Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating General What beginner emulsifier requires the least amount of energy input?

  • What beginner emulsifier requires the least amount of energy input?

    Posted by Graillotion on April 14, 2023 at 4:50 am

    I try and help some folks that are at the very starting point of their cosmetic journey. Some of these folks don’t have much more than a kitchen whisk to work with. (Mainly I try and catch them early…and instill the importance of proper preservation…before they get too set in their ways.)

    I am very aware you can make a polymeric emulsion with a fork… but many of them are adverse to using emulsifiers they consider ‘unnatural’. 🙂

    So which emulsifiers that a beginner might have access to…. would you consider needing the least amount of shear…to create a reasonably stable emulsion.

    Thank You.

    Graillotion replied 1 year, 6 months ago 4 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • Abdullah

    Member
    April 14, 2023 at 5:03 am

    Those that when combined with fatty alcohol and GMS create LGN need less shear.

  • ketchito

    Member
    April 14, 2023 at 7:48 pm

    It’s all a matter of melting point. One of the reasons why you heat is to melt the emulsifier, structuring agents and hard fats, and one of the reasons why you mix is to increase interactions between molecules while preventing crystallization. If the melting point of your materials is low, you might not need to heat and won’t require extreme mixing. You can do that with many polymetic emulsifiers, and also with traditional liquid emulsifiers (polysorbates, CTC, etc). But in that case, you’d need other type of structuring agents like some partially hydrophillic polymer for the water phase or even some minerals.

  • MarkBroussard

    Member
    April 15, 2023 at 6:15 am

    There are some liquid crystal emulsifiers that do not require any shear at all. Heat them in the water phase, not the oil phase. The one most accessible to hobbyists is Olivem 1000 … Formulator Sample Shop & Lotioncrafter both carry it.

    Simply heat the Olivem 1000 in water with gentle stirring and let it cool down. You can make really nice oil-free emulsions with it.

    Won’t work for all formulas, but if all you got is a fork …

    • Graillotion

      Member
      April 15, 2023 at 3:38 pm

      ????????

      I’ve seen it all!

      Thank You….and YES…most of them have OM1000. ????

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