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.
DISCOVER OUR TIPS FOR SELECTING THE RIGHT EMOLLIENT FOR YOUR BRIEF.
Read more
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.
You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Guangxing.
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
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.
In our last post, we broke down lotion ingredients. In this post, we look at two types of cosmetic ingredients: occlusives and emollients.
Occlusive ingredients create a physical barrier on top of the skin to keep skin moist and hydrated. These ingredients tend to be heavy, greasy, and often sticky.
Mineral oil, silicones, vegetable oils, animal fats, wax esters, hydrocarbons, and sterols are examples of occlusive ingredients (1,2).
Petroleum jelly (a hydrocarbon) is one of the best examples of an occlusive ingredient as it creates a barrier between our skin and the outside environment, keeping our skin moist.
Emollient ingredients soften and smooth skin by exerting many effects on our skin like filling the spaces between our skin cells, improving skin barrier function, and enhancing membrane fluidity (1). Emollient ingredients tend to be softer, silky, and less bulkily on the skin than occlusive ingredients.
We can find emollient ingredients naturally in wool fat, palm oil, coconut oil, and more (1).
Oat ingredients, like Avena sativa (oat) kernel flour found in many oatmeal lotions, are emollient ingredients. Oat ingredients often contain lipids and other ingredients that help improve skin texture and suppleness.
Occlusive ingredients sit on the skin as a barrier rather than emollient ingredients that can influence how the skin cells function (1). However, many ingredients are both occlusive and emollient ingredients.
Lanolin oil is an excellent example of an ingredient that ticks both the occlusive and emollient boxes. As a result, you’ll find this ingredient in many lotions and cosmetic products
These ingredients are critical to providing the properties we value most in lotions. While not all creams contain powerful occlusive ingredients, most lotions will contain an emollient ingredient that works in conjunction with other ingredients like humectants to keep our skin soft and supple.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates occlusive and emollient ingredients under cosmetic rules as they are commonly found in personal care products like lotions, moisturizers, hair care products, etc. (1,2).
However, the FDA does not approve nor test cosmetic products, including lotions, before they are on the market. Manufacturers are legally responsible for ensuring product safety when the products are used as intended. If there is a safety issue, the FDA can and will test products and issue recalls when necessary (1).
Products containing occlusive or emollient ingredients marketed for healing or improving a medical condition (e.g., eczema) are considered over-the-counter drugs, meaning they're governed by the same FDA rules and regulations applicable to any over-the-counter pharmaceutical medications (1,2).
Occlusive and emollient ingredients are safe when used as intended. Manufacturers are encouraged to test lotions and cosmetic products containing occlusive and emollient ingredients before they are available on the market.
However, some ingredients like lanolin can irritate skin or cause reactions in people with sensitive skin or allergies. If you have an allergy, it’s essential to avoid topical products containing those ingredients. Even mild adverse reactions can become more significant upon continued exposure.
You can learn general cosmetic safety information at https://cosmeticsinfo.org.
You can view in-depth cosmetic ingredient safety information and reports at https://www.cir-safety.org/ingredients.
As we’ve all increased our hand washing and hand sanitizing practices throughout the past year, our hands are more likely to become dry and even cracked.
Using lotions that contain occlusive and emollient ingredients can help heal and protect our skin as we continue to follow best hygiene practices.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit cosmetic emollient ingredients manufacturer.