EMULSIFIERS & WAXES

EMULSIFIERS / THICKENERS / WAXES

❀ Beeswax is a natural thickener and emulsifier; it softens and soothes skin

Texture: it comes either in blocks or what I recommend in small pallets
Usage in Cream Making: Beeswax alone only thickens your cream
Note: Beeswax + borax form a smooth emulsion; use different ratios for different finishes and textures
Beeswax is added to the Oil base

❀ Borax is most commonly known as a water softener but it has mild emulsifying properties. Borax is used in combination with beeswax, as it makes the cream more spreadable. There is no substitute for borax. Borax is added to the Liquid base

❀ Palm Stearic Acid is a thickener and stabilizer and adds texture to your cream.
A word of caution: if you use too much palm stearic acid, your cream becomes stiff and chalky and you may not be able to spread it easily. Add palm stearic acid to the Oil base.

❀ Vegetable Emulsifying Wax is used to combine the water and oil base and that allows for a creamy and smooth texture. It is either plant or petroleum based and is usually treated with a detergent such as sodium laurel sulfate or polysorbates such as fatty acid esters.
NOTE: Ask the supplier for a wax that is treated with polysorbates as this will not dry out your skin.
Vegetable Emulsifying Wax is added to the Oil base.

❀ Xanthan Gum is a fermented corn sugar used as thickener in cream making. It is often used to thicken salad dressings. As for your cream, it will provide a more fluid and spreadable texture.
Usage of Xanthan Gum: Once you have heated up the Liquid base, use your hand mixer and mix the Xanthan Gum into the water. The next step is to mix the water base together with the oil base that includes thickeners, stabilizers, and waxes.

MISCELLANEOUS INGREDIENTS

❀ Aloe Vera is healing, soothing, good for dry skin, sunburns, minor burns, skin irritations

❀ Honey is soothing, softening, helps absorb moisture; use sparingly, otherwise your cream will be too sticky, like the honey itself

❀ Oats have a gentle yet cleansing effect. Great to use in a body scrub.

❀ Sea salt is used for cleansing, rejuvenation and exfoliation. It comes in fine or coarse and is wonderful in a body scrub. It replenishes the skin with minerals. Together with the oils, it leaves your skin feeling smooth, soft, and moisturized.

❀ Sugar is a great exfoliate but dissolves very quickly in oil