These O/W emulsions tend to be more liquid, such as milk or a skin cleansing lotion. A water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion is where ultra-fine droplets of water are dispersed throughout the fatty base ingredients. They can be oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsifiers, or they can be hot processed or cold processed ( want to learn more about the science of emulsification? Check out our Advanced Diploma in Organic Cosmetic Science)Īn oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion is where fine droplets of oil are dispersed through an aqueous base. What is an emulsion?Īn emulsion is a blend of water and oil, which are brought together by the use of an emulsifier – creating a homogenous blend. There are many emulsifiers on the market that may be used by natural skincare formulators. Some formulators find this type of cream heavy and too rich for their liking, but this depends entirely on what type of product you are making, who you are formulating for and, of course, which ingredients you use. You may already be familiar with Olivem 1000, an easy-to-use emulsifier that creates pleasant oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. Olivem 900 is instead used to create water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions. In this latest blog post we introduce Olivem 900, part of the Olivem series. So far we have covered Vegetal or Montanov 68 which is much loved emulsifier by both novice and experience formulators. Overall, the concentration of surfactant has a complex impact on emulsion stability, with both positive and negative effects depending on the specific system and conditions.Over the coming months, Formula Botanica is publishing an emulsification series. Additionally, the optimum concentration of surfactant is important for achieving the lowest contact angles, reducing oil-water interfacial tension, and maximizing foam stability in emulsion systems. Surfactants also form interfacial layers around emulsion droplets, which can significantly alter chemical reactivity and affect the oxidative stability of the emulsion. However, there is a maximum stability point, beyond which increasing surfactant concentration can actually destabilize the emulsion. Higher surfactant concentrations can lead to the formation of smaller droplets, resulting in restricted diffusion near the droplet boundaries and structuring effects at the boundaries, which can slow down water diffusion and contribute to the stability of the emulsion. Which is the role of Concentration of surfactant and how affect in emulsion's stability? 5 answers The concentration of surfactant plays a crucial role in the stability of emulsions. Therefore, the influence of temperature on emulsion stability depends on the specific emulsion system and its components. On the other hand, in Pickering emulsions stabilized by konjac glucomannan (KGM), an increase in temperature did not significantly affect the stability of the emulsion when KGM concentration and oil content were optimized. For example, in the case of biodiesel/diesel blend nanoemulsions, an increase in temperature up to 50 ☌ was found to have a moderate effect on the mean droplet size, especially when the concentration of biodiesel in the emulsified fuel blend is less than 15 vol %. However, the effect of temperature on emulsion stability can vary depending on the specific emulsion system. Heating emulsions can cause the coalescence of dispersed globules, resulting in a decrease in stability. Elevated temperatures can act as an artificial breakdown stress, accelerating the normal mechanism of emulsion breakdown and leading to decreased stability. How temperature influence stability of emulsion? 4 answers The stability of emulsions is influenced by temperature. Therefore, the choice of emulsifier and the solid fat content can have an impact on the physical stability of oil-in-water emulsions. Additionally, the presence of water and temperature were found to affect the stability of crude oil emulsions, with higher water content and temperature leading to less stable emulsions. The physical properties of the oil, such as density and solubility parameter, also played a role in the stability of emulsions. Another study showed that the stability of emulsions depended on the type of emulsifier used, with a domestic emulsifier based on resin from waste processing of sunflower seeds competing with a foreign emulsifier.

In one study, it was found that a demulsifier containing a non-ionic surfactant performed better than another type of demulsifier in breaking emulsions.

The choice of emulsifier is important as it can impact the stability of the emulsion. Different emulsifiers and solid fat content can affect the physical stability of oil-in-water emulsions.

Emulsifier water in oil emulsion