Mixing Shea Butter in Water with Oil

Mixing a substance that is "in water" with oil depends on the nature of the substance and whether an emulsifier is present.

Shea Butter itself is an oil-soluble ingredient, meaning it mixes well with other oils. However, water and oil do not naturally mix; they will separate unless an emulsifier is used to create a stable blend called an emulsion.

Based on the types of shea butter products available, there are different possibilities:

1. Regular Shea Butter (like Shea Butter (Refined, Deodorised)): This type is oil-soluble and should be mixed into the oil phase of a formulation, typically by heating to melt it. If you have regular shea butter mixed with water without an emulsifier, it will likely be a separated mixture. Adding oil to this mixture would result in three phases: water, oil, and solid/melted shea butter primarily in the oil phase. To create a stable mixture of regular shea butter, water, and oil, you would need to formulate an emulsion using appropriate emulsifiers.

2. Water-Soluble Shea Butter derivatives (like Shea Butter Water or PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides): These are specially processed forms of shea butter designed to be soluble or dispersible in water.

   • Shea Butter Water is described as being soluble in both oil and water. This type might be easier to incorporate into formulations containing both water and oil phases, potentially acting as a co-emulsifier or helping to bridge the two phases.
   • PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides is water-dispersible and used in the water phase. While it helps incorporate shea butter properties into water-based formulas and can be used in formulations aiming to avoid traditional emulsifiers, mixing a significant separate oil phase into a dispersion of PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides in water would still typically require an emulsifier to form a stable emulsion.

In summary, if "shea butter in water" refers to regular shea butter simply mixed with water, adding oil will require an emulsifier to create a stable, homogenous product. If it refers to a specific water-soluble or water-dispersible shea butter product, its ability to mix with oil depends on the specific product's properties, but often an emulsifier is still necessary for a stable emulsion of water and oil phases.