Cream Separation Issue with Oil Cream Maker and High Oil Content
Question
I need advice and assistance regarding making a cream using Oil Cream Maker.
I tried formulating and followed the example formula shared for Oil Cream Maker:
- Oil Cream Maker™ 0.5%
- Coconut Oil 70%
- Water 28.5%
- Triethanolamine 1%
I blended and achieved a smooth cream texture initially.
However, after less than an hour, the oil separated, as shown in the attached picture.
Questions:
- Does using Coconut Oil in the formula cause the separation?
- How can I fix this problem?
- Could you recommend a method for creating a white cream texture like this, but requiring an oil content of 50% or more in the formula?
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Answer
Troubleshooting Cream Separation with Oil Cream Maker
Thank you for reaching out! It's common to encounter stability challenges when working with high oil percentages in formulations. Let's address your questions regarding the separation issue with your cream using Oil Cream Maker and Fractionated Coconut Oil.
Is Fractionated Coconut Oil Causing the Separation?
Fractionated Coconut Oil itself is generally compatible with Oil Cream Maker. The separation you experienced is less likely due to the specific type of oil and more likely related to the high oil concentration (70%) combined with the mixing technique.
Oil Cream Maker is designed to emulsify high levels of oil, up to 70%. However, achieving stable emulsions at such high oil phases requires careful adherence to the recommended process.
How to Fix the Separation and Make a Stable High-Oil Cream
The key to successfully using Oil Cream Maker, especially with high oil percentages like 70%, lies in the mixing method. Based on the product's instructions, here are the critical steps to ensure stability:
- Use a High-Speed Blender: Oil Cream Maker requires significant shear force to properly form the emulsion. Hand stirring is not sufficient. You must use a blender capable of at least 1,000 RPM (but not exceeding 3,000 RPM).
- Properly Prepare Phases:
- Mix Oil Cream Maker thoroughly with your oil phase (Fractionated Coconut Oil in your case). Blend this mixture for at least 5 minutes at a speed of at least 1,000 RPM before combining with the water phase.
- Mix the water phase separately, ensuring the Triethanolamine is fully dissolved in the water.
- Slow Addition of Oil to Water: This is a crucial step. While blending the water phase at high speed (at least 1,000 RPM), slowly add the prepared oil phase into the water phase, a little at a time, until all the oil is incorporated.
Your formula proportions (0.5% Oil Cream Maker, 1% Triethanolamine) follow the recommended 1:2 ratio, which is correct. The issue is most likely in the physical mixing process.
Additional Tips for Stability:
- Water Quality: Ensure you are using distilled or deionized water, as high electrolyte content in tap water can sometimes interfere with emulsifiers like Oil Cream Maker.
- Slight Adjustment: If strictly following the mixing steps still results in instability at 70% oil, consider slightly reducing the oil percentage (e.g., to 65%) or slightly increasing the Oil Cream Maker concentration (e.g., to 0.6-0.7%) while maintaining the 1:2 ratio with Triethanolamine.
Oil Cream Maker is indeed the appropriate emulsifier for creating white, high-oil creams (50% or more oil). By perfecting the blending technique as described, you should be able to achieve a stable emulsion even with 70% Fractionated Coconut Oil.
We recommend trying the formulation again, paying close attention to the blending speed, time for mixing the oil phase, and the slow addition of the oil phase into the water phase.
