[pccochran]

@ggpetrov - Thank you for the tip on PolyAquol-2W. I’m trying to incorporate magnesium sulfate into an emulsion, and it sounds like this might be exactly what I need. 

[pccochran]

Thank you, @Pharma. Your response is very helpful. 

[pccochran]

Thank you for all the excellent advice. I think a co-emulsifier is a logical next step. 

But here’s another mystery. In the last couple of days I made a batch of cream that included 7.5% magnesium sulfate and 7.5% taurine. The taurine seems to “protect” the emulsion and it is still very robust. I’ve noticed a similar effect with taurine emulsions that are subjected to high heat for multiple days — they don’t separate. Why would taurine have that kind of preservative effect? 

Taurine has some negative side effects in this particular case, but there’s no doubting its ability to strengthen an emulsion. 

[pccochran]

I can’t wait to hear about what you learn. 

[pccochran]

@ngarayeva001 was right on the money with isopropyl myristate. It’s great at removing stickiness and enhancing penetration. 

Also, make sure that you don’t accidentally make a w/o emulsion, which will naturally be very greasy. O/w is what you want. I used lecithin with my first emulsions, and I ended up with w/o creams that were very sticky and unpleasant. 

[pccochran]

What is the purpose of your “topical cream”? If you are trying to penetrate the skin with a transdermal product, then oils would actually help you do that.