Types Of Cosmetic Formulas

While the number of cosmetic products in the market is in the thousands, there are actually only a handful of cosmetic formulas. The purpose of this article is to bring to light these formulas by naming them and highlighting their functions. I will also touch on how some of them are made and the appropriate time to use them.

To begin with there are creams and emulsions. Simply put, creams can be described as pseudo stable mixtures of immiscible liquids that are dispersed in other liquids. This type of formula is normally used in products like hair conditioners and sunscreen although recent technological advancements have now led to its use in hand moisturizers. One fact about creams is that they are often used as a replacement for cosmetics that are composed of raw materials that are incompatible with each other.

Next we have suspensions. Unlike their cream and emulsion counterparts, suspensions are clear products with visible particles. The particles in this case are usually gelatine beads although inorganic materials such as titanium II oxide have been known to form a suspension. Their creation usually involves a polymer. The work of the polymer is to give the formula some internal suspending structure.

Number three on our list is ointments which are also referred to as pastes. In a definition, ointments are highly viscous or semi-solid substances that are used in medicated skin products and hairdressing. One fact about ointments is that they are anhydrous. Anhydrous meaning they do not contain water. Despite their appearance, most cosmetic chemists have actually mentioned that ointments are actually very simple to make. All that is required is simply heating up a few raw materials and then rapidly mixing them until they are all dispersed.

Another popular form of cosmetic products is Gels. Basically, a gel is a semi-rigid solid. It differs from the paste in that when a force is applied to them they become thin and flowable. They are used mainly in toothpastes and shaving products. A good example of a gelling agent is the acrylic polymer.

The discussion on cosmetic formulas cannot be concluded without mentioning powders. Powders are one of the most common types of cosmetic formulas for colour cosmetics. A powder refers to fine particles of any dry substance that have been produced as a result of crushing or grinding. Of course the particles in this case are created from solid raw materials that have been tested and proven to be skin friendly. Some of the ingredients that powders contain include silicates and starch although talc is sometimes used in special powders such as those applied to babies. During its preparation, special equipment is used. This is mainly because fine powders have proven to be lethal if not handled well.

Finally, we have sticks. The logic behind sticks is that the customer will not want to touch the cosmetic when applying it so a stick product form was introduced. In layman terms, they are solid delivery forms that deliver ingredients via a rubbing motion. They are usually created by materials that are solids at room temperature which are then melted and poured into a mold. Once cooling take place they take the shape of their package.