Cleansing Snail White Formula, Oil-Free Claim, and Achieving Clear Texture
Question
Regarding the product "Cleansing Snail White", could you please analyze the formula and estimate the percentage of the main active ingredients? The product is a liquid, clear to slightly cloudy yellow, with a slightly stretchy, light oil-like texture, yet it claims to be oil-free. I am curious if it is considered a cleansing oil, especially since it contains Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, which is soluble in oil.
I attempted to create a similar product with the following formula:
- Cetyl Ethylhexanoate 10%
- Sorbitan Monooleate 2%
- POE Sorbitol Tetraoleate 2%
However, when water was added, the mixture turned cloudy. How can I make the liquid clear while retaining the ability to turn milky upon contact with water?
Answer
Hello,
Thank you for the additional information. I have searched for information regarding Cetyl Ethylhexanoate in the database, but I could not find specific product information for this substance in the accessible database.
However, based on my knowledge of cosmetic formulation, I can provide further information to answer your questions:
- Analysis of Cleansing Snail White Formula and Ingredient Percentages: As mentioned previously, the exact percentages of ingredients in finished commercial products are considered trade secrets of the manufacturer. The tools cannot provide precise figures.
- Cetyl Ethylhexanoate and the "Oil-Free" Claim: Cetyl Ethylhexanoate is an Ester commonly used in cosmetic cleansing products. It functions as an Emollient that provides a light, non-greasy feel and is an excellent solvent for makeup and impurities. Although it has oil-like properties and is soluble in oil, chemically, an Ester is not a Triglyceride, which is the type of oil typically derived from plants or animals. Therefore, a product claiming to be "Oil-Free" usually means it does not contain Triglyceride oils. The presence of Cetyl Ethylhexanoate in a formula is not necessarily contradictory to an "Oil-Free" claim.
- Your Experiment and Achieving Clarity: The result you observed when mixing Cetyl Ethylhexanoate with Emulsifiers (Sorbitan Monooleate and POE Sorbitol Tetraoleate) and adding water, causing cloudiness, is expected. These Emulsifiers work to create an Emulsion, which is a dispersion of the oil phase (Cetyl Ethylhexanoate) in the water phase, resulting in a cloudy or milky appearance. This milky transformation upon contact with water is a desired property in typical Cleansing Oils or Balms as it helps them rinse off easily.
Achieving a clear system that still transforms into a milky texture upon contact with water requires special Surfactants or Solubilizers capable of forming systems called Microemulsions or Micellar Solutions. These systems typically require higher proportions of Surfactants and may need Co-surfactant. Formulating clear systems is more complex than creating standard Emulsions. The formula you experimented with is suitable for creating an Emulsion. If you aim for a clear system, you would need to select different ingredients and adjust the proportions accordingly.
Since specific product information for Cetyl Ethylhexanoate was not found in the database, I cannot provide database-derived insights for this particular ingredient.