Anatomy of an emulsion: varying the oil phase concentration

As mentioned in the previous part of this post, there are several factors that affect the stability, texture, viscosity and skin feel of an emulsion.

One of the easiest ways to change the texture and viscosity of the emulsion is by playing with the oil phase concentration (in the range that is tolerated by the emulsifier).

We started with a ridiculously KISS formulation (and didn't even bother to apply a scent) and varied the concentration of the oil in a broad range between 1-25%.

For most O/W emulsions the viscosity increases as you increase the concentration of the oil phase and this emulsion is no exception.

Even without measuring the viscosity the difference is quite obvious. Obviously the emulsion feels richer as you increase the oil phase concentration. Marula oil that we have used in this experiment doesn't feel fatty or sticky but the emulsion feels nevertheless richer. It is possible that by using other oils, the skin feel become greasy in an unpleasant way.

Watch the video here