Choosing a Cream Maker for Your Lotion to Avoid White Cast

Hello! Regarding your lotion formula and your concern about white cast from the cream maker, let's look at the three options you're considering:

• Moist Cream Maker™ (Cetearyl Glucoside and Cetearyl Alcohol): This emulsifier is known for creating heavier cream textures and providing good moisture. While it forms beneficial liquid crystal structures, heavier textures can sometimes be associated with a white cast, depending on the overall formula and application amount.

• Glyceryl Stearate and PEG-100 Stearate: This is a very common and reliable O/W emulsifier system used in many lotions and creams. It typically provides a smooth, non-greasy feel and is less likely to cause a noticeable white cast when used at appropriate concentrations (like the recommended 3.5% for up to 40% oil, though your formula has 13% oil). It's a strong candidate for minimizing white residue.

• Glyceryl Stearate Citrate: You currently have this in your formula at 2%. It is a good, naturally-derived emulsifier that offers good stability and a pleasant texture that is not too heavy. The description notes that if used alone, it can result in a thinner texture and may require a thickener (like Xanthan Gum) to achieve desired viscosity, especially with higher oil percentages. While generally not known for significant white cast, achieving the right texture and stability is key.

Considering your goal to avoid a white cast, Glyceryl Stearate and PEG-100 Stearate is often a preferred choice for its ability to create stable emulsions with a light, non-greasy feel that minimizes white residue.

However, since you already have Glyceryl Stearate Citrate in your formula, you could continue using it. To ensure optimal texture and stability with your 13% oil phase and to potentially further minimize any chance of white cast from the emulsifier system itself (by ensuring proper emulsification and spreadability), you might consider adding a small amount of a thickener like Xanthan Gum (around 0.2-0.5%) to your water phase. This would help build viscosity and improve the overall feel and application without necessarily increasing the emulsifier concentration.

Ultimately, both Glyceryl Stearate and PEG-100 Stearate and Glyceryl Stearate Citrate are viable options. If minimizing white cast is the primary concern and you are open to changing the emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate and PEG-100 Stearate is a very safe bet. If you prefer to work with Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, ensure your formula's stability and texture are optimized, potentially with a thickener.