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HIP - high internal phase emulsions. To good to be true?
So, on YT I accidentaly stumbled upon this video (url: https://youtu.be/toh9bx7kjwM) explaining the benefits that water in oil (w/o) emulsions can bring to skin compared to more traditionaly known approcahes.
What do you think about this, have you ever tried replicating these kind of formulas and are the benefits good enough for HIP emulsions to replace traditional ones (mainly o/w and w/o emulsion with small percentage of water phase)?
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12 Replies
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Hello,
The HIPEs are very interesting types emulsions to make and to study, and as you can see from the video they are easy enough to make if you have all the materials and start at the last step.
As for the claims concerning the sensorials and the TEWL, those are highly dependent on the ingredients forming the HIPE, of course the formulation and the processing play a role, but I think it is bold to generalize the properties the way she is doing.
Finally while the HIPEs are interesting, the ingredients to make them are very limited, so you do not have a wide array of choice like you have with the more “classical” emulsions. If many people make HIPEs, you will end up with a lot of brands having practically the same product.
Not to be overly pessimistic, but HIPEs are still in their youth concerning cosmetics, maybe with future research and developments they can become more promising.
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Hello @ChemicalPyros,Tnx for the answer.Well, the concept is interesting enough though. There is a great potential, but sadly, you are right. At this phase almost all the products look the same and are quite limited by the usage of ingredients. I guess you could add some non-greesy emollients, esters, polyols and alcohols, but that would be it.I am going to order some of the low HLB ingredients mentioned in the video, try, experiment, so we’ll see I guess if the potential is justified.
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I’ve made many inverse-phase HIP emulsions and with great success. A @ChemicalPyros alludes, they are under-appreciated. There are also different kinds: w/o. w/Si and different approaches depending on the primary emulsifier used. These can be tricky to make and stabilize, but an inverse-phase emulsion having 80% + water and water-solubles? What’s not to like?
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@chemicalmatt How exactly do you successfully reproduce inverse emulsion? Do you use for example span 20 with some higher hlb emulgator or? What’s the idea behind to?
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I also wonder whether these are difficult to produce on a large scale. Mixing stuff in a beaker isn’t always the same as mixing it in a 2000 gallon tank.
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@Perry that was my question as well. Giving the shear complexity of preparing such emulsions. Still, the adventages are many. With right labeling and marketing of such products this could be something really big, promising great emoliency, fresh new concept and a product that is essentially water but behaves much as many others, more pricey w/o emulsion. Who knows…
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Shiseido has many HIPs being sold in the market since about 2005, here you can read more:
https://corp.shiseido.com/en/rd/development/formulation.html
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This paper is actually suggesting that Shisedio indeed first formulated this kind of emulsion. Interesting.
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@pma - interesting description of different emulsification strategies.
But I’m left wondering. Let’s assume the technology is superior in some lab-measurable way.
If it has been on the market since 2005, why hasn’t it taken over in the marketplace?
You could say it might be related to patents. But if that were the case, why haven’t Shiseido products taken over the marketplace because consumers love the performance so much?
I suspect the reason it hasn’t taken over the marketplace is because it provides little consumer noticeable benefit over traditional oil in water emulsions.
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@Perry I think the answer to that has much to do with the economical aspects as well. Shiseido as brend is notorious for being high pricey, so I think part of the reason would be that.
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@Perry Texture is fresh and light and hydration is really good, but that’s it. Yes, not enough to disrupt.
Most innovations in most industries from 70s to now are really boring, they add just little benefit, if any. While in 50s, for instance, innovations were truly innovations like Super Glue. The book “Zero to One”, from Peter Thiel, talks about that.
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@pma - yes, that’s a good book. The electronics industry has certainly innovated in recent years. But the technology in the cosmetic industry is mature and there have only been tiny, incremental improvements.
Since I’ve been in the cosmetic industry (1992) I can’t even identify a significant new technology. And the ban on animal testing makes real innovation even more difficult.
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