Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Sensolene (ethylhexyl olivate)

  • Sensolene (ethylhexyl olivate)

    Posted by crillz on June 17, 2019 at 8:38 am

    Curious as to whether anyone has experience using Sensolene (ethylhexyl olivate). I have been making moisturisers simply using carbomer ultrez 10 and triethalonamine and stearic acid, which I don’t mind and gives a nice gel feel. But I have had a range of people asking for a more natural product (without trieth). I have since exchanged this for xanthan gum. I am also using Olivem 1000 as my emulsifier which not overly happy with and will probably change because of the soapy excessive rub in time and also because the supplier said it could be used as a sole emulsifier and should give the viscosity required although I feel I am needing too much added solids. I will write a list of my formula but my main question is: Will Sensolene give my cream much extra stability, more of a silicon gel feel as it describes and how much extra viscosity? I thought I’d ask here if anyone has used it before I go down the trail of purchasing it before trialling.

    Water                        To 100%
    Aloe Vera.                          3%
    Glycerin                             5%
    Xanthan Gum.                 0.5%

    Olivem 1000                      5%
    Cetyl Stearyl Alcohol.         6%. may lower this and add 2% stearic acid
    Shea Butter.                        2%
    caprylic/capric triglycerine  5%
    Macadamia oil                     4%
    Rosehip Oil                          2%
    Lecithin                               1%

    Tocopherol                        0.5%
    Preservative                          1%
    Fragrance                           0.3%

    Or if haven’t tried Sensolene can anyone suggest another good natural option or critique in general.

    markbroussard replied 4 years, 9 months ago 4 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • chemicalmatt

    Member
    June 18, 2019 at 6:49 pm

    crillz, I do not think ethylhexl olivate will lend any more stability to this than sorbitan stearate or even glyceryl stearate. I suggest leaving it out. BTW, with all that lecithin in there, and too much xanthan (0.10% will do), why do you need a tertiary emulsifier here? Granted, lecithin gives a somewhat inelegant emulsion, but 1.0% is actually excessive for primary emulsification of this oil phase. You might want to consider Olivem the secondary emulsifier here, and reduce it way down, thus solving your “soaping” issue too.

  • pharma

    Member
    June 18, 2019 at 7:18 pm
    Since when is ethylhexyl olivate considered an emulsifier? Isn’t it a low viscosity, good spreadablity ester oil? Never used ethylhexyl olivate but ethylhexyl stearate and that one’s already very “spready”, olivate in theory should be even more liquid.
    Does it give more stability: I don’t see why it would.
    Does it feel like silicon? Probably not (simply guessing because naturals too often don’t).
  • crillz

    Member
    June 20, 2019 at 4:27 am

    Thanks guys, after a little more looking I found a product called Siligel (xanthan gum, lecithin, sclerotium gum and pullulan). Claims to be a natural gelling agent with a silicon like feel. Unfortunately looks a bit expensive for my liking tho. 

  • markbroussard

    Member
    June 20, 2019 at 10:19 am

    @crillz:

    Olivem 1000 is best paired with Glyceryl Stearate + Xanthan Gum + Thickener. 

    You should be fine with Olivem 1000 @ 4% … lowering the amount of Olivem 1000 should help with your soaping issue.  If you want to use Stearic Acid instead of Glyceryl Stearate, that would probably work just fine and allow you to reduce your Cetearyl Alcohol, which at 6% should be more in the 2% range.  

    Siligel would allow you to eliminate Lecithin from your formula, except for the tiny amount contained within the Siligel.

  • crillz

    Member
    June 20, 2019 at 12:11 pm

    Cheers Mark, this is an option I can cater for and give a try. Ill do some experimenting but what u think the lowest percent of Olivem before I worry about the stability of the product. 

  • markbroussard

    Member
    June 20, 2019 at 12:40 pm

    I think if you get it down to 3-4% at the lowest, you should be fine … the additional stabilizers for Olivem emulsions are Xanthan Gum and glyceryl stearate.  Siligel is essentially a direct replacement for Xanthan Gum.  So, you could use a combination of Olivem 1000 (4%), Glyceryl Stearate (2%), Siligel (0.5%), Stearic Acid (2%) and you’ll probably wind up with a nice cream with minimal soaping.  If you’re still getting soaping, then cut down on your total oils/butters content.

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