Cetearyl alcohol and Sodium lauryl sulphate

What is an emulsifying wax?

Emulsifying wax or E-wax is a self-emulsifying base, used for making lotions and other oil in water emulsions. It is made up of cetearyl alcohol and sodium lauryl sulphate.

It is a vegetable based emulsifier and it is a white waxy solid, with a neutral, characteristic scent.

Despite its name, emulsifying waxes do not perform anything like beeswax or other types of waxes and cannot be substituted for them.

How does the emulsifying wax work?

Emulsifying wax is used in personal care products like a lotion and a cream as a thickener and emulsifier.

Its main purpose is to make sure that the oils and water in a recipe bind together into a smooth emulsion. Without an emulsifier, the oils in the product do not mix with water.

What can I use emulsifying wax for?

This ingredient can be combined in recipes that require combining oils and water ingredients to create a range of tailored cosmetic products, such as lotions, creams, serums, body butters, ointments, conditioners and hair treatments.

It is easy to use and incredibly effective, this emulsifying wax could be the holy grail ingredient that can revolutionise your formulation.

Use your emulsifying wax to create a body butter:

Ingredients:

• Water 200ml 

• Glycerin 20ml 

• Shea butter 20g

• Avocado oil 25ml 

• Emulsifying wax 9g

• Hydroxyethyl Cellulose 4g 

• Geogard Ultra 5g 

Method:

1. Weigh the hydroxyethyl cellulose and glycerin into a bowl.

2. Whisk them together until fully combined.

3. Measure the water, add to the glycerin mixture and heat gently.

4. In a separate bowl, heat the shea butter, avocado butter and emulsifying wax until melted.

5. Whisk the oil and water mixtures together until combined.

6. Now your body butter is ready to use!

Recommended usage: 

The usage amount can vary from recipe to recipe, so it is always best to test different recipes to see what works best for you.

However, we suggest that you start with 2-5% of the total weight, or 15-25% of the oil weight in your recipe.

Simply add the emulsifying wax to the oil phase of your recipe, and heat until it melts and then mix to combine.

Safety features:

At pure usage levels, it can cause irritation to the skin so we would advise using gloves, eye protection and work in well ventilated rooms.