Cold Processing vs Emulsifiers
Not everything natural is good. Not all chemicals are bad.
However, many people now prefer to avoid excessive exposure to artificial chemicals in products they use on their skin every day. They’re concerned that science doesn’t really understand the effect of long-term exposure to exotic chemical compounds.
However, skin care products still need to be stable, consistent and easy to apply, and that usually calls for emulsifying agents. One way around this is to use cold processing. Another option is to look at emulsifiers derived from biological sources.
Substances derived from walnut oil and mutton tallow have emerged as potential emulsifying agents that work well in skin care formulations. While they may not appeal to everyone, it’s interesting to see the cosmetics industry moving beyond reliance on artificial chemicals. Here's one study:
The respondents described the skin to which the emulsions in testing were applied as smooth, pleasant to touch and adequately moisturized.
We don’t use these particular emulsifiers in our products, opting for natural gums and cold processing instead. But it is interesting to see that researchers are looking beyond inorganic compounds to improve the performance of cosmetics.