Lotion Ingredient Glossary

“Diluent” and “solvent”. Water is used to dissolve other water-soluble ingredients like gums, clays and botanical extracts in lotions.

Water also provides hydration to the skin, it gives moisture to the upper layers of the skin helping to keep it plump and supple.

This is the crucial difference between emulsified moisturisers like creams and lotions, compared to anhydrous products such as body butters and balms. Water-based ingredients also require preservatives to prevent the growth of bacteria, fungus and mould.

In lotions, water can take many forms including:

Some humectants also form a protective thin film on the surface of the skin to prevent further moisture loss. Humectants are essential components of lotions as they contribute to keeping your skin hydrated throughout the day.

Popular humectants in lotions include:

• Glycerine and Honey
• Hyaluronic acid
• Panthenol (Vitamin B5)
• Hydroyzed proteins, e.g. Keratin Protein
• Sodium lactate

Emollients lubricate, soften and smooth the surface of your skin by restoring lipids to the upper layers of the epidermis.

Skin lacking in lipids (oils) can appear dry, dull and rough, emollients bolster your skin’s natural barrier for healthier, more supple skin.

Oil and butters are popular emollients used in natural lotions, but there are a variety of emollients that can be used in creams and lotions:

• Natural triglycerides - carrier oils and butters such as coconut oil, olive oil, safflower oil, and shea butter, mango butter and cocoa butter
• Fatty acids and alcohols - fatty acids (lauric, caprylic, stearic acid) are components of carrier oils but can be bought separately, whilst fatty alcohols (cetyl alcohol, and cetearyl alcohol) are made from reacting fatty acids with hydrogen.
• Esters - such as coco-caprylate/caprate, caprylic/capric triglyceride are formed from combining organic acids with alcohol or glycerine

Despite the name, emulsifying waxes are not actual “waxes”, they’re solid emulsifiers commonly used in cream and lotion products. They are typically made of two or more emulsifying agents, and commonly contain fatty alcohol to increase the stability of an emulsion. An emulsifier can also be labelled “complete” or “self-emulsifying” which refers to its ability to form an emulsion by itself or whether it requires a “co-emulsifier” to help create a stable lotion. Emulsifying waxes often contain thickeners that are far more likely to determine the texture of your finished lotion compared to oils and butters.

• Olivem 1000 or Olive-derived Emulsifying Wax (INCI: Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate)
• Montanov 68 / Vegetal (INCI: Cetearyl Alcohol and Cetearyl Glucoside)
• ECOMulse / NatraMulse (INCI: Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol and Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate)
• Emulsan II (INCI: Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate)
• Natragem EW/Ecomuls (INCI: Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-6 Palmitate / Succinate and Cetearyl Alcohol)
• Simulgreen 18-2 (INCI: Hydroxystearyl Alcohol and Hydroxystearyl Glucoside)

There are different types of thickeners for both the oil and water phase of a lotion: aqueous and non-aqueous. Typically lotion formulas will use both types to ensure maximum stability.

• Natural aqueous thickeners (water-based): originate from plants, microbial or animal sources. Examples include xanthan gum, guar gum, casein, and clays.

• Natural non-aqueous thickeners (oil-based): waxes such as beeswax, soy, candelilla wax are popular ingredients in lotions. These can be confused with emulsifiers, but they only work to stabilise an already emulsified lotion - they themselves aren’t emulsifiers. Fatty alcohols (e.g. cetyl alcohol and cetearyl alcohol) are also common oil-based thickeners and stabilisers.
• Synthetic thickeners: synthetic polymers such as polyethylene glycols, PEGs or PEG derivatives are very effective thickeners that produce far more stable emulsions. They are of course not natural and are therefore not used in organic products.

Preservatives are essential for all lotions as they prevent the growth of microbes, bacteria, mould, fungus and yeast. Without the use of preservatives, cosmetic products will spoil and become potentially hazardous to the skin.

The determining factor in whether to use a preservative is the presence of water.

If a product either contains water (including water-based ingredients) or will come in contact with water (handled or applied with wet fingers e.g. scrubs) a preservative is mandatory.

Antioxidants have two main functions in lotion:

1. Protect skin cells from “free radical” damage
2. Prevent against oxidation and thus lengthen the shelf-live of the oils in your lotion

It’s the second function of antioxidants that make them essential to include in your lotion formulas. Exposure to air can onset the natural process of oxidation in oils, this can cause rancidity that can ultimately cause irritation and harm when applied to the skin.