Lotion Oil Emulsifier Requirements
- Lotions require emulsifiers to keep them from separating.lotion de bain image by Tilio & Paolo from Fotolia.com
Lotions are essentially water, oil, an emulsifier, a thickener, and a preservative. The water and oil component can either be water dispersed into oil (w/o) or oil dispensed into water (o/w). Making a w/o lotion requires an emulsifier with a low hydrophilic lipophyllic balance, while an o/w lotion requires higher HLB emulsifiers. Thickening agents make a lotion spreadable with a desired texture. Equally important are preservatives to keep oils from going rancid and keep water from attracting microbes. - Emulsifying wax is common and easy to use. It binds water and oils together by attracting oil molecules while also absorbing water molecules. An added bonus is this emulsifier will also serve as a thickener. It should constitute between 3 and 6 percent of the total weight of the lotion recipe.
- Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol derived from natural oils and fats. Used in recipes between 1 and 25 percent of the total weight, this product will thicken and stabilize a thicker, waxier lotion. It is good for lotions meant to treat dry or scaly skin. The more used, the closer the recipe will resemble a cream.
- Glyceryl stearate acts as an emulsifier as well as a stabilizer for other emulsions. As such, makers typically use it with other emulsions. It should constitute a small percentage of a recipe's total weight, between 0.1 and 3 percent.
- It is best to use polysorbate 20 as an oil-in-water emulsifier. It should be in a 1-to-1 or 1-to-2 ratio with fragrant or essential oil added to water. This type of lotion would best be used as a body mist or room spray.
- Ceteareth 20 is another ingredient that works best in an oil-in-water recipe. When used in combination with another emulsifier such as glyceryl stearate, ceteareth 20 provides a stable emulsion. Between 2 and 6 percent of a product's weight can consist of this ingredient to thicken the solution.
