More Sophisticated Face Cream
...depends very much upon the type of emulsifier you use. Modern face cream needs to hold a larger percentage of water than oil and we have already established on the Victorian Cold Cream page that bees wax (especially without the addition of borax) is not stable enough to hold adequate quantities of water in the product. Some very good natural raw ingredients have been processed in the laboratory to produce more sophisticated end results which result in a face cream or lotion with a more modern feel to it. It is also possible to include more exotic and more complicated plant extracts provided you are happy with the procedure that goes into the processing and extraction of these ingredients. In all other respects the basic principle behind making a more sophisticated face cream is exactly the same as the Victorian cold cream recipe. A fat stage is heated and melted with an emulsifier, a water stage is heated to a similar temperature and then the two are combined and stirred. Often a third or additive stage is stirred in after the mixture has cooled down a little. This stage may simply be the addition of Vitamin E or a plant or flower extract which preserves its beneficial qualities by being added at a cooler temperature. Essential oils may be combined in this third stage or left for a fourth stage when the product is at room temperature. The emulsifier is normally added to the fat stage (just as the bees wax is added to the fat stage in the simple cold cream recipe) and is sometimes called E-Wax (emulsifying wax) or vegetable emulsifier. Do not be fooled into thinking that vegetable emulsifier means that this product is purely plant based. It is possible to find E-wax products that are petroleum based. Many internet websites and willing individuals will provide face cream or moisturiser recipes free of charge, these invariably contain particular brands of emulsifiers that may or may not be accessible to you dependant upon where you live, and substitutions can result in disappointing end results. I have also purchased several books that devote numerous pages to recipes for creams, few of which have ever turned into satisfactory end products, this is disappointing and expensive. It is very tempting to return to using very basic raw ingredients such as simple olive oil alone and dispense with the complications of binding by the use of emulsifiers. What exactly is E-Wax?
E-wax's are made by treating the raw ingredients with either detergent (sodium laurel sulphate) or polysorbates, the end result is an emulsifier that gives a very smooth and stable texture in the finished face cream, which will not separate provided you followed the correct procedure during the making. Some suppliers have split the emulsifying wax into separate parts, one that is combined with the oil stage and the other with the water stage, the two together producing the desired result. Some emulsifiers require the addition of Stearic acid. Stearic acid is a derivative of palm oil which acts as a thickener and stabiliser for the mixture (in a similar fashion as borax does to the cold cream). There are also emulsifiers that already contain the stearic acid, making it unnecessary to add any more. And all of these products could simply be labelled as E-Wax. It is always wise to check the exact ingredients and ask the supplier for the usage percentage before buying. You may also see other thickeners such as Tragacanth gum or Xanthan gum in face cream recipes. Tragacanth gum is a plant extract similar to Acacia gum and forms a gel when combined with water. (Further information about making gels is in the pipeline). Xantham gum does the same thing and is often used in food products to give them a more spreadable texture. It has a similar effect in creams and lotions. These raw ingredients are added to the water stage. Other processed raw ingredients commonly found will include Lecithin and Cetyl Alcohol. Lecithin is a fatty substance found in egg yolks, it has mildly moisturising qualities as well as having a stabilising effect on the mixture. Lecithin is added to the oil phase of the cream. Cetyl Alcohol helps to stabilise and firm the mixture and it also acts as a skin softener. It is made from palm kernel oil fatty acid (Palmitic acid). It is not necessary to remember any of this unless you are considering formulating your own face cream recipes, which is a bit ambitious for a beginner. Most recipes come with full instructions of which ingredient to use at which stage and most suppliers will provide advice and recipes about their raw ingredients and how to use them in formulas which should help you decide which ones to use and indeed IF you wish to use them at all.. The cooking process is similar to the cold cream recipe using a double boiler. The oil stage and the water stage are heated separately to approximately the same temperature. They are then combined and stirred or whisked continuously sometimes for a minute or two on the heat and then off the heat until almost cool. Once the mixture has cooled significantly the third stage and any subsequent stages can be incorporated. Oil in Water and Water in Oil
In face cream making circles these two are not the same thing at all. A water-in-oil emulsion is when the water droplets are surrounded by the oil or fat. This is achieved simply by the pouring of the water stage into the oil or fat stage and stirring. In cooking terms, margarines and spreads are water in oil emulsions. The final cream has a fatty feel. This method is suitable for richer creams intended for dryer skin types. Oil in water emulsions on the other hand are fat molecules surrounded by water droplets - in cooking terms milk is an oil in water emulsion... globules of fat are surrounded by water. This effect is created by pouring the oil stage into the water stage and stirring during the cooking process. This method is more suitable for lighter more fluid creams such as lotions or those intended for more oily skintypes. In general you need not worry too much about which stage gets poured into which when you are just beginning. The cream will in all likelihood still turn out whichever way you do it (provided you have followed the instructions carefully in all other respects). As your knowledge of making moisturisers increases you will begin to experiment with the two techniques. If you would like to experiment with a beginners Face cream recipe you could try this one... as a starter: My First Daily Moisturiser
choose your vegetable oil carefully with your skintype in mind. If you need any help with that
click here for the plant oils and their skincare use page.
Remember you can choose a mixture of oils rather than just one if you wish.Stage One - Oil Stage Sweet Almond oil = 15g Organic Shea Butter = 7g E-Wax (that does not need an accompanying thickener)= 11g Stage Two - Water Stage Distilled water = 120g Stage Three - Active additives Added at below 50 degrees C Vitamin E = 1g Essential oils or
suitable blend of essential oils
at a total of 1ml
Stage Four - Active Ingredient Plant Oil Serum suitable for purpose at a total of 5 drops.
Click here for information about making your own serum
MethodHeat Stage one and Stage two separately in a double boiler until they reach 70C. Pour the oil stage into the water stage and stir well on the heat for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and continue to stir until the mixture cools to 50C. At this point stage three can be added. Continue to stir for a short while until the mixture is approaching room temperature, now add stage four. Pour or spoon the face cream into a jar or lotion bottle. Because this formula contains a preservative it has a shelf life of about 18 months with a suggested use of 6 months after opening before discarding. If you plan to use ALL the product within a couple of days, the preservative will not be necessary. Or you could choose to use an anti-oxidant with a combination of essential oils and keep it in the fridge. For more information about
preserving your product, click here.
Leave Face Cream and go to Make your own Serum.
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