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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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2 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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