Emulsions Made By Bouncing Oil and Water Droplets

Here’s an interesting bit of research that might change the way cosmetic chemists make cosmetics and personal care products in the future. We know that surfactants plus heat & mixing are used for making oil and water emulsions, but in the future shaking might also be used.

Writing in the journal Chaos (yes there is such a thing), researchers did an experiment that showed how water and oil mix. It turned out that by bouncing an oil-coated water droplet, a tiny emulsion could be formed inside the water droplet. See the video for a demonstration of what the researchers did.

What is interesting about this is that it was silicone oil that was used. Silicone is sometimes difficult to formulate with because it is not compatible with most traditional cosmetic emulsifiers.

I’m not sure if this manufacturing trick will ever be used on a large scale for cosmetic manufacture, but it is an interesting approach. It could lead to a more efficient way to create cosmetics which uses less energy. It may even lead to lower concentrations of surfactants required which is beneficial because surfactants are often the most irritating components of a cosmetic formula.  It’s great to see this basic research advancement in cosmetic science.