stable, but I find that it doesn’t remove makeup as well as one with much more oil content. I guess I will continue formulating and testing as I go!
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