Emulsifying wax
Encyclopedia
Emulsifying wax is a cosmetic
emulsifying
ingredient. The ingredient name is often followed by the initials NF, indicating that it conforms to the specifications of the National Formulary.
Emulsifying wax is created when a wax
material (either a vegetable wax of some kind or a petroleum-based wax) is treated with a detergent
(typically sodium dodecyl sulfate
or polysorbate
s) to cause it to make oil and water bind together into a smooth emulsion. It is a white waxy solid with a low fatty alcohol odor.
The ingredients for Emulsifying Wax NF are: Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, PEG-150 Stearate, and Steareth-20. It has the characteristics of cetyl alcohol combined with the viscosity building effect of stearyl alcohol as an effective thickener and helps form stable emulsions.
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
emulsifying
Emulsion
An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible . Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Although the terms colloid and emulsion are sometimes used interchangeably, emulsion is used when both the dispersed and the...
ingredient. The ingredient name is often followed by the initials NF, indicating that it conforms to the specifications of the National Formulary.
Emulsifying wax is created when a wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
material (either a vegetable wax of some kind or a petroleum-based wax) is treated with a detergent
Detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." In common usage, "detergent" refers to alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water...
(typically sodium dodecyl sulfate
Sodium dodecyl sulfate
Sodium dodecyl sulfate , sodium laurilsulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate is an organic compound with the formula CH311OSO3Na). It is an anionic surfactant used in many cleaning and hygiene products...
or polysorbate
Polysorbate
Polysorbates are a class of emulsifiers used in some pharmaceuticals and food preparation. They are often used in cosmetics to solubilize essential oils into water-based products. Polysorbates are oily liquids derived from PEG-ylated sorbitan esterified with fatty acids...
s) to cause it to make oil and water bind together into a smooth emulsion. It is a white waxy solid with a low fatty alcohol odor.
The ingredients for Emulsifying Wax NF are: Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, PEG-150 Stearate, and Steareth-20. It has the characteristics of cetyl alcohol combined with the viscosity building effect of stearyl alcohol as an effective thickener and helps form stable emulsions.
External links
- http://www.teachsoap.com/emulsifywax.html Emulsifying Wax (Teachsoap)
- http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/lipids.htm Lipids: Fats, Oils, Waxes (Claremont College)
- http://allnaturalbeauty.us/emulsions.htm "Emulsions": Composition of Emulsifying Wax (Allnaturalbeauty)