Discover Luxurious Texture when Plasticizers Control Crystallization

Within a typical personal care formulation, one consistently finds high-molecular-weight waxes, needed for film formation or as thickeners, alongside inorganic pigments and fillers, volatile and non-volatile oils, fragrances, actives, and more. Add to that the sometimes conflicting physical properties of these ingredients, and it is clear that something must enter the fray to allow all of them to work together. That “something” is a plasticizer.

Plasticizers are needed to interact directly with wax molecules or to enhance another plasticizer’s effectiveness. Plasticizers, embedded in the wax matrix between the molecules, can enhance the performance and stability of natural plant waxes. Kester Wax K-70P showed marked results in controlling crystallization, resulting in a more flexible and pliant wax matrix with a uniform distribution of smaller crystals. The materials showed reduced brittleness yet maintained necessary protective and moisturizing properties.

Introduction of a plascticizer, resulting in a uniform structure at the molecular level, translating into the formation of a continuous, defect-free lipid film upon application. Skin was provided with a coherent and impermeable layer that preserved moisture over extended periods. A bonus feature of the Kester Wax K-70P molecule is its propensity for attracting water molecules, even under low humidity conditions. So, formulations showed humectant properties, attracting and retaining water molecules in the upper layers of the stratum corneum.

Controlling the crystallization and the structure of a gel matrix provides a host of improvements to the texture, the slip, the feel of every gel, lotion, balm, or butter that your customers use. And the crucial feel of luxury that provides your brand with its appeal day after day, comes from getting that texture right. The plasticizer that suppresses crystallization and reduces viscosity facilitates mixing, pumping, and filling for your manufacturing, but the user experiences it as even and easy flow from that container. Plasticizing to reduce yield stress? Your valued customer has a sensory impression of low resistance in emulsions and balms, with an elegant feel, pleasant cushion, and comfortable, non-dragging application. And the coup de grace? Using a plasticizer to decrease viscosity and surface tension promotes better emollient penetration into the stratum corneum, enhancing the sense of skin’s smoothness and flexibility.

This month, we bring you a balm for the lips and a balm for all over. These featured formulations showcase the consistency, the emollience, the even deposition of actives in stable, smooth squeezables.