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Home | Essential Oils | Best Natural Emulsifiers

Best Natural Emulsifiers

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Emulsifiers are commonly used in homemade lotions, body butters, and other water-based recipes. Great for getting those ingredients that don’t mix; to mix!

Natural emulsifiers on wooden board.

I am a big DIYer and love to make projects with essential oils and other natural products to help get toxins out of my home.

Quite a few skin care and hair care recipes call for water and oil. Most of these recipes require an emulsifier to integrate the ingredients that would not normally mix.

Without an emulsifier, you may need to shake homemade products before each use.

What are emulsifiers?

Emulsifiers are used to mix ingredients that normally wouldn’t mix. Especially helpful when mixing oil and water.

Body butter and lotions made with large-molecule fats and small-molecule oils can be made smooth with a natural emulsifier.

Emulsifiers can break apart an oil or fat into smaller particles and then disperse those particles throughout the water or other liquid being used in the recipe.

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What are the best natural emulsifiers?

Cetearyl Alcohol

A very popular emulsifier, it is excellent at stabilizing and thickening products. Cetearyl alcohol works best with cetearyl glucoside to combine oils and water.

Both of these ingredients can be naturally or synthetically derived. So be sure to check with the manufacturer before purchasing.

Wax emulsifiers

Several waxes can be used as a natural emulsifier, making them an excellent choice for homemade skin care products.

Candelilla wax, carnauba wax, rice bran wax, and in some instances, beeswax can all be used as wax emulsifiers.

When looking for a natural option, make sure that you are using a non-GMO wax that is vegetable-derived and made with natural ingredients.

candelilla wax

An excellent emulsifier, this natural vegan wax can be used in homemade creams, lotions and balms.

Known to absorb well into the skin, candelilla wax is described as a fast-absorbing lubricant, easily binding water and oil constituents together, according to this site.

Candelilla wax is rich in nutrients and absorbs well into the skin. It is known to reduce wrinkles, fine lines, and stretch marks.

carnauba wax

Carnauba wax, according to science direct, is a great natural emulsifier. And with its high melting point, this wax is perfect for thickening homemade balms, deodorants, and lip balms.

Carnauba wax is hypoallergenic, making it a good choice for those with sensitive skin.

rice bran wax

This vegan wax is another great choice to use as a natural emulsifier. There have been several studies into how well this wax works for W/O emulsions that you can read about here and here.

Rice bran wax can be used to improve skin tone, reduce wrinkles and fine lines, and promote hydration.

beeswax

While technically not a water-oil emulsifier, beeswax does work as a thickener and binding agent in many water-free body butters and creams.

So if you are not emulsifying water and oils, but you still want the texture most emulsifiers provide, consider using beeswax.

It keeps the skin hydrated, provides a protective barrier on the skin by trapping in moisture, and is even used to exfoliate dead skin cells.

I love adding beeswax to my homemade face creams and lip balms. Not only does it create the perfect texture, but it adds extra benefits for the skin.

Apple cider vinegar and wax emulsifiers sitting on white marble table with blue and white tea towel.

A few more natural emulsifiers to try

Emulsifiers can come from animal or plant tissues. And while emulsifier waxes work well with water and oil emulsions, there are other options for recipes that do not include water.

Points to consider: Make sure the emulsifier you choose will work with the ingredients in the product you are making and at the correct dosages.

Different emulsifiers work better at higher percentage dosages, and some work better with lower dosages.

Below are a few popular emulsifiers to help stabilize, combine, or thicken your skincare products.

  • Honey
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Aloe vera
  • Castile soap
  • Gelatin
  • Salt
  • Baking soda

Note: these ingredients are not meant to emulsify water with oils.

Adding essential oils to amber colored glass dropper bottle.

What emulsifiers are best for essential oils?

We all know oil and water do not mix. The same goes for essential oils. Adding an emulsifier will eliminate the need to shake your oil and water-based products every time before each use.

essential oil emulsifiers

  • Witch hazel
  • Baking soda
  • Aloe vera gel
  • Castile soap
  • Gelatin
  • Honey

how do emulsifiers work with essential oils

Add essential oils to an emulsifier of your choice and mix well until the ingredients are well combined. Then add water and shake well.

Not all essential oil recipes will need an emulsifier, just water-based ones. Essential oils mix great with fats like cocoa butter, coconut oil, and carrier oils.

For example, homemade cream, sunscreen, or chapstick made without water will not need an emulsifier.

However, water-based recipes, such as room sprays that contain oils, will need some sort of emulsifier.

Are emulsifiers safe?

Soap emulsifier made from wax on wooden board.

Emulsifiers get a bad rep in the food industry as they can cause inflammation and ruin the gut liner. Most processed foods contain emulsifiers.

Emulsifiers found in cosmetics and skin care products can be safe as long as you are using a natural option.

Some conventional products can contain emulsifiers that are toxic to the skin; this is why I prefer to make my own.

Common cosmetic emulsifiers include:

  • polysorbates
  • laureth-4
  • potassium cetyl sulfate.

In summary

  • Oil and water-based recipes need an emulsifier for the ingredients to mix.
  • Several waxes make excellent natural emulsifiers.
  • Essential oil recipes may need emulsifiers.
  • Emulsifiers found in conventional cosmetics and processed foods may not be safe to use.

Check Out a Few of My Other Favorite Posts

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  • Jamaican Black Castor Oil – why you need it
  • Jojoba oil – why it’s one of my favorite carrier oils
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  • Photosensitive Oils
  • Castile Soap Benefits & Uses

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Comments

  1. Praj says

    March 28, 2021 at 5:47 AM

    A Good read! Thanks for the helpful information

    Reply
    • Laura says

      March 28, 2021 at 8:05 PM

      You’re welcome!

      Reply
  2. Viktoria says

    April 4, 2021 at 2:58 PM

    I do not understand how if an emulsifier is connected oil with water you call bees wax an emulsifier. It won’t work as such

    Reply
    • Jan says

      June 26, 2021 at 8:01 PM

      I have the same question. Bees wax is hydrophobic.

      Reply
  3. azra says

    June 30, 2021 at 8:07 PM

    Kindly Help me with what amount weight wise of e-wax in production of 200 grams of diy home made skin care soaps from avacadoes pulp

    Reply
  4. Snita says

    November 6, 2021 at 9:04 PM

    Thank you for great information

    Reply
  5. Sherelle says

    November 20, 2021 at 9:43 AM

    Hello thank you for this information I found it most interesting. I have 2 questions. Do you recommend a natural emulsifier apart from the waxes, to use for my creams. I have vf + mf Emulsifier ànd Olivem 1000 are not hydrating enough
    Thank you

    Reply
  6. Jane says

    January 11, 2022 at 5:28 AM

    Enjoyed your article. Very informative and written in simple and easy to understand language. Currently into DIY and that’s how I came across your site.

    Reply
  7. CG Fagerhaughb says

    January 18, 2022 at 3:26 PM

    what is your emulsifier ?

    Reply
  8. Aldora says

    January 29, 2022 at 9:11 AM

    I researching for the best natural emulsifier for making body shimmer …Recommendations?

    Reply
  9. Louise says

    February 28, 2022 at 12:50 AM

    Very beautiful content

    Reply
    • Laura says

      March 7, 2022 at 8:27 PM

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  10. Emm says

    May 12, 2022 at 7:28 PM

    Which emulsifier is best for a more oil(carrier oil) to water base(hydrosol) moisturizer?

    Reply
  11. Jemimah says

    July 4, 2022 at 6:29 AM

    Let me try out the O/W emulsion I see .thank you

    Reply
  12. .Cyndy says

    October 11, 2022 at 3:28 PM

    Thank you for all of this amazing information.

    If I’m making a body spray, what is the recommended emulsifier, and how much of it should I use.

    Reply
    • Laura says

      October 12, 2022 at 8:25 AM

      I have several body sprays and room sprays on the blog.

      Reply
  13. Natasha Escoto- Shore says

    November 7, 2022 at 5:59 PM

    What would be a house hold emulsifier to use when making bath bombs?

    Reply
    • Laura says

      November 15, 2022 at 2:13 PM

      You can find all of my bath bomb recipes on my blog. At the top of my blog, I have a search bar and you can type in “bath bombs” there and it will pop right up.

      Reply
  14. Christi Newsome says

    January 3, 2023 at 12:44 PM

    Best explanation I’ve read so far. Thank you, just need to figure out which one I’m going to use.

    Reply
  15. Jo says

    January 28, 2023 at 7:01 AM

    What kind of emulsifier would you use in cream so that it mixes better in coffee? The one I like and have used for years has polysorbate 80 in it. I am trying to get away from chemicals.

    Reply

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