Emulsifiers

Emulsifiers

Emulsifiers are used to bind water and oil together.

Most skincare products are made from water and a combination of oils.

If no emulsifier was used, you would have to shake the product before each use, like a salad dressing.

There are different types of emulsifiers:

O/W emulsifiers
This means oil into water emulsifiers. They are used when there is more water than oil in a formulation. They are the most common.

W/O emulsifiers
This means water into oil emulsifiers. They are used when there is more oil than water in a formulation.

Another type of emulsifier is used to blend small volumes of oil into water. They are often called solubilisers.