![]() We’ve worked with many natural formulators and brands who prefer not to use any solubilisers in their quest to avoid any unnecessary ingredient in their formulations. What happens if you don’t use a solubiliser? You can’t use a solubiliser to solubilise triglycerides (plant oils) in water. Please note that solubilisers can only disperse light and small molecules such as essential oils. The 1:10 ratio is not quite satisfactory either but at least the extract doesn’t separate. In the photo below, we’ve dispersed Rosemary CO2 extract by applying a 1:5 and 1:10 ratio of extract to solubiliser. So as with everything to do with organic cosmetic formulation, you need to make sure that you understand the chemical make-up of your CO2 extract before you try to solubilise it. CO2 extracts high in essential oils and light/volatile organic molecules can be solubilised, whereas CO2 extracts with a triglyceride content would not be solubilised. You cannot dissolve all CO2 extracts in water by applying a solubiliser. Rosemary CO2 extract has been solubilised in water in different ratios (more on this below). In this image you can see two beakers containing Rosemary CO2 extract which, like all CO2 extracts, is insoluble in water and needs a solubiliser for water based products such as tonics and gels. Vitamin E has been solubilised in water in different ratios (more on this below). In this image you can see two test tubes containing Vitamin E (INCI: Tocopherol) which is lipophilic and needs a solubiliser for water based products such as tonics and gels. If you happen to receive an essential oil which easily disperses in water or glycerine, it is likely to have been diluted already with some sort of solubiliser or solvent.ģ. ![]() In the photo you can see that mandarin essential oil has been solubilised in water in different ratios (more on this below).Įssential oils and water do not mix without a solubiliser. Essential oils need a solubiliser for water based products such as tonics and gels. In this image you can see three test tubes containing the mandarin essential oil which, like all essential oils, is lipophilic and would normally float on top of water. Versatil TBG has been solubilised in water in different ratios (more on this below). In this image you can see three test tubes containing the preservative Versatil TBG ( INCI: Triethyl Citrate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Benzoic Acid) which is insoluble in water and needs a solubiliser for water based products such as tonics and gels. Solubilisers are used to dissolve / disperse the following lipophilic (oil-loving) ingredients in water: 1. Solubilisers are used to disperse lipophilic ingredients with small / light molecules into water. Read our previous blog post on how to use a natural solubiliser. The solubilised molecule has such a tiny particle size that the solution appears either completely transparent or lightly translucent. They are, as their name reveals used to solubilise an oil in water or another hydrophilic medium (such as a herbal infusion or a hydrosol). Solubilisers are a group of surfactants that are completely water soluble but have a little bit of oil solubility. It helps to think of these molecules as tadpoles, attaching their tails and heads to either the water- or fat-loving ingredients. This means that they straddle the divide between oil and water, orienting their hydrophilic and lipophilic components accordingly. These molecules have at least one water-loving (hydrophilic) and one fat- (or lipid-) loving (lipophilic) component on the very same molecule. ![]() Surface active molecules, or surfactants, are a broad spectrum of molecules with broad applications, ranging from their use in shampoo to nasty materials used in drilling. Although they both belong to the group of surfactant (surface active) molecules, solubilisers and O/W emulsifiers are different in every other aspect and cannot be used interchangeably. Oil and water do not blend naturally and if you want to bring them together, you need something to keep them together. A solubiliser and oil in water (O/W) emulsifier both do the same job, as they both help disperse oils in water. ![]()
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