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Heliosoft Emulsion Failing
Hi everyone! Thanks for letting me be part of this amazing group. I need help with this formula. It is separating. I have this love and hate relationship with this emulsifier that I feel like It can’t handle too much: Heliosoft. Anyway I really like this formula and if I can somehow save it, that would be great. Things started going left after I started adding the essential oils. I have the feeling that the E.O may be the culprit and/ or my cool down phase being too much. Thanks in advance.
PH: 4:8 (I played around this up to 5.3 but in vain)Water: 51.6%
Hydrosol: 5%
Glycerine: 3%
Propanediol: 2.5%
Siligel: 0.5%
Panthenol: 2%
Sodium Phytate: 0.2%
Oat: 1%
Allantoin: 0.5%
Geogard Ultra: 1%
Oil blend: 22.5%
Heliosoft: 3%
Brassica Oil Polymer: 0.5%
Brassica Glycerides: 2% (thickener, co-emulsifier)
Cool Down:
Euxyl 9010: 1%
Tocopherol Acetate: 0.5%
Plant hydrolyzed protein: 0.5%
Calendula Extract (oil): 0.5%
Turmeric Extract: 0.3%
Agave Extract (oil): 0.5%
Comfrey Extract (glyceryl): 0.5% (added another 0.5% out of happiness lol)
Cucumber Oil: 0.5%
Natrasil: 1%
Chamomile E.O.: 0.1%
Lemon Balm E.O.: 0.3%
Dermofeel (added this as extra at 1%, outside the 100%, again out of happiness)
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10 Replies
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The group will want to know what Heliosoft is:
INCI: Behenyl Alcohol (and) Glyceryl Behenate (and) Lecithin
Which in a nutshell….is not much.
Change to a more robust emulsifier…or you going to need to bolster this one quite a bit.
Here are some tips from the mfg:
Ingredients known to destabilize cell membranes could also impact the
stability of lamellar networks (ethoxylated ingredients or preservative boosters
with surfactant properties for example)
• Use of a gelling/suspending agent is recommended for emulsion stability
• In case of oxidation of formula, addition of chelating agent and/or
antioxidant is recommended
• Stability of the emulsion reinforced with addition of gelling/suspending
agent, thickeners, co-emulsifiers
• Viscosity can be increased with addition of gelling/suspending agent,
thickeners, increase of oil phase quantity
• Introduction of preservatives and electrolytes: addition recommended at the
end of cooling (lamellar network more robust); may require reinforcement of
the formula via the gelling system or a co-emulsifier such as Glyceryl Stearate
Citrate
• Use of synthetic gelling agents: to be used at a low percentage in
combination with a natural gum (better compatibility with pre-neutralized
gelling agents)• Lactobacillus Ferment (preservative): destabilization of the emulsion and
inefficient preservation
• Bentonite: destabilization of the emulsion
• Silica: destabilization of the emulsionSome of the recommended co’s from mfg: Co-emulsifiers • Polyglycerol esters
• Sucro-esters
• Glucosides… -
You summed it up well! Amazing emulsifier when it comes to sensory but a very weak one I have noticed. It is a very fragile emulsifier imo. Thank you so very much for your suggestions and recommendations. I really appreciate @Graillotion
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Btw, what is mfg?
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BTW….in that series….I think HelioFeel…is a little stronger (better design).
INCI Name:
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate (and) Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate (and) Hydrogenated Lecithin
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Thank you for all your valuable recommendations always. I am also confused between Heliofeel and Heliosoft for my serums and moisturizers. But Heliofeel has comedogenic ingredients which is deterring us from using it. For this reason, we now have to reformulate everything with Heliosoft.
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@coco Since your oil phase is low in size, you might be trying to form an O/W emulsion, but you don’t have a proper emulsifier for that. You could add an ethoxylated non ionic surfactant or add a polymeric emulsifier.
Also, adding oils in the cool down phase of your emulsion could also be destabilizing it (better add them as part of your oil phase, if they resist heat).
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Thank you everyone. Will try that! I appreciate.
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@coco This is my favorite emulsifier. I have made probably close to 100 emulsions with it and I’ve never had it separate (mind you only 3 out of those had essential oils and they are currently undergoing stability, so far so good, but I’ll report back). I’ve attached the mfg guidelines @Graillotion quoted which also has a tips and tricks section…
But as others said, I make absolutely sure there’s nothing in it that could destabilize it and I bolster the heck out of it with a co-emulsifier (gelling agent), fatty alcohol, plenty of humectants to bind water. I also use sodium phytate at 0.2% and Siligel at 1%.
So let’s go through the potential destabilizers:
1. Is your hydrosol or any of your water-soluble ingredients/extracts preserved with Leucidal (lactobacillus ferment)? Your hydrolized protein?
2. It doesn’t tolerate electrolytes well, so Na Phytate is all I have in mine. Geogard has sodium in it.
3. I put all of my oils in the hot oil phase, I don’t add them during cool down. I do have a couple of heat sensitive oils, but I add them at the tail end of the hot oil phase. Natrasil can also go in the hot oil phase.
4. The Geogard/Euxyl combo you are using is most effective at lower pH (4.8-5). Heliosoft is destabilized at ph lower than 5. I tried this preservative combo and it wasn’t stable…pH of 4.8 is a fail.
So try these firtst adn then see of your EO still gives you trouble. Some, not all EOs can destabilize it, but it’s trial and error…
Hope this helps. good luck.
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Anca_Formulator said:@coco This is my favorite emulsifier. I have made probably close to 100 emulsions with it and I’ve never had it separate (mind you only 3 out of those had essential oils and they are currently undergoing stability, so far so good, but I’ll report back). I’ve attached the mfg guidelines @Graillotion quoted which also has a tips and tricks section…
But as others said, I make absolutely sure there’s nothing in it that could destabilize it and I bolster the heck out of it with a co-emulsifier (gelling agent), fatty alcohol, plenty of humectants to bind water. I also use sodium phytate at 0.2% and Siligel at 1%.
So let’s go through the potential destabilizers:
1. Is your hydrosol or any of your water-soluble ingredients/extracts preserved with Leucidal (lactobacillus ferment)? Your hydrolized protein?
2. It doesn’t tolerate electrolytes well, so Na Phytate is all I have in mine. Geogard has sodium in it.
3. I put all of my oils in the hot oil phase, I don’t add them during cool down. I do have a couple of heat sensitive oils, but I add them at the tail end of the hot oil phase. Natrasil can also go in the hot oil phase.
4. The Geogard/Euxyl combo you are using is most effective at lower pH (4.8-5). Heliosoft is destabilized at ph lower than 5. I tried this preservative combo and it wasn’t stable…pH of 4.8 is a fail.
So try these firtst adn then see of your EO still gives you trouble. Some, not all EOs can destabilize it, but it’s trial and error…
Hope this helps. good luck.
I haven’t been there in few days and only seeing this now. I actually got here through Google today. I was ready to give up on this emulsifier after just another attempt. I did everything you said above about “bolstering” it. Anything you can think of, it’s even getting my ingredients list to be longer. Now on to the destabilizers, I removed the hydrosol, of course still kept some of those things you mentioned. Your comment IS SO VALUABLE!! I can’t thank you enough. About to go and apply them all and see.
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