Glossary
A substance that enables two normally immiscible liquids, typically oil and water, to form a stable, uniform mixture called an emulsion. In skincare, emulsifiers are required whenever a formula contains both water-based and oil-based ingredients, which includes nearly all conventional lotions, creams, and serums.
Oil and water do not naturally mix. Shake them together and they will separate within minutes. Since most commercial skincare products contain both water (for lightweight texture and cost reduction) and oils (for moisturizing), emulsifiers are essential to keep the formula stable. Without them, the product would separate in the bottle.
Common emulsifiers include cetearyl alcohol, polysorbates, glyceryl stearate, and PEG (polyethylene glycol) compounds. While many of these are considered safe, they add complexity to ingredient lists and some, like certain PEG compounds, have raised concerns about contamination with ethylene oxide.
Water-free skincare formulations, like those made by Goodfriend Honey Co., eliminate the need for emulsifiers entirely. When a product contains only oils, butters, and waxes with no water, there is nothing to emulsify. Beeswax naturally blends with shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil without any chemical assistance.
This waterless approach also eliminates the need for preservatives (no water means no microbial growth), resulting in products with dramatically shorter, cleaner ingredient lists. Fewer ingredients mean fewer potential irritants and a lower risk of allergic reactions.
Most emulsifiers used in skincare are considered safe. However, some can disrupt the skin barrier by interacting with the lipids that hold skin cells together. People with sensitive or eczema-prone skin may benefit from emulsifier-free products.
Waterless products contain only compatible lipophilic (fat-loving) ingredients: waxes, butters, and oils. These naturally blend together when melted and solidify into a stable product when cooled. No emulsifier is needed because there is no water to separate from the oil phase.
Beeswax has mild emulsifying properties and can stabilize small amounts of water in oil. However, in Goodfriend products, it functions primarily as a structuring agent and skin protectant, since our formulas contain no water.
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