Cosmetic products such as creams, make-up or any other beauty products are generally emulsions, composed of an aqueous phase (i.e. water and water-soluble components), a lipidic phase (i.e. oil or/and fat and fat-soluble components) and an emulsifier to "hold" the mixture. Indeed, without emulsifiers, your creams would look like nothing less than your two-phase make-up remover, due to the annoying tendency of the aqueous and lipidic phases to separate (like oil and vinegar in a vinaigrette). Emulsifiers are then essential to make these mixtures stable. Among the emulsifiers found on the market, some are in the form of wax, they are called emulsifying waxes.
An emulsion is a mixture between two immiscible phases, i.e., that do not mix naturally, such as water and oil. During an emulsion, these two phases will form a macroscopically homogeneous mixture, i.e., to the naked eye, the mixture will appear perfectly homogeneous, through a mechanical action or active ingredients. In the end, one of the two starting phases will be dispersed as droplets in the other phase. One can thus have two types of emulsion:
The problem is that the mixture is unstable, which means that if we let it rest quietly, we will be able to observe, after a certain time, the re-separation of these two phases. The reasons for this are simple, they are attraction and density. Water droplets tend to attract each other, the same is true for oil, which will promote the separation of the two phases. The second important reason is the difference in density between water and oil. Water has a density of 1 (i.e. 1 liter of water weighs 1 kg). It is heavier than oil, which has a density of about 0.9 (i.e. 1 liter of oil weighs about 900 g). When you mix the two, the result is that the water "sinks", while the oil "floats"! Thus, the water will be found at the bottom and the oil on top of the water.
An emulsifier is an amphiphilic and bipolar molecule, that is to say that it will be composed of a hydrophilic part, meaning "which likes water", this part is polar (it has two distinct poles with opposite charges) and a hydrophobic part, which on the contrary means "which does not like water" because this part is apolar (it has a symmetrical distribution of charges and thus does not have a "dominant" pole). The hydrophilic part will then be turned towards the aqueous phase whereas the hydrophobic part will prefer the lipidic phase. As a result, the emulsifier will come to stand at the boundary between water and oil, it is said to be at the water-oil interface. In the emulsion, the emulsifier is found at the interface of the droplets, to allow them to gain stability. By placing itself at the interface, the attraction of droplets of the same phase no longer exists. They will no longer try to come together. In addition, some emulsifiers can carry charged groups, causing repulsion between droplets of the same phase, and promoting better product stability.
Emulsifying waxes and waxes are not obtained in the same way. Waxes are usually extracted directly from plants or animals. Let's take beeswax and carnauba wax as examples. Beeswax is obtained by recovering (and sometimes purifying in the case of white beeswax) the wax from the waxy cells containing the honey in the hive. To do this, the beekeeper removes the wax plugs and extracts the honey. Then he heats the cells in water to extract the wax and separate it from other impurities and residual honey. The carnauba wax covers the leaves of a palm tree native to Brazil: the Copernicia cerifera. Its wax is extracted by beating the leaves. It is then refined and sometimes undergoes bleaching. A wax is a thickener that will give texture to the preparation. It is also a film-forming agent that will protect the skin, forming a hydrolipidic film that limits water loss, and it softens and smoothes the skin with its emollient property. Waxes are sometimes considered emulsifiers because some of them can have a slight emulsifying effect, or rather emulsion stabilizer like beeswax, but this is clearly not their major action.
The emulsifying waxes are first and foremost waxes, so they have all the associated properties. The term "emulsifying" refers to their ability to emulsify a water/oil mixture. They are made from derivatives of plant extracts primarily. Let's take Olivem 1000 emulsifying wax as an example. It is composed of two ingredients:
The emulsifying waxes are then perfect allies to emulsify the cosmetic preparations, in order to improve their behaviour.
Small precision: A self-emulsifying wax is an emulsifying wax that is easy to use because it does not require the use of a co-emulsifier (emulsifier used with other emulsifiers).
The HLB is an indicator ranging from 0 to 20, to quantify the balance between the hydrophilic part and the hydrophobic part of an amphiphilic molecule, related to its solubility in water. In fact, the lower the HLB value, the more the emulsifier will be hydrophobic (which does not like water), or in other words lipophilic (soluble in oil). In this case, your preparation will be thick and rich. On the contrary, the higher the HLB value, the more hydrophilic (water loving) the emulsifier will be, and the preparation will be more fluid.
To choose your emulsifier, you need to think about several things:
Emulsifying: emulsifying waxes will allow the formation of stable emulsions.
Thickening: being present in the form of wax, emulsifying waxes will have the same properties as waxes and in particular the thickening property which allows to give a certain texture to the mixture.Emollient: they soften and smooth the skin.
Protective: emulsifying waxes leave a hydrolipidic film on the skin. This film helps protect the skin from drying out by limiting water evaporation and protects it from external aggressions.
Emulsifying waxes are used in creams, milks, sunscreens, make-up (foundation, mascara, etc.), conditioners, shampoos, hair masks and deodorants.
Melt the emulsifying wax into the lipid phase at its melting point.
In parallel, mix the constituents of the aqueous phase and heat it to the same temperature as the lipid phase.
Gently add the lipid phase to the aqueous phase while homogenizing.
Homogenize the mixture for a few minutes and then let it cool.
- Moisturizer: Olive oil is an oil that has a great compatibility with the skin. Olivem 1000 comes from olive oil, so it is interesting to use it in cosmetic products. Moreover, its composition is very close to that of human sebum, which allows it to maintain the hydration of the skin.
- Rapid penetration
- Protective: reduces water loss by forming a hydrolipidic film
- milks and lotions: 2-3%
- fluid to thick creams: 4-8
Applications: milks, lotions, creams, hair care (mask)
- Foam synergist: enables foam formation and improves texture, volume and stability
- Viscosity control agent
- milks and fluid creams: 1-2%
- creams, masks, thick balms: 3-10
Applications: lotions, milks, creams, ointments, sticks, balms, masks, hair care, makeup, mousses
- Lubricating: lubricates the skin and leaves it soft and smooth
- Hydrating
- Penetrating
Applications: milks, lotions, creams, butters, hair care (masks, conditioners, shampoos), makeup bases, makeup (foundation, mascara, eye shadow, eyeliner), gels
- Moisturizing
- Excellent skin compatibility
- Excellent compatibility with charged active ingredients and makeup pigments
- milks and sprays: 1-4%
Applications: sprays, milks, light creams, balms, masks, hair care, makeup (fluid foundations)
- Long-lasting moisturizer
- milks and lotions: 3-5%
- creams: 5-10%
- balms: 10-15
Applications: milks, lotions, creams, balms, deodorants, cleansers, sun care
- Foam synergist: enables foam formation and improves texture, volume and stability
- Viscosity control agent
- milks and fluid creams: 1-2%
- creams, masks, thick balms: 3-10
Applications: lotions, milks, creams, ointments, sticks, balms, masks, hair care, makeup, mousses
- Protective: leaves a protective film on the skin
- Occlusive: forms an impermeable film on the skin
- Emulsion stabilizer: has a positive effect on emulsion stabilization
- creams: 2-5%
- balm: 5-15
Applications: creams, balms, lip balms, deodorant, gloss, soaps, candles
- Protective: leaves a protective film on the skin
- Adhesion agent: promotes the hold of mascara and eyeliner type makeup
- Emulsion stabilizer: has a positive effect on emulsion stabilization
- Nutrient rich
If you want to substitute it for beeswax, you need to use half as much.
Applications:creams, balms, lip balms, lipsticks, mascaras, eyeliners, lip glosses, compact powders, makeup pencils, deodorant, lip glosses, soaps, candles, sun care, shower care.
Candelilla wax is perfect for lipsticks because it gives hold, shine and good adhesion to the skin. In addition, it facilitates the demolding of the sticks and increases the softening point.
- Protective: leaves a strong protective film on the skin making it ideal for sensitive skin
- Depilatory agent: this wax can be used in depilatory waxes
- Emollient: softens and smoothes the skin
- creams: 2-5%
- balm: 5-10%.
Applications: creams, balms, lip balms, lipsticks, eyeliner, mascaras, eye shadow, foundation, polish, depilatory waxes.
It can be used as a co-emulsifier with an emulsifying wax or beeswax to strengthen the hold of a cream.
- Protective: leaves a protective film on the skin
- Occlusive agent: forms an impermeable film on the skin
- Gelling: this wax allows the creation of gels
- Hair conditioner: provides substance, shine, gives volume to the hair and leaves it easy to style, supple and soft
- creams: 2-5%
- balms: 5-15%
Applications: creams, lotions, balms, lip balms, lipsticks, mascaras, eyeliner, sun care, hair care (styling wax for bard and hair).
- Protective: leaves an important protective film on the skin
- Nourishing and hydrating
- creams: 2-5%.
Applications: Massage candles (does not burn because its melting point is low), balms, creams
- Protective: leaves a protective film on the skin (equivalent to carnauba wax)
- Occlusive: forms an impermeable film on the skin
- Emollient: softens and smoothes the skin
- creams: 2-5%
- balms: 5-10%
Applications: creams, balms, lip balms, lipsticks, glosses