Emulsifying Wax (Cetearyl Alcohol & Polysorbate 60)

About This Product

This emulsifying wax is a compounded blend of cetearyl alcohol, CAS 67762-27-0, with polysorbate 60, supplied as white to off-white pastilles or flakes melting at 61 to 65 degrees Celsius. It is the material widely sold as Emulsifying Wax NF, and it is non-ionic, so it carries no charge. Its convenience is that it packages two jobs into one ingredient. Polysorbate 60 is the true emulsifier: it has a water-loving head and an oil-loving tail, so it sits at the interface between oil droplets and water and lowers the surface tension that would otherwise drive the two apart. Cetearyl alcohol is the consistency factor: a fatty alcohol that packs alongside the emulsifier at the droplet surface, stiffening that interfacial film and thickening the water phase so the droplets cannot move and coalesce. Neither alone makes a robust cream, which is why they are pre-blended. Being non-ionic, the system tolerates a wide pH range and is compatible with cationic and anionic actives that would break a charged emulsifier. Typical use is 3 to 8 percent, with both phases heated to about 70 degrees before combining. It is used in creams and lotions, hair conditioners and masks, sunscreens, pharmaceutical ointments and cleansing products. Bio Green Wax supplies emulsifying wax to specification on melting point, hydroxyl value, acid value, saponification value and colour.