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Urgent help! My moisturizer ”sweats” water when applied
Hi,
I’ve been experimenting with making a basic moisturizer, but I’m encountering a problem. When I apply the cream to my skin and massage it in, it releases water, almost as if it is condensing. At first, the cream looks great, smooth and glossy, but the next day, it thickens, and when applied, it releases water after a few strokes. This makes it feel unsatisfying. I have tested increasing and decreasing different ingredients, but the issue persists.
I would really appreciate any help in understanding what I might be doing wrong! Here’s an example of my recent experiment:
50 ml batch:
Water phase:
Destilled Water: 33g (66%)
Glycerin: 3g (6%)
Oil phase:
Jojoba Oil: 9,5g (19%)
Glyceryl stearate: 4g (8%)
Preservative: 0,5g (1%)
Details:
• I heat both the water phase and the oil phase to 70 degrees Celsius.
• I add the oil phase into the water phase and use an ultra turrax for homogenization.The cream initially looks perfect—smooth and glossy.
• As the temperature drops, I add 1% preservative.
• After a day, the cream becomes noticeably thicker. When applied to the skin, it releases water after a few strokes.
Has anyone encountered this issue before? How can I improve the stability of my formula? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
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8 Replies
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You can use glyceryl stearate as a co-emulsifier if you want, but you need a proper emulsifier in your formula. That should solve the “water-issue” you described.
Glyceryl stearate by itself is a weak emulsifier, it won’t help you obtain a stable emulsion.
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Thank you for your response! That makes sense. So Glyceryl Stearate SE is too weak on its own for a stable emulsion.
Do you have any recommendations for a proper emulsifier that I could use? And do you think I should use it alone or combine it with Glyceryl Stearate as a co-emulsifier?
Thanks again for your help!
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Are you using Glyceryl stearate? Or Glyceryl stearate SE?
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my bad I forgot to mention SE. I am using Glyceryl stearate SE
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Did you try adding some fatty alcohol to see if the effect reduces.
It sounds like the “quick break” effect. It’s an effect that some people may want, but it depends on the requirements. Eg, https://sunjinbs.com/?p=4620
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I think 50 ml batch size is very small to be stable. Most of the time, in manufacturing, they start with 500g Lab batch.
You didn’t add any thickener in the water phase. Thickeners will enhance the formula stability. If you like to make it natural, you may add any of Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Hydroxymethyl Cellulose, etc.
If you don’t like to use fatty alcohol, you may use Olivem 1000 (Cetearyl Olivate and Sorbitan Olivate) and Shea Butter in the oil phase.
I feel that 19% of oil is too much, you can add 3-5% oil and 5 - 8% emollient ( for example, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride)
You can add glyceryl stearate 2- 5% just to make the cream bright
Actually, if you don’t like to use fatty alcohol, it could be an issue, but, try to make the % of ingredients in the oil phase around 10% without considering the % of oil or emollient.
You may try these ingredients in a lab batch
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What is the pH of your moisturizer? Glyceryl stearate SE needs a slightly alkaline to be most effective.
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I love pairing emulsifiers and stabilizers like gums with face creams. Kokum is incredible because of its hardness and steric acid content. Theres a butter that is also a natural emulsifier but Ive never used it. BTW for kokum it can dramatically alter the look and feel of a product.
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