-1
$\begingroup$

I am trying to solve this mystery...There is this company called 100% pure who makes lipsticks using fruit extracts as their pigments in their formulations. Fruits pigments are water soluble - so, the listed ingredients are the usual oils and butters, wax and all the fruits extracts.

Even if there is wax in the formulation it isn't an emulsion - it's a solid lipstick. How can they bind the oil phase with the aqueous phase without the emulsion? Also if there is a water component you need a preservative which they don't seem to use other than rosemary leaf extract :)

Same thing with a lipstick I bought last week that contains the usual oils and butters, wax, a tincture which has alcool and water in it and honey. It is not an emulsion either - I tried to make a lipstick with honey once and it separated...

I hope you can explain this chemical trick to me because I am truly wondering !?!?

Thanks :-)

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
  • $\begingroup$ Just because it is an emulsion does not mean it will not separate. Often phase separation is just a question of time. Such emulsions are called "metastable". $\endgroup$ – Buck Thorn Jan 16 '19 at 19:55
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks for the answers that have been provided - it does open some paths and I will keep researching with this in mind. I am sorry if my question was not that well formulated, I am not a chemist - I studied in Botanics and I am French, also my English is not perfect :-) ! As for the butters used in those formulations, they are plant based not animal - therefore will the plant based butters will act the same way as an animal butter for an emulsion of water in fat ? $\endgroup$ – Eve Jan 16 '19 at 23:52
0
$\begingroup$

Your question is neither sufficiently specific nor detailed to provide a proper answer. However you provide a clue as to how it is possible to disperse the more water-loving components in a fatty matrix without the use of emulsifiers listed explicitly as such in the ingredients list. Assuming that 1) the product is bona fide - the composition is as listed; and 2) the pigments are only of limited fat-solubility; then evidently one or more of the constituents has to provide the required emulsifying activity.

My guess is it is butter, which is an emulsion of water in fat. I would guess the water-loving ingredients are dispersed in the butter before blending in the remaining fatty components, but that is an educated guess.

As for the absence of preservatives, I would guess the low water content would limit bacterial growth. There are available certainly guidelines regarding such matters.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
-1
$\begingroup$

My explanation comes from this video https://youtu.be/zC99ih56S_8 in this he explains that the water and oil is mixed without emulsion because there is less air in the water due to low pressure hence the whole explanation.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.