Emollients are commonly used ingredients in cosmetic products to help make your skin soft and smooth. They are usually lipids (fats), oils, silicones, or chemical additives. They’re key in the formulator’s ingredient selection process and can bring additional appreciable care benefits. It is not easy for formulators to choose the right emollients according to the many expectations of the product brief.
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What is an emollient?
Emollients are refatting agents added to a cosmetic formulation to provide the skin with the lipids it needs. They increase the moisture content of the skin by reducing evaporation, providing it with a soft, smooth and non-greasy feel. That’s why they are often contributors to moisturization. Emollients are a class of ingredients with a wide variety of molecular structures: from vegetal oils and butters, through mineral oils, to fatty acids or glycols.
During desquamation, the skin might appear flaky and rough as the dead skin cells leave the surface of the epidermis. Emollients fill in the empty space between these desquamating cells, as well as help to flatten curled edges of cells. This creates a smoother, softer surface that allows for more light refraction, therefore making the skin also appear brighter. This effect is only temporary and stops once the emollient is cleansed away.
When choosing emollients, formulators are sensitive to different criteria such as performance, skin feel, color and odor, origin of the ingredient, compatibility and cost.
How to improve skin comfort?
Skin comfort is one of the biggest market demands as an increasing number of consumers declare to have sensitive skin: it has now become a worldwide concern.
EMOGREEN™ L19 is a readily biodegradable, 100% plant-based and non-polar emollient well known for its outstanding sensory properties close to volatile silicone oils. EMOGREEN™ L19 addresses very dry and sensitive skin needs by two different actions: on the skin, it improves the aspect, renews the sensation of comfort and in the jar, it allows to formulate cosmetic products with a lower quantity of preservatives.
EMOGREEN™ L19 provides low friction & high gliding effect whatever the spreading speed. A low friction coefficient also means an easy spreading on the skin with no irritating or no damage further.
An ally to answer sensitive skin needs
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EMOGREEN™ L19 provides low friction & high gliding effect whatever the spreading speed. A low friction coefficient also means an easy spreading on the skin with no irritating or no damage further.
Emollients are among the most common ingredients used in personal care formulations. The word emollient is derived from the Latin word mollis or molle, which means soft, pliable, and supple.
Emollients are normally defined as ingredients that impart a smooth, soft, or lubricious feeling to skin. The term emolliency usually refers to the spreading and lubricity on skin or hair as a function of time.
Emollients, however, are multifunctional ingredients that can provide numerous other benefits such as;
The chemical types of emollients include esters (most common), fatty alcohols, fatty acids, ethers, silicones, and hydrocarbons.
Esters are compounds formed by reacting acids with alcohols or polyols. Most natural emollients are triglyceride based oils formed by reacting Glycerin with fatty acids. Many esters however are not stable at low or high PH and can break down into their starting materials over time. In general, the more water soluble an ester is, the lower is its hydrolytic stability. Also, highly branched esters are more stable.
Fatty alcohols are organic compounds in which a hydroxyl group is attached to a saturated, unsaturated, or branched carbon and the chain length is greater than about seven carbons. Typical fatty alcohols used in formulations include Cetyl, Stearyl, Isostearyl, Oleyl, Octyldodecyl, and Behenyl alcohols.
Fatty acids are mono carboxylic acids having a chain length greater than about seven carbons. Typical fatty acids used include Lauric, Myristic, Palmitic, Stearic, Oleic, Isostearic, Ricinoleic, and Behenic acid.
Ethers are compounds in which an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups and are very stable to low or high PH and oxidizing agents.
Silicones are linear or cyclic polymers of silicone/oxygen monomers. The polymers are made up of alternating silicone and oxygen atoms and may carry end or pendant block groups that can be functionalized. Dimethicone (various MWs), Cyclopentasiloxane, and Dimethicone/ Dimethicone Crosspolymers are the types mainly used as emollients.
Hydrocarbons are compounds carrying only carbon and hydrogen groups. These include aliphatic, cyclic, and aromatic groups. The main types used include mineral oil, Petrolateum, Squalane, Isododecane, Isohexadecane, Microcrystalline wax, Polyethylene, Ozokerite, and Paraffin wax.
Volatile emollients: used to provide temporary emolliency and aid in film formation.
Natural emollients
Light skin feel, fast spreading emollients (MW<300 Daltons)
Medium skin feel, spreading emollients
Cushion Emollients: used to provide residual emolliency
Emollients for solubilizing polar, crystalline actives
Hydrating/moisturizing emollients
Emollients for increasing skin elasticity
Emollients for TEWL reduction
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