Earlier this year I figured out that “emulsifying wax” is kind of a catch-all term, like “flour”, that generally refers to a waxy substance that, when used at concentrations between 5% and 10%, will allow you to make lovely, creamy lotions with little to no trouble when it comes to emulsifying the oil and water. However, it turns out, just like flour, there’s actually a bunch of different kinds of emulsifying wax. So, I went and got a few different kinds to experiment with (good thing they’re cheap!).
The first one I tried out one called Emulsimulse/Ritamulse (also known as ritamulse; INCI Glyceryl stearate, cetearyl alcohol, sodium stearoyl lactylate). I was intrigued by its odd, flaky texture and the description “EmulsiMulse, when used in lotions and creams, will provide a soft, conditioned, talc-like feel to skin.” Hmmmmm. Intrigue in the lotion world indeed.
The oil and water parts came together easily enough, and thickened up quite quickly, especially when compared to lotions made with Polawax, which can take a day or two to really get to a proper lotion texture.
In the end, this, thick, luxurious lotion is deceptively light, absorbing readily into your skin leaving a nice, non-greasy finish. The use of emulsimulse/ritamulse as the emulsifying wax definitely contributes to its thick, whipped-like texture and relatively dry finish, but you can use whatever emulsifying wax you have on hand if you’re not interested in starting up a collection of emulsifying waxes (like I, apparently, am).
For the essential oils, I chose labdanum and petitgrain. They combine to create a bright, yet almost dry/musky scent that is subtle enough that it’s easily gender neutral.
Labdanum & Petitgrain Lotion
10g | 0.35oz emulsimulse/ritamulse (or other complete emulsifying wax—not beeswax!)
14g | 0.5oz grapeseed oil
1g | 0.03oz vitamin E oil73g | 2.57oz distilled water
2g | 0.07oz vegetable glycerin2 drops petitgrain essential oil
15 drops labdanum essential oilBroad spectrum preservative of choice (why?)
Weigh the emulsifying wax, grapeseed oil, and vitamin E oil into a small saucepan and melt over low heat. While they melt, measure the water and glycerin in a small glass measuring cup and whisk to combine.
Once the oils have melted, add the water mixture and heat everything through. Once everything is the same temperature (and very definitely liquid), remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk the lotion as it cools. As the lotion cools it will thicken quite quickly—stir as this happens (the thickening may take a few days if you are using a different emulsifying wax than emulsimulse/ritamulse).
Once the lotion has thickened and cooled, whisk in the essential oils and preservative. Decant into a 120mL/4oz pump bottle and enjoy!
New to lotion making? Watch my basic lotion how to video!
Can’t wait to try out this simple recipe! I haven’t used my emulsifying wax in awhile. I tried to make some lotions but their consistency was always too waxy. I hope that this recipe works well with the emulsifying wax I have.
Have fun! Which e-wax do you have? And what percentages were you using it at before?
To be honest, I’ve threw out the recipes that didn’t work for me. The wax I have was just called emulsifying wax on the site, but its INCI is Cetearyl Alcohol and Polysorbate 60.
Hmmm. None of my waxes share that INCI, so I can’t comment on the wax itself, but I shall keep an eye out for it and give it a go if I find some.
I have just purchased some olive based emulsifying wax and thickeners to try. Dearer than most but want to use it in a new belly butter recipe. Fingers crossed.
Am loving your blog, I am a crafter and lover of Jane Austen etc so can really relate.
OOh, that sounds very cool! Where did you get it? Thanks for reading & DIYing with me 🙂
Hi. First of all I’ve been reading your blog for about a month, I really love your blog and I’m enjoying it. Thanks for your hard dedication to the readers. I would like to know if you have ever used spermacetti wax… I have making lotions for long time but I only use beeswax or ew and my lotions come creamy and yummy. But I want to try other types of waxes too just that I would like ur opinion. Thanks so much. Have a great day.
Hey Mary—I’ve never used spermaceti wax, and since its made from dead sperm whales, I don’t think I ever will. Have you thought about trying some floral waxes?
I’m just getting into soaping and body products, and have been looking for an easy lotion recipe to start. I think I found it! I LOVE your blog and am so grateful for your giving nature. It has made it to easy to understand this new hobby.
I’m so thrilled to hear it, Rose 🙂 Thanks so much for reading, and enjoy all your new DIY goodies and projects. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need any help!
Good morning 🙂
I really like your blog but I just noticed that in your hydrous formulations like lotions and creams that contains water you don’t add a proper broad spectrum preservative to prevent germs ,bacteria , yeast and mold . If you keep your lotions in the fridge and use it up with one to two weeks it will be fine but I think if you are planing to keep it more than that for your own safety and your readers also you should use a proper preservative.
There are some ECOCERT approved preservatives that can prolong the shelf life of your lotions and creams .
For my self I use Optiphen a liquid, paraben-free and formaldehyde-free preservative and I add it post emulsification below or at 100°F.
check this link for more information about it http://www.theherbarie.com/Optiphen.html
You’re right—I don’t add preservatives to most of my products. I also don’t add them to any of my breads or food items to keep them fresh longer. That’s part of the reason I don’t sell anything I make. I don’t think lotion should be this mysterious substance that lasts forever and ever on my counter, I prefer to treat it like a fresh product with a limited shelf life. As such, I work in small batches, and store my lotions in pump and squeeze bottles rather than open tins (those are just for pretty photos). You’ll notice most of my recipes only make ~100mL of lotion at any one time, not a litre or two. I keep an eye out for changes like mould, colour change, and separation, and I’ll chuck a lotion when I see those things happening. I use lotion on my hands for the most part, so I don’t exactly feel like I’m in danger since I’m the type of person who will scoop mould out of yoghurt and eat the rest of it anyways. Anyhow, I’ve been making my own lotion (sans preservatives) for over two years now, to no ill effect. I do think preservatives are a good idea for anything you put around your eyes, though.
I’ve just ordered some emulsifier so I can try making this myself. Have you tried making the lotion with olive oil rather than grapeseed? Why did you choose grapeseed over any other oil? Re the preservative issue, I’ve also ordered some rosemary oleoresin (not sure if that’s available everywhere, I’m in New Zealand) which is an oil soluble, natural extract from the Rosemary plant used to prevent rancidity in oils. The antioxidant properties are largely attributed to carnosic acid, one of its major constituents. I’m not sure to what extent it may help, but I’m going to give it a shot.
Hey Nicole! To answer your questions about the grapeseed oil, you should read my article on carrier oil substitutions. I think that’ll clear it up pretty nicely 🙂
Rosemary oleoresin is a pretty common more natural preservative, though I’ve never tried it myself. I generally find my lotions last for at least a month without any sign of spoilage, so I haven’t felt the need to play with too many preservatives.
Have fun & let me know how it goes 🙂
Yay! Thank you, I missed that post and it’s so helpful. I already have some apricot kernel oil so my first attempt will be with that. Thanks so much!
No problem! I wrote that blog hoping to be helpful, I’m glad to hear it’s working 🙂 Be sure to check out the rest of my “The Basics” section, it’s got some other handy articles in it.
Have you tried using beeswax instead of ew? If so I’m curious to the difference as I’ve only used beeswax.
Thanks!
A quick link for anyone with the same question 🙂
Please disregard my beeswax question as I’ve since seen that you answered that on your coconut milk lotion post!
🙂
Hi, I came across your blog and just wanted to offer a couple of friendly pointers-
For best results heat and hold water and oils for
20 minutes at 70 C. This helps kill bacteria and will ensure a smooth texture. (No graininess)
Also I don’t see a preservative used, so unless you refrigerate this will grow nasties. Toss after 1 week or use a preservative such as optiphen plus.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, not a preservative. Any product containing water absolutely needs a preservative for safety. Emulsimulse is my favorite emulsifier 😀
Hi Tabi! You’ll find most of this information thoroughly covered in my FAQ 🙂 Though I will admit I don’t bother with the heat and hold—I’ve never had a lotion split on me, and my emulsions are smooth. I could see that it could extend shelf life, but with the use a broad spectrum preservative, spoilage hasn’t been a problem for me.
Hi, love your stuff!
so is emulsimulse a complete stand alone emulsifier then, no conditioning emulsifier like stearic acid needed?
Hey Faith! Emulsimulse/ritamulse is a complete emulsifying wax and doesn’t require anything else to make stable emulsions. I’m confused by your reference to stearic acid as a conditioning emulsifier as it’s not an emulsifier and is usually included as a thickener rather than a conditioner in lotions and other products.
Thank you for getting back to me. That makes more sense. It was something I read that confused me too. I have a lotion recipe that calls for emulsifying wax and stearic acid and I wasn’t sure if the stearic acid would still be required if I used emulsimulse.
Since the emulsimulse and stearic acid do different things, you may still want to include the stearic acid. It’s there to thicken up the lotion, so if you like thick creams you should still include it. If not, be sure to replace it (by weight) with another oil or butter so you don’t throw off the balance of the recipe 🙂
I think you should reduce the size of the header. It’s kind of in the way of the amazingly interesting and generously given info you provide.
Thank you kindly!
I tried… is it any better?
Hi Marie
Any recommendations where Ritamulse or Emulsimulse can be purchased from in the UK. I’ve tried so many emulsifiers and my worst experience has been with Olivem 1000 the lotion turns into a foamy consistency which I have to whip again after 24 hours. Just a nightmare
Hey! I did a quick check and found BTMS-50 at Gracefruit; that’ll work just as well, if not better 🙂
Hey Marie – how come so much emulsifier in this recipe? I noticed it is one of your earlier recipes, but 10% seems like a lot! I’m finding that even 5% of Ritamulse is feeling pretty waxy…
This was the first lotion I ever made with emulsimulse, so I was probably just playing it safe to see what happened. You can definitely drop it down to get a texture you prefer 🙂