If you’d like to learn a ton of stuff about making lotions and using these emulsifiers, please check out these e-zines and e-books…
- Lotion Making 101
- Formulating Lotions & Creams
- Beyond emulsifying wax, part one: Theories, write ups, and base formulas
- Beyond emulsifying wax, part two: Modifications and substitutions
- Beyond emulsifying wax, part three: More natural emulsifiers you will love
- Cold emulsifiers
- Green & plant based emulsifiers
Table of contents
Emulsion theory!
Making substitutions with emulsifiers
Non-ionic emulsifiers
Cationic or positively charged emulsifiers – can be used for lotions or conditioners
Anionic or negatively charged emulsifiers
Cold process emulsifiers (could be anionic, could be cationic)
Solubilizers, emulsifiers that help incorporate small amounts of oil into water based products, which tend to be water soluble
The hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) system
Emulsion theory!
Back to the basics: Defining our terms for lotions
A slightly more in-depth look at emulsification
Updated – Q&A: How do we determine how much emulsifier to use? (And the 25% rule for Polawax)
Liquid crystal emulsifiers (summary)
Liquid crystal emulsifiers? Way more in-depth (2022) – NEW!
Basic lotion making instructions
Shear (mixing with immersion or stick blenders)
Where to start duplicating Lush products?
The soaping effect (when lotions look white on your skin on application)
Making substitutions with emulsifiers
How do we make substitutions with our emulsifiers? Polawax
How do we make substitutions with our emulsifiers? E-wax
How do we make substitutions with our emulsifiers? Ritamulse SCG
How do we make substitutions with our emulsifiers? Incroquat BTMS-50
How do we make substitutions with our emulsifiers? Lotionpro 165
Non-ionic emulsifiers
CreamMaker® Green Coffee (AE Emulsipure Green Coffee): Coffee arabica seed oil, C12-18 alkyl glucoside, glyceryl stearate, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid – Found in Beyond Emulsifying Wax, part one.
Glyceryl stearate (not SE)
Heliosoft™ (INCI: Behenyl Alcohol (and) Glyceryl Behenate (and) Lecithin) – Found in Beyond emulsifying wax, part three: More natural emulsifiers you will love)
Kostol NatureMuls (INCI: Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate) – Found in Beyond emulsifying wax, part three: More natural emulsifiers you will love
Lotionpro™ 165 (INCI: Glyceryl Stearate (and) PEG 100 Stearate)
Montanov™ 202: Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside (C20) – Also found in Beyond emulsifying wax, part three: More natural emulsifiers you will love – NEW on the site!
Montanov™ 68 MB (INCI: Cetearyl alcohol (and) cetearyl glucoside)
Montanov™ L: C14-22 alcohols (and) C12-20 alkyl glucosides -Found in Beyond emulsifying wax, part three: More natural emulsifiers you will love
Natragem EW (INCI: Glyceryl Stearate (and) Polyglyceryl-6 Palmitate/Succinate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol)
Olivem 800 (INCI: Ceteareth-6 Olivate)
Olivem 900 (INCI: Sorbitan olivate)
Olivem 1000 (INCI: Cetearyl olivate (and) Sorbitan olivate)
Phytomulse emulsifiers – Almond, amaranth, chlorella, and coconut – NEW! September 2020
Simulgreen 18-2 (INCI: Hydroxystearyl Alcohol and Hydroxystearyl Glucoside)
Simulsol 165 (INCI: Glyceryl Stearate (and) PEG 100 Stearate)
Lush’s main emulsifier (stearic acid & triethanolamine)
Cationic or positively charged emulsifiers – can be used for lotions or conditioners
AminoSensyl™ HC (INCI: Brassica alcohol and Brassicyl Valinate Esylate)
AminoSensyl™ SC (INCI: Brassica alcohol (and) Brassica Valinate Esylate (and) Brassica Glycerides)
Incroquat BTMS-50 (INCI: Behentrimonium methosulfate (and) cetyl alcohol (and) butylene glycol) – UPDATED! Click here for more on using Incroquat BTMS-50 with hair care products as a conditioner.
Jeequat® NDCS (INCI: Cetyl alcohol, behentrimonium chloride, cocamidopropyl betaine, sorbitan laurate) – cold emulsifier, natural (aka, ICE Conditioner)
Jeesperse® ICE-T CIS-2 (INCI: PEG-150 distearate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol (and) polyquaternium 37)
Jeesperse® ICE-T CPCS (INCI: Cetearyl alcohol (and) behentrimonium chloride (and) polyquaternium 37) – cold emulsifier (aka ICE Hair Restore)
Rheosol CVH(E) (INCI: Polyquaternium 37 and Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate and PPG-1 Trideceth 6)
Rita BTMS-225 or Incroquat BTMS-25 (INCI: Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol)
Varisoft EQ 65 (INCI: Distearoylethyl dimonium chloride (and) cetearyl alcohol)
Anionic or negatively charged emulsifiers
Emulsion SG (INCI: Sodium stearoyl gluatamate) – Found in Beyond Emulsifying Wax, part one.
Glyceryl stearate SE (self-emulsifying version, ECOCERT)
Glyceryl stearate SE (self-emulsifying version, ECOCERT) – longer post
Jeesperse® CPW-CG-Crosspolymer-G-02 or ICE Silicone (INCI: Cetyl alcohol, sodium polyacrylate, polysorbate 80, glyceryl stearate, dimethicone/divinyldimethicone/silsesquioxane crosspolymer)
Jeesperse® CPW-S or ICE Sunflower (INCI: Sunflower wax (and) sodium polyacrylate)
Jeesperse® ICE-T-LB-T-NS (INCI: Cetyl Alcohol (and) Glyceryl Stearate (and) Glycol Stearate (and) Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (and) Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyl Dimethyl Taurate Copolymer)
Lanette N or Crodex A (INCI: Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Sodium Lauryl Sulfate)
Ritamulse SCG (INCI: Glyceryl stearate (and) cetearyl alcohol (and) sodium stearoyl lactylate)
ViscOptima SE (INCI: Sodium polyacrylate, ethylhexyl cocoate, PPG-3 benzyl ether myristate, polysorbate 20) – cold emulsifier
Cold process emulsifiers (could be anionic, could be cationic)
Aristoflex AVC (INCI Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer)
Emulthix or RM-2051 (INCI: Sodium Polyacrylate (and) Dimethicone (and) Cyclopentasiloxane (and) Trideceth-6 (and) PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone)
Jeequat® NDCS aka ICE Conditioner (INCI: Cetyl alcohol, behentrimonium chloride, cocamidopropyl betaine, sorbitan laurate)
Jeesperse® ICE-T CPCS aka ICE Hair Restore (INCI: Cetearyl alcohol (and) behentrimonium chloride (and) polyquaternium 37)
Jeesperse® CPW-CG-Crosspolymer-G-02 or ICE Silicone (INCI: Cetyl alcohol, sodium polyacrylate, polysorbate 80, glyceryl stearate, dimethicone/divinyldimethicone/silsesquioxane crosspolymer) – NEW!
Jeesperse® CPW-S or ICE Sunflower (INCI: Sunflower wax (and) sodium polyacrylate) – NEW!
Jeesperse ICE-T CIS-2 (INCI: PEG-150 distearate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol (and) polyquaternium 37)
Jeesperse® ICE-T-LB-T-NS ((INCI: Cetyl Alcohol (and) Glyceryl Stearate (and) Glycol Stearate (and) Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (and) Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyl Dimethyl Taurate Copolymer)
Lotioncrafter Serum SE (INCI: Dimethicone (and) Cyclopentasiloxane (and) Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer (and) Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Dimethicone Crosspolymer)
Sepigel 305 (INCI name: Polyacrylamide & C13-14 Isoparaffin & Laureth-7)
Sepiplus 400 (INCI: Polyacrylate 13 (and) Polyisobutene (and) Polysorbate 20)
Sucragel AOF (INCI: Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil (and) Glycerine (and) Aqua (and) Sucrose Laurate)
Sucragel AOF BIO (INCI: Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Sucrose Laurate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Water) Found in the e-book, Creating oily gels with Sucragel
Sucragel CF (INCI: Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Aqua, Sucrose Laurate) Found in the e-book, Creating oily gels with Sucragel
Sucragel XL (INCI: Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Aqua, Sucrose Laurate, Sucrose Stearate) Found in the e-book, Creating oily gels with Sucragel
ViscOptima SE (INCI: Sodium polyacrylate, ethylhexyl cocoate, PPG-3 benzyl ether myristate, polysorbate 20) – cold emulsifier
Natural Emulsifier 146 (INCI: Cyclodextrin, sorbitol, polyglyceryl-3 diisostearate) aka Beauté by Roquette® DS 146
Solubilizers, emulsifiers that help incorporate small amounts of oil into water based products, which tend to be water soluble
Solublilizers – some comparisons
Caprylyl/capryl glucoside (CCG) – ECOCERT
PEG-6 caprylic/capric triglycerides
PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil
- My testing methods with PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil and fragrance or essential oils
- PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil – the results for Black Amber Lavender and Clementine Cupcake
- PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil – Yuzu fragrance oil and peppermint essential oil
Poly Suga Mulse D9 (INCI: Sorbitan oleate (and) decylglucoside crosspolymer) – NEW, ECOCERT
The hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) system
Click here first to see LabRat’s amazing PDF on this topic!
HLB system – introduction to the series
Let’s get slightly more complicated
How do we know the correct HLB value for oils and butters?