Montanov 68

Overview

Montanov 68 is a non-ionic, plant-derived emulsifier. The “68” refers to the proportion of cetearyl alcohol in the blend (roughly 68%), with the rest being cetearyl glucoside — a sugar-derived surfactant made from coconut/palm fatty alcohols and corn or wheat glucose.

Like Olivem 1000, Montanov 68 builds lamellar liquid-crystal structures: the cream’s oil droplets self-organize into layered sheets that mirror the skin’s own lipid barrier. The result is a cream that feels noticeably “skin-like” — cushiony, medium-thick, with a satin (not greasy) finish. It tends to feel a little richer and more substantial than an Olivem 1000 cream while staying just as breathable.

Montanov 68 is Ecocert, COSMOS, and Natrue compliant, which makes it a default pick for certified-natural lines. The pellets are off-white and melt cleanly around 70 C.

What it does in a formula

Primary role: complete oil-in-water emulsifier. No co-emulsifier required.

Secondary roles: significant texture-building (the cetearyl alcohol portion thickens the cream noticeably), lamellar skin feel, mild structural support that helps suspend particles like clays or pigments without separating. It does not condition or actively penetrate, but the lamellar arrangement carries oil-soluble actives more deeply than a flat emulsion would.

How to use

Use it at 3-6% of the total formula. 3-4% gives a light cream; 5-6% gives a denser, more cushioned cream. Higher percentages start producing a heavy, butter-like texture. The standalone sweet spot is 4-5%, and the emulsifier integrates best when both phases are heated to 80°C before combining — a slightly higher hold than the 70-75°C used with e-wax.

Heat the oil phase and water phase separately to 70-75 C and hold for 20 minutes. Combine while blending, then — and this is the key step — continue stirring gently as the cream cools, all the way down to 40 C. The lamellar structure forms during cooling, not at peak heat. A slow, steady hand-stir works better than continued stick-blending, which can shear the structure apart.

Stable across roughly pH 4-12, which covers almost every skincare formula except low-pH vitamin C serums (use Olivem or e-wax for those).

Best for / Worst for

Best for: face creams, body lotions, sun-care emulsions, mature-skin creams, certified natural formulations, products where you want a noticeable cushy texture without it being greasy.

Worst for: oil-heavy balms (use a richer, water-in-oil emulsifier), low-pH acid serums below pH 4, very light gel-cream formulas (Montanov produces inherent richness), and extremely electrolyte-heavy formulas (high salt destabilizes the lamellar structure).

Common pitfalls

The most common pitfall is stopping the stir too early. The lamellar structure forms between 60 C and 40 C. If you walk away when the cream looks done at 55 C, the texture flattens and you lose the signature cushy feel. Stir to 40 C, even if it takes 20 minutes.

The second pitfall is using a stick blender during cooling. High-shear blending breaks lamellar layers. Use the stick blender only in the first 1-2 minutes after combining the phases. Switch to gentle hand-stirring after that.

Third: graininess. If you see fine white specks once the cream cools, the heat was insufficient or you cooled too fast. Re-heat to 75 C and hold longer next time.

Fourth: pairing with too much xanthan gum. Adding a thickener above 0.3% can flatten the lamellar feel that is the whole point of using Montanov 68. If you want extra body, increase Montanov to 5-6% rather than adding gum.

Fifth: going too low on oil phase. Montanov needs around 12-15% total lipids to build proper structure. A 5% oil-phase recipe will leave the cream thin and possibly unstable. If you want a “light” Montanov cream, keep the oil phase at 12-15% but use lighter esters (caprylic/capric triglyceride, squalane) rather than heavy butters.

Substitutes

• Olivem 1000 — olive-derived rather than sugar-derived, slightly lighter and more velvety feel. Same lamellar concept.
• Montanov 202 — a lighter cousin, INCI: Arachidyl Alcohol (and) Behenyl Alcohol (and) Arachidyl Glucoside. Thinner, more silky feel.
• Emulsan II (Glyceryl Stearate Citrate) — non-ionic, Ecocert, gel-cream finish rather than cushioned.
• Emulsifying Wax NF — cheaper, easier, but flatter texture (no lamellar arrangement).