Understanding the Uses of Polysorbates in Personal Care Products
Polysorbates come in a variety of strengths – 80, 60, and 20, depending on the mols of ethylene oxide present – and your personal care raw material supplier Bell Chem ensures you have access to all three for your personal care product creation business.
Polysorbate 80
Polysorbate 80 is renowned for its role in improving the feel of cosmetics. This multi-use fatty acid derived from oleic acid is an emulsifier and a surfactant. Both these properties smooth the feel of skin care products, allowing all ingredients to blend thoroughly and spread easily. How is this accomplished, though?
Surfactants lower the surface tension of a liquid or solid, which causes the items that would normally not mix well, such as water and oil, to thoroughly combine. However, this combination will not last when the product is not shaken. To remedy this, an emulsifier is added. This double duty of polysorbate 80 allows cleansers in which it is an ingredient to suspend the skin’s surface debris and oils, safely lifting them from the epidermis before washing them away.
Polysorbate 80 is visually recognizable from other polysorbates since it presents as a viscous yellow liquid.
Polysorbate 60
If your product relies on foam and aeration, your answer is polysorbate 60. You can find this versatile emulsifier and surfactant in gels, shaving cream, and foam cleansers. All the properties of polysorbate 80 are similar for this version of the polysorbate family.
Polysorbate 20
Derived from sorbitol, a medium-chain triglyceride originally discovered in apples, peaches, and pears, polysorbate 20 is a cleansing agent, emulsifier, fragrance enhancer, and surfactant. Its reduced amount of ethylene oxide appears to be more gentle to the skin.
Unlike polysorbate 80, many personal care manufacturers add polysorbate 20 to their products for another reason: scent. The source of this aroma is its derivation from fruit, and the addition of this ingredient enhances any product’s scent.
Polysorbate 20 is recognized as a clear to light yellow viscous liquid. The clarity of polysorbate 20 gives it a lighter appearance, which many manufacturers favor while the viscosity stabilizes the product at a greater range of temperatures.
You will find polysorbates in facial creams, lotions and balms, hairspray, and sunscreen.
Bell Chem is a personal care raw material supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including polysorbate 80, 60, and 20. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.