Emulsifiers Flashcards
What are the three main categories of emulsifiers
Carbohydrates (like psyllium and agar-agar)
Proteins(like gelatin or egg yolk)
Fats(nclude beeswax, deodorized hydrous lanolin, vegetable glycerin, and lecithin)
What are emulsifiers?
Emulisfiers are molecules that have a hydrophillic head and a hydrophobic tail. This allows oil and water to mix as the hydrophillic head binds with water molecules and the hydrophobic tail binds with the fat molecules, allowing for the fat molecules to remain suspended within the water.
Emulsifiers: Beeswax
Not a true emulsifier (unless mixed with borax)
Used as a thickener
Emulsifiers: What does Ewax consist out of?
a blend of fatty acids (e.g., cetearyl alcohol and glyceryl stearate) and detergents (e.g., polysorbate 60) that acts as an effective emulsifier and thickener.
Emulsifiers: What are 4 plant based waxes that can be used to replaced beeswax?
Candelilla and carnauba waxes: Candelilla and carnauba waxes are very hard waxes. Therefore, if a recipe calls for beeswax and you’d like to use candelilla or carnauba wax instead, use ½- to ¾ of the amount called for in the recipe. So if your recipe calls for 10 grams of beeswax, use 5-7 grams of candelilla wax (Berry, 2016). And work fast, since these waxes harden twice as fast as beeswax!
Sunflower wax: Sunflower wax is even harder than candelilla wax; use about ⅓ of the amount of beeswax called for in the recipe. If your recipe calls for 10 grams of beeswax, use 2-4 grams of sunflower wax (Berry, 2016).
Soy wax: Soy wax is similar to beeswax in thickness and hardening time. Therefore, equal amounts can be substituted for beeswax.
Emulsifiers: Lanolin
Like beeswax, lanolin is an animal byproduct. This thick, fatty oil is washed away from freshly shorn sheep’s wool and used as a binding agent in herbal preparations such as ointments and salves (Fenner, 1888). Lanolin comes from the skin and hair follicles of sheep and is easily absorbed into human skin, making it a great emulsifying agent for topical preparations that would otherwise occlude the pores of the skin (Fenner, 1888; Mills, 1991).
Emulsifiers: Lecithin
Lecithin brings a smoothing, lubricating quality to any cream or lotion. It is often soy-derived, and due to the high percentage of genetically modified soybeans grown today, it’s best to use lecithin made from organic and non-genetically modified soybeans.
Lecithin is an effective emulsifier, thickener, moisturizer, and stabilizer of oil- and water-containing preparations (Green, 2002). This is due to the high percentage of fatty compounds it contains, including triglycerides, phospholipids, and glycolipids (Draelos, 2018).
Emulsifiers: Glycerine
It can be derived from both animal fats and plant sources, such as coconut oil. The fats undergo a process that separates the fatty acids, leaving behind the glycerol, which, due to its chemical structure, is technically considered an alcohol (Bone, 2003).
There is some debate about glycerin. While some sources state that its alcohol classification makes glycerin a good preservative (Green, 2002; Mills, 1991), other sources call it a poor preservative, prone to causing bacteria and mold growth in long-standing preparations (Bone, 2003; Felter & Lloyd, 1905).
There’s also some conflicting information about whether or not glycerin is actually beneficial to the skin, with some sources calling it an irritant of the mucosa and skin (Bone, 2003), causing water to leave tissues and resulting in inflammation, dryness, and cracking (Felter & Lloyd, 1905). Other sources deem that in certain doses and diluted with water, “glycerin is a demulcent and emollient, lubricating, soothing, and protecting the skin and mucous membranes” (Green, 2002, p. 90).
Many store-bought lotions and creams include vegetable glycerin, and it’s also found on recipe lists for homemade skin products. Although glycerin can be included in skin care preparations, it should always be diluted with water or other liquids.
