Emulsifying wax is a
cosmetic
Cosmetic may refer to:
* Cosmetics, or make-up, substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning
*Cosmetic, an adjective describing beauty, aesthetics, or appearance, especially concerning the human body
*Cosmetic, ...
emulsifying ingredient. The ingredient name is often followed by the initials NF, indicating that it conforms to the specifications of the
National Formulary.
Emulsifying wax is created when a
wax material (either a vegetable wax of some kind or a petroleum-based wax) is treated with a
detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with cleansing properties when in dilute solutions. There are a large variety of detergents, a common family being the alkylbenzene sulfonates, which are soap-like compounds that are m ...
(typically
sodium dodecyl sulfate
Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sometimes written sodium laurilsulfate, is an organic compound with the formula . It is an anionic surfactant used in many cleaning and hygiene products. This compound is the sodium sal ...
or
polysorbates) to cause it to make oil and water bind together into a smooth emulsion. It is a white waxy solid with a low fatty alcohol odor.
According to the
United States Pharmacopoeia - National
Formulary (USP-NF), the ingredients for emulsifying wax NF are
cetearyl alcohol
Cetostearyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol or cetylstearyl alcohol is a mixture of fatty alcohols, consisting predominantly of cetyl (16 C) and stearyl alcohols (18 C) and is classified as a fatty alcohol. It is used as an emulsion stabilizer, opacif ...
and a
polyoxyethylene derivative of a
fatty acid ester of
sorbitan (a
polysorbate).
In a cosmetic product, if the emulsifying wax used meets the standards for the National Formulary, it may be listed in the ingredient declaration by the term "emulsifying wax NF". Otherwise, the emulsifier is considered a blended ingredient and the individual components must be listed individually in the ingredient declaration, placed appropriately in descending order of predominance in the whole.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Emulsifying Wax
Waxes