Comparing Emulsifiers

I think it goes without saying, there are a lot of emulsifiers out there. It can be very over whelming choosing which one you want to use. I'm making this post today in hopes to make that decision a little easier. (there are a lot more emulsifiers other than the ones I'm comparing today)

What is an emulsifier?

"Emulsifiers contain both a water-loving head group and an oil-loving tail. When added to an o/w emulsion, the emulsifier surrounds the oil droplet with it’s oil-loving tail extending into the oil, and it’s water-loving head facing the water. (In a w/o emulsion, the emulsifier’s orientation is reversed.) In this way, emulsifiers lower the interfacial tension between the oil and water phases, and form a protective layer around the oil phase keeping the oil droplets evenly dispersed and preventing them from flocculating." Info source

Before we start comparing the emulsifiers, lets go over a few things you need to keep in mind when choosing the right emulsifier.

Personal preference - I think it is important to get your own personal opinion on these emulsifiers. Just because an emulsifiers feels great and works well on someone else's skin, it doesn't mean you are going to like it. Narrow down the emulsifiers that you think sound best, purchase the smallest amounts possible of said emulsifiers, and try them out yourself.

PH - some emulsifiers don't work in all ph levels. For example; If you are making a glycolic acid cream which has a ph of around 3.5-4 not every emulsifier will work. Make sure you are aware of the ph your emulsifiers are active in before formulating with them.

Charge - For the most part, a lot of emulsifiers are nonionic, but some aren't. Remember, cationic and anionic surfactants can't be used together Cationic surfactants have a positive charge and anionic has a negative charge. There are some exceptions to this rule (which I should discuss in another blog) but when it comes to emulsifiers, you can't use a cationic emulsifier with anionic surfactants.

Ecocert - Are you trying to stick with Ecocert emulsifiers? Don't worry, I got a few for you. Not all of the emulsifiers I am going to mention will be ecocert, so you won't have as many choices.

Type of product - What product are you making? A serum, lotion, cream, hair conditioner, etc. Just because one emulsifier works great in a hair conditioner, it doesn't mean you can swap it out for a different emulsifier and have the same results. Some emulsifiers just bring different things to the table.

Simplicity - What I mean by this, is that some emulsifiers do well on their own, but some perform and feel better when combined with a co-emulsifier. Some emulsifiers work best and are suggested to be combined with a fatty alcohol, fatty acid, or stabilizer. Cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, behenyl alcohol, xanthan gum, etc. So if you are wanting to go with simplicity you want to look for an "all in one emulsifier."

5 emulsifiers we will be comparing.

Now let's go over the descriptions of these 5 emulsifiers (I pulled these descriptions from lotion crafter & FSS) These are not my personal descriptions. I'll go over my personal opinions at the end.

Emulsifying Wax NF - INCI Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Polysorbate 60 or Emulsifying Wax NF. This emulsifier is nonionic. It is mild, provides excellent stability, and is very easy to use. It can be used to make thick or thin emulsions, depending upon the concentration used. Can be used in formulations with a PH as low as 3 or as high as 13. Recommended Use Rate: 2-25%, usually 3-5% for lotions and 5-10% for creams. Approximate HLB: 14.9

Ritamulse SCG - (Also goes by ecomule & emulsimulse) INCI Glyceryl Stearate & Cetearyl Alcohol & Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate. Provides conditioning to both hair & skin. Does not require aid of other emulsifiers or stabilizers. Will provide a soft, conditioned, talc-like feel to skin. Because it's based on anionic lactylates, it does not conform to HLB systems for nonionic surfactants & no HLB number has been determined. Ideal pH range of 5-7.5 Recommended Use Rate: 2-10%, usually 4% serums, 5% lotions, 8% creams. (Personally I think 5% is to low for creams. I would recommend at least 6% or 7% for creams) I also seen someone mention that you can use it at 3% for milks and use .3% xanthan gum to ensure stability. Haven't tried it, but I definitely want to now. (Ecocert)

BTMS 50 - INCI: Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetyl Alcohol (and) Butylene Glycol. It's a conditioning agent & cationic emulsifier for skin & hair. Creams tend to resist wash off, leaving a soft, powdery feel on skin & imparting excellent detangling properties to hair conditioners. In conditioners it offers improved wet combing & leaves hair with noticeable body & spring. Is suitable for leave in conditioners & can be used as a co-emulsifier with Emulsifying Wax NF or Polawax, adding it's conditioning properties to emulsions. Recommended Use Rate: 1-10%

Montanov 68MB - INCI: Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Cetearyl Glucoside. Nonionic emulsifier. May help actives or lipids from lotion penetrate our skin easier. Reduces transepidermal water loss as the lotions hold more water in contact with skin for longer. Including a fatty alcohol like Cetyl or Cetearyl Alcohol can help increase the liquid crystal formation in the lotion. Does best with a 25% oil phase. Works in PH levels 3-12, so it is a good choice for products containing AHA's or BHA's. Described as being lighter and more moisturizing than those made with non liquid crystal emulsifiers like emulsifying wax NF or Polawax. HLB:10 Recommended Use Rate: 1-5% (Ecocert)

Olivem 1,000 - INCI: Cetearyl Olivate (and) Sorbitan Olivate. Nonionic emulsifier. Can be used in PH levels 3-12. Is hypoallergenic and provides creams with excellent spreadability with no soapy effect. Stability is improved with the addition of a water phase thickener like xanthan gum at .2% and consider the use of a co-emulsifier at 1 - 2% to further improve stability. Fatty alcohols can also be used for thickening if needed. HLB: 9 Even though an HLB value has been provided by manufacturer Olivem 1,000 chemistry does not really work based on the HLB system. Its emulsification mechanism is based on liquid crystal formation and therefore the HLB value is not so critical for this emulsifier. Recommended Use Rate: 3-4% for serums and low viscosity lotions. 7-8% for high viscosity lotions and creams. (Ecocert)

Comparing emulsifiers;

Formulation I used for each emulsifier. I kept the formula very simple so I can get a really good impression of how the emulsifier feels solely on its own.

• 5% emulsifier

• 15% almond oil

• .5% liquid germall plus

• 79.5% distilled water

Before I began testing the emulsifiers I let them sit for 24 hours to fully emulsify. Once I had all the lotions made I began by comparing only two emulsifiers to one another. I massaged one moisturizer into my left hand and massaged the other emulsifier into my right hand. I only compared two at a time because I only have two hands and I wanted to compare the emulsifiers on the same part of my body. Once I massaged each lotion into my hand I didn't just turn around and wash them off. I kept them on my hands for as long as possible. I probably waited about 6 hours in between each group of emulsifiers. I only compared 4 emulsifiers on the first day then I waited till the next day to compare 4 more and so on.

Day 1 (comparison 1): I began my experiment by comparing Montanov 68 MB to Olivem 1,000. The first thing I noticed is that Montanov was thicker than Olivem 1,000. It also felt like Montanov had just a little bit more of a drag compared to Olivem 1,000. Montanov lasted much longer on my skin and I would say they made my hands equally as soft. Even though Olivem 1,000 is described as not having a soapy effect I have heard from so many people that it does. & I would agree. I see what everybody means by it having a soapy effect, but once it's rubbed in, that doesn't effect you anymore. Now I may feel differently about it if I were to use it on my face, but for now, I'm just comparing them on my hands. I am going to say Montanov 68 MB won this round because it lasts longer on my skin and if I were to sell a product using Olivem 1,000 customers may complain about the soapy effect. Even if it doesn't bother me, it may bother someone else.

Day 1 (comparison 2): Later that day after I showered and I knew neither of the remaining lotions could possible be left on my skin, I decided to compare two of the other emulsifiers. This time I compared Ritamulse SCG & Emulsifying Wax NF. First thing I noticed is that the Ritamulse SCG was much thinner than the Emulsifying Wax NF. I also noticed the Ritamulse SCG had much more of a drag compared to the Emulsifying Wax NF. The Emulsifying wax NF feels softer and more velvety compared to Ritamulse SCG. Emulsifying Wax NF won this round by a long shot!

Day 2 (comparison 1): I decided to take both of the winning competitors from day 1 and compare them. Montanov 68 MB vs Emulsifying Wax NF. Overall they felt very similar if not almost identical. I couldn't really tell them apart. The only thing I noticed different from one another is that emulsifying wax NF was thicker. At times I would think Montanov was softer, but then I would all of a sudden think the emulsifying wax nf was softer. I couldn't make up my mind. The only downfall montanov has compared to emulsifying wax nf is that it takes a little longer to absorb into the skin and creates a slight soaping effect, but nothing that adding a little cetyl alcohol can't fix. Which a fatty alcohol like cetyl alcohol is recommended to be paired with montanov anyways. If I had to pick a winner just by going off this test, it would be emulsifying wax, but I really find them to be very similar.

Day 2 (comparison 2): Later I decided to compare Olivem 1,000 to BTMS 50. Olivem was much thinner than BTMS 50. They both felt soft and velvety, but I think the BTMS had a bit more of a drag and the olivem felt a little softer. I was a little surprised by this so I even had my boyfriend try and he said the same thing. Of course the olivem took longer to absorb compared to the BTMS and the olivem did have a soaping effect, but if I am going off by how they felt rather than how they absorbed, then I guess Olivem 1,000 won this round.

Day 3 (comparison 1): Emulsifying Wax NF vs BTMS 50. I would say their viscosities were very similar. These both massaged into skin just as easy as one another. The first thing I noticed after both of these moisturizers were rubbed into my skin, the emulsifying wax felt softer and had less of a drag. While the BTMS 50 felt soft too, but not quite as soft compared to the emulsifying wax. I also noticed the BTMS 50 had more of a drag, but only slightly. So Emulsifying wax won this time.

Day 3 (comparison 2): Montanov 68 MB vs BTMS 50. Montanov was a little thinner compared to BTMS 50. The montanov took a little longer to absorb compared to BTMS 50, but I do think the montanov felt softer and had less of a drag compared to the BTMS. It was a very similar experience to the emulsifying wax vs BTMS only the montanov took a little longer to absorb compared to the emulsifying wax. So I would say Montanov won this round.

Personal Opinions about each Emulsifier;

Emulsifying Wax NF - I feel like this is the most popular emulsifier used in the Formulating community. I see and hear about it everywhere. This was the very first emulsifier I ever worked with, so I have a little personal attachment to it I guess. It's always been my go to emulsifier, but as I am exploring more into the emulsifier world I do see why it is so popular, but I also see there are so many other great alternatives that work just as well. What I do like about this emulsifier is that it never fails me. It thickens wonderfully, feels great, can be used in a wide range of ph levels and when paired with cetyl alcohol it gets even better. Overall, if you are looking for an emulsifier that can be used in a wide range of different products, I would recommend this emulsifier. I also think it is perfect for beginners because its just so easy to work with. Which is just what beginners are looking for. Now I'm not sure about using it on it's own, since I've never tried it (other than in this experiment) So I don't know how stable it is on it's own, but I always pair it with cetyl alcohol.

Ritamulse SCG - I have mixed feelings about this one. I wanted this emulsifier to be better than emulsifying wax nf so badly, but sadly it just isn't as good. I don't think it feels as nice on the skin and it creates pretty thin emulsions compared to all these other emulsifiers (except Olivem 1,000). Personally this wouldn't be my first pick to use as an emulsifier in a lotion or cream, but I do love using it in emulsified body scrubs. Actually I would go as far to say it is my number 1 emulsifier for emulsified body scrubs (never tried olivem 1,000 in an emulsified body scrub though) I think it would probably do well in a serum too. (I like to keep my serums water based so I've never tried it, but maybe I should, cause I think it would work nicely since it creates such thin emulsions.) I've never dealt with emulsions failing using this emulsifier, but I did recently have a subscriber tell me they did. So maybe I've just gotten lucky using this emulsifier. It is suppose to be an all in one emulsifier, it doesn't need paired with a stabilizer or co emulsifier, so I found it odd that she dealt with it failing. If you do experience failed emulsions using this emulsifier try adding .2% xanthan gum into the water phase or add in a fatty alcohol like cetyl alcohol. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this emulsifier to beginners, unless they are making an emulsified body scrub or serum. But if you have more experience under your belt and you want an ecocert emulsifier, try it out and do some experiments. I'm sure you can find the right combination of ingredients to make it fell better on the skin. Keep in mind, it's just my opinion that I don't like how it feels on my skin, compared to other emulsifiers, so you may feel differently.

BTMS 50 - This was the second emulsifier I ever tried, and at first, I was in love with it! I used it in all my moisturizers, but then I noticed it wasn't reacting well on my face. I was getting a few little red bumps on my face. This was about 2 years ago, so I can't quite remember what reaction I had on my face. I know it wasn't to dramatic, but I haven't made a facial product using BTMS 50 since then. Maybe I should try it again and see what happens. I do, on the other hand, LOVE using this in hair conditioners! I've also used it in some spray on moisturizers and leave in conditioners and loved it too. My body isn't quite as sensitive as my face, so I can use this emulsifier in body lotions, just not face lotions. Overall, I highly recommend this emulsifier. I know buying skincare ingredients can get expensive. So if you are new to formulating, this is a great emulsifier to get since you can create a wide range of products using this stuff, from hair care to body care. The only downfall is if you are looking for an ecocoert emulsifier, this just ain't it. Keep in mind, this emulsifier is cationic so you can't pair it with anionic surfactants.

Montanov 68MB - I only just recently purchased this emulsifier, but I do love it! It seems to perform just as well as emulsifying wax nf and has the same effect. Now I've only tried it in about 3 formulations, so I don't want to jump the gun. I can't fully say how stable it is, but so far, its doing well. I do always pair it with cetyl alcohol because cetyl alcohol is like my best friend, my skin loves it. It is also recommended to be paired with a fatty alcohol anyways, so it isn't recommend to be used on it's own. Another reason I really like this emulsifier is that it supposably helps actives or lipids from lotion penetrate our skin easier. So it's now my go to emulsifier for lotions containing active ingredients like retinol, AHA, or any other expensive ingredients with lovely benefits.

Olivem 1,000 - Unfortunately, I don't really have much to say about this one. I've only ever used it for this experiment. I just recently purchased it. I am actually very surprised at how well it performed though, I liked the way it felt on my skin. I feel like a lot of people hate on this emulsifier because of it's soapy effect, but it doesn't bother me. Again, never tried it on my face, so I may think differently once I do. Okay, this is going to be hard to explain, so bare with me. You know how we all have lines on our skin. Those little lines you can't really see unless you look closely. What I noticed when I rubbed this moisturizer into my skin, is that it seeped into those lines and really accentuated the lines on my skin. Obviously this was caused because of the soapiness, but I just thought it was something I should mention cause when people refer to "soapy effect" they mean the lotion turns white when you begin rubbing it into your skin. I just thought this was interesting and wanted to share it. Overall the only other opinion I have on Olivem 1,000 is that it creates much thinner emulsions compared to the other emulsifiers. I do think it's a good one to try out if you are looking for an ecocert emulsifier. I really do need to experiment with it more to get a better opinion of it. I do think it felt better on my skin compared to ritamulse scg. So I might actually like it more than ritamulse scg once I actually use it in a formulation.

What are your thoughts on these emulsifiers?

What are your go to emulsifiers for lotions?

Fun fact: You know why some lotions have a soapy effect? It's nothing bad, it's just the lotion re emulsifying on the skin with your skins natural oils. I found this explanation on ChemistCorner. It's just his theory, but it makes sense. "First, the emulsion mixes with everything else on the skin - water, salt, sebum, etc. Next, as you continue rubbing, two things are happening: 1) The water in the emulsion starts to evaporate, and some part of it is also taken up by the skin. 2) A great deal of shear force/stress is being applied to the emulsion -more than enough to re-emulsify the product. That's what I think is happening - as the water level in the emulsion drops, the emulsion turns from an O/W emulsion to a W/O emulsion, and only then to an emollient film, as the water level drops further." I found this to make a lot of sense. Why do you think some emulsions create a soapy effect? If you are dealing with a soapy effect it can be eliminated with the use of silicones like dimethicone or "natural" silicone replacements like natrasil or Neossance Hemisqualane. You can also eliminate the soapy effect with the addition of cetyl alcohol. How have you fixed soapy effects in your emulsions?

UPDATE; When I first wrote this blog I had only experimented with Montanov 68 MB a couple times. So I had yet to form much of an opinion. Well I’ve had a little more time to experiment with it and I have found that it’s not very stable. About half the emulsions I have made with it have failed after sitting for about a week, but the other half has stayed stable. The only difference between the ones that stayed stable and the ones that didn't is that the ones that stayed stable all contain an oil phase of 10% fractionated coconut oil, 9.5% natrasil, and 5% shea butter. The ones I formulated with a different oil phase have failed. All of the emulsions I made had the same percentage of Montanov 68 MB and cetyl alcohol. So the reason the emulsion didn’t stay stable could be because of the HLB values. Now I’ll admit, I don’t know much about the HLB system because I don’t really need to. All of the emulsifiers I mentioned in this post, besides Emulsifying wax NF & Montanov 68 MB don’t even comply with the HLB system. So if you are using an all in one emulsifier like emulsifying wax nf or an “ecocert/natural” emulsifier like Ritamulse SCG or Olivem 1,000 or even a cationic emulsifier like BTMS 50 you don’t need or can’t even use the HLB system. So I’ll have to do more research and testing with Montanov 68 MB to get it stable. I plan on testing it with a stabilizer, which I’m guessing should work. I thought that montanov 68 MB was an all in one emulsifiers, but I guess not. Anyways, when I figure out have to properly stabilize emulsions with montanov 68 MB I will be sure to share my tips :)

Read lots more about Emulsions & Stability HERE

I think this is more than enough information for one post. I hope you enjoyed. Let me know if you would like a post on co emulsifiers and stabilizers.

Since I only compared the emulsifiers on my hands I am going to take a wild guess and assume things would feel differently if I were to try them on my face. My face is far more picky than my body. I didn't want to test them on my face because currently, my face has been feeling extra dry and sensitive. My face ALWAYS freaks out during this time of year. Does anyone else's face freak out once winter hits?

Comparing Emulsifiers.pdf

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y6IK08Ob94