Formulating mascaras with cold process waxes

These allow for a greater understanding of the science of emulsions. And, as formulators, we can attest to how easy it is to develop products using the advancements made in both emulsifiers and in rheology modifiers. The continuous improvements in these two ingredient categories, as it relates to emulsion theory and practice, have specific goals in mind. Knowledge begets knowledge, and that in turn allows for the development of ingredients that are easier to use. As with improvements in any technology, such advancements may yield products or manufacturing processes that are new. New in the sense that product forms that may not have been possible before are now achievable. And new in the sense that manufacturing of products can then be faster and easier. Most emulsions developed, manufactured and sold in our industry use methods that require the heating of an oil phase and water phase. This article discusses how these two functional ingredient categories have advanced and, specifically, how the use of cold process emulsions can help formulators create new products.

 The cold revolution

We can make many products without the need to manufacture at elevated temperatures. However, there are a few product categories that fall short when made cold. For example, any product form that contains waxes as a critical ingredient could not be made in the past without heating. With the recent introduction of Jeen International’s Jeesperse Cold Process Wax (CPW) technology, we can now consider product forms that require waxes. Emulsions that contain waxes can now actually be made at temperatures lower than the melt point of the waxes used. Cold process emulsion technologies can claim successes in many of the products seen in the market place. We can currently develop products in skin care as well as most cosmetics utilising existing technologies. New emulsifiers tout their ability to be used without the need to heat either phase of an emulsion. The advent of rheology modifiers/water thickeners has introduced new methods that make stable, cold process emulsions possible. These emulsifiers and rheology modifiers are developed with the intent of making formulating and manufacturing a bit less stressful. They can form hydro gels – which in turn can be emulsified – or they can be used to stabilise an existing emulsion. Jeesperse CPW technology can be used to create emulsions that were not possible before. Prior to the introduction of this technology, any emulsion that contained waxes required temperature elevation beyond the melt point of the waxes being used. Mascaras, specifically, demand waxes to achieve the functionality required of such formulations. Within this product category, we find several classes of mascaras. These include ones that impart colour; ones that provide definition/volume; and ones that curl lashes or offer conditioning. Some mascaras combine attributes from several of these classes. Cold process mascaras have been developed in the past – without waxes, however, these mascaras do not perform as well as their ‘hot process’ counterparts. They tend to be hydro gels that can add colour to the lashes. Producing mascaras that provide volume to the lashes without the use of waxes is not so easy, some would say, if at all possible. Typical mascaras contain several ingredients that define the product. Here is a short list of ingredient categories and a few examples of each: