Olivem 1000

Olivem© 1000 is a complete, self-thickening, natural, plant-derived emulsifying wax for creating oil-in-water emulsions. It is made by Hallstar and is COSMOS certified.

Cetearyl Olivate (and) Sorbitan Olivate

Thin, flat white flakes.

2–8%

Nothing much.

70°C (158°F)

Non-ionic

Oil

In lotions and creams it functions as an all-in-one emulsifier as well as contributing thickening. I find emulsions made with Olivem 1000 tend to be thicker than emulsions made with Polawax or Emulsifying Wax NF.

In cleansing oils and balms it creates products that self-emulsify on contact with water. It also brings the “cleansing” element as Olivem 1000 is made up of molecules that have an oil-loving and a water-loving end; the oil-loving end grabs the oil on your skin, and the water-loving end grabs the water you are washing with to rinse away easily.

No, but if you want a “natural” emulsifying wax Olivem 1000 is likely the one I’d choose.

It is a fairly easy-to-use complete “natural” emulsifying wax. It has a broader pH range and oil phase tolerance than Ritamulse SCG.

It can be harder to find (and more expensive) than more standard emulsifying waxes like Emulsifying Wax NF. It can also be harder to use successfully (though I still find it quite easy to use!).

Olivem 1000 is notorious for “soaping”—turning white on application.

Ritamulse SCG is a good alternative for Olivem 1000 as it is also ECO-Cert compliant and creates emulsions with a similarly thick, fluffy feel. However, Ritamulse SCG does have more incompatibilities than Olivem 1000, so be sure to it is compatible with your formula.

MONTANOV™ 68 MB (INCI: Cetearyl Alcohol & Cetearyl Glucoside) will work, though I find it soaps even more enthusiastically than Olivem 1000 does.

PolyAquol™ 2W (INCI: Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate (and) Glyceryl Stearate (and) Stearyl Alcohol) will also work as a natural alternative; it’s lovely!

For a non-natural alternative, you could use Polawax or Emulsifying Wax NF.

You cannot use a solubilizer, like Polysorbate 80, in place of Olivem 1000.

You cannot use a true wax, like beeswax, in place of Olivem 1000.

You cannot use other members of the Olivem family, like Olivem 300 or Olivem 900, in place of Olivem 1000.

Melt it into your heated oil phase; it needs to be heated to incorporate. It works to emulsify at 20–25% of the oil phase.

It is typically recommended to include stabilizers in your formula, like 0.2% xanthan gum, or 1–2% of a thickener/stabilizer like olive wax or Glyceryl Stearate. I don’t always do this and haven’t had any issues.

Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, Olivem 1000 should last five years.

The manufacturer recommends high-shear blending until the emulsion is formed, and then slower mixing throughout cooling.

50–100g (2–3oz)

 Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier.