Emulsan II

Overview

Emulsan II is one of the trade names for Glyceryl Stearate Citrate. The same molecule is sold under several supplier names but the chemistry is identical: a partial ester of glycerin, stearic acid, and citric acid, all naturally derived. The citric acid arm is what makes it different from plain Glyceryl Stearate or Glyceryl Stearate SE — the citrate group gives the molecule additional water-loving character and, crucially, makes it a complete primary emulsifier.

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate is non-ionic, Ecocert and COSMOS approved, and entirely plant-derived. It comes as yellow-to-cream wax flakes or pastilles that melt around 55-65 C. The finished product feels notably different from an e-wax or Olivem 1000 cream: lighter, more gel-like, with a fresh, fast-absorbing, slightly bouncy texture. It is the emulsifier of choice for gel-creams, light face lotions, and “fluid” moisturizers that need to feel almost watery on the skin.

Among the natural emulsifier family (Olivem, Montanov, Emulsan), Glyceryl Stearate Citrate produces the lightest, most modern-feeling texture.

What it does in a formula

Primary role: complete oil-in-water emulsifier. Works alone, no co-emulsifier required.

Secondary roles: contributes a slight chelating action through the citric acid moiety (helps stabilize the formula against trace metal contamination), produces a gel-cream texture that is hard to achieve with heavier emulsifiers, and is mild on skin and the eye area. It does not condition or actively penetrate.

How to use

Use it at 2-6% of the total formula. The breakdown:

• 2-3%: light fluid moisturizer, hydrating mist with oil
• 3-4%: gel-cream face moisturizer
• 5-6%: standard body lotion, slightly more substantial face cream

Add to the oil phase with your other lipids. Heat both phases to 70-75 C and hold for 20 minutes. Combine while stick-blending for 1-2 minutes, then continue stirring gently as the cream cools — like Olivem and Montanov, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate benefits from steady cool-down stirring to build its full structure. Cool to 40 C, then add heat-sensitive ingredients.

It works best with a slightly thickened water phase — adding 0.1-0.2% xanthan or sclerotium gum to the water phase noticeably improves stability and skin feel.

Stable across roughly pH 3-9, which makes it compatible with most actives including vitamin C and AHAs (a real advantage over Glyceryl Stearate SE).

Best for / Worst for

Best for: gel-cream face moisturizers, light body fluids, summer lotions, sun-care emulsions, certified-natural formulations, products for combination or oily skin where heavier emulsifiers feel uncomfortable, vitamin C serums where you want some emulsion structure.

Worst for: very rich body butters or balms (too light), thick night creams (the gel-cream feel is inherently fresh, not rich), conditioner-style products (it is non-ionic, no hair-binding), and formulas with very high oil-phase percentages above 25% (the structure becomes harder to hold).

Common pitfalls

The biggest pitfall is expecting it to feel like Olivem 1000 or e-wax. It does not. Emulsan II creams have a distinctly gel-cream finish — lighter, more bouncy, slightly slicker. New users sometimes interpret this as “the lotion did not thicken” and try to add cetyl alcohol, which kills the signature texture.

Second pitfall: rushing the cool-down. Like other lamellar-ish emulsifiers, it needs continued stirring from 75 C down to about 40 C to build its full skin feel.

Third: using it solo with no stabilizer. While the molecule can emulsify alone, a tiny amount of xanthan or sclerotium (0.1-0.2%) noticeably improves long-term stability. Skip it and you may see slow separation over months.

Fourth: using it with high electrolyte loads. Like most non-ionic emulsifiers, performance suffers with more than 1-2% total salts.

Fifth: buying the wrong “Emulsan.” Some suppliers sell completely unrelated emulsifier blends under similar names. Always confirm the INCI says Glyceryl Stearate Citrate.

Substitutes

• Olivem 1000 — natural, lamellar, more velvety and cushioned skin feel.
• Montanov 68 — natural, lamellar, more substantial cushioned feel.
• Sucragel CF / SuperMOL — much lighter sugar-based emulsifier for cold-process gel-creams.
• Glyceryl Stearate (and) PEG-100 Stearate — non-natural, similar light cream feel, less Ecocert-friendly.
• Olivem 300 — water-soluble cousin from the same olive-derived family.