Polysorbate-20 (ERCASORB 2020 FD)

Polysorbate is a nonionic surfactant that has found widespread use in pharmaceuticals, the food industry and cosmetology.

Polysorbates are based on sorbitol - a hexahydric alcohol, which is better known as the food additive E420. It has a sweet taste, so it acts as a sweetener or sugar substitute in dietary products, rolls, cakes, and syrups.

The main cosmetic role is as an emulsifier (O/W), solubilizer. Polysorbate 20 is designed to emulsify trace amounts of essential oils, base oils and fragrances in water. Ideal for cosmetics with a small amount of oil in the recipe.

Features of polysorbate 20

INCI: ERCASORB 2020 FD, Polysorbate 20, ERCASORB MLE V/FD Appearance: viscous liquid, from transparent to yellow and green-yellow in color, with a characteristic slight odor Country of origin: Italy pH (5%): 6.43 HLB: 16.7 Acid number, mg/g KOH: 0.45 Saponification number, mg/g KOH: 47.4 Iodine number, cg12/g: 3.88 Solubility: excellent in water, ethanol, benzene, insoluble in mineral oils and liquid paraffin

Polysorbate is a real cosmetic assistant that performs several important functions at once:

Polysorbate is an emulsifier, that is, it binds different substances into an emulsion, helping to obtain the desired viscosity and consistency. Polysorbate is a dispersant that serves to grind cosmetic components in products. Polysorbate is a solubilizer or in other words “solvent”. It is thanks to it that the base oil or essential oil can completely dissolve in water.

There are four main types of polysorbate. They differ in their numerical “index”: 20 (monolaurate), 40 (monopalmitate), 60 (monostearate), 80 (monooleate).

The numerical value is related to the type of molecules. What is important for us is that the higher the number, the more “lipophilic” the polysorbate is and its HLB decreases.

All polysorbates are food additives, “E-shki” and act as stabilizers: E433, E434, E435, E433.

To produce “40” and “60” polysorbate, palm oil is used, for “80” olive oil and for “20” coconut oil.

It is important for us to distinguish between polysorbates 80 and 20, the most used in cosmetics. Polysorbate with index 80 is best suited for those products where the “oil” part is quite large. These can be various shampoos, gels, conditioners.

Polysorbate 20 is best suited for creating products with essential oils. Products with “20” polysorbate have a less dense and viscous structure when compared with “80”.

Let's summarize:

We use “Polisorbat 20” for emulsifying essential oils and fragrances when the amount of oils is minimal; If you need to take a lot of oils, then we use “polysorbate 80”.

Polysorbate 20 in cosmetics

Polysorbate-20 is a fairly mild emulsifier with an astringent and moisturizing effect. It cleanses the skin well and gently, moisturizes it. An ideal solution for micellar water and makeup remover in general.

It is very difficult to imagine cosmetics without polysorbates. Today they are important components of many products:

Cleansers for body and hair; moisturizers and makeup removers; hair bleaching and dyeing products; body scrubs; baby detergents and wipes; facial tonics and body sprays.

The main cosmetic properties of polysorbate 20:

dissolves essential and base oils in creams, masks, gels, scrubs; makes it easier to wash off cosmetics from hair and skin; dissolves sebum well; slightly moisturizes and conditions; produces a weak antistatic effect; softens the effect of abrasives in scrubs, making it easier to glide over the skin; allows you to carefully wash off even waterproof cosmetics; improves the viscosity of the emulsion.

Input percentage: 1-5%, up to 50%

3-5% micellar water, toners, wipes, makeup remover; 5-10% gels, shampoos; up to 20% bath oil; up to 50% body scrubs. To dissolve essential oils, you can take a proportion from 1:1 to 1:3

Features: introduced into both the fatty and aqueous phases. May become cloudy when heated.

Polysorbate 20 is the softest polysorbate, so sometimes emulsions separate into phases. To restore a homogeneous state, just shake the product.

Storage: in a cool place, avoid direct sunlight.

You can buy polysorbate (polisorbat 20) in Kyiv and Ukraine on the Aromasoap website in one click.

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