Formulating a lotion: Choosing the fats – THEORY pt.5

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My Lab Diary: The “Grease-Fall” (A Study in Balance)

Hello Hello! 😀

Today I want to talk about something very important when we make a cream: the Grease-Fall. I’ve been doing a lot of experiments lately because I wanted to understand why some of my creams felt “greasy” on my skin for a long time, while others disappeared too fast and my skin felt dry again.

I found out it’s all about the spreading velocity of the oils we use!

What is the Grease-Fall? Think of it like a waterfall of oils. If you only use one oil, like Olive Oil, it has one “speed.” But if you mix different oils, you can make a “cascade” where the skin feels good from the first second until many hours later.

In my lab notes, I divide my oils into three groups:

  1. Light Oils (The fast ones!): These are oils that spread very quickly. When you put the cream on, these are the ones that make it feel “silk” and not “fat.” I like to use things like Cetiol Sensoft or Dicaprylyl Ether.

  2. Medium Oils: These are the heart of the cream. They spread a bit slower than the light ones. Here I use my favorites like Argan oil, Jojoba, or Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides.

  3. Heavy Oils and Butters: These are the slow ones. They stay on top of the skin to protect it so the water doesn’t evaporate. Here I put my Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, or Castor oil.

How I make my “Team of Oils”: I don’t just pick an oil because the marketing says it’s “miraculous.” (I don’t believe in miracles, I believe in INCI! 😉 ) I try to make a balance. For example, if I use 10% of oils in my cream, I don’t use 10% of Shea Butter. That would be like wearing a plastic mask!

I try to do something like this:

  • 3% Light oils

  • 4% Medium oils

  • 3% Heavy oils/butters

This way, the effect of rubbing the cream should be something like this :

  • First, the Light oils spread and it feels “Wow, so smooth!”

  • Then, the Medium oils take over.

  • At the end, the Heavy oils stay to protect the skin.

This is the secret to a professional cream! It’s not about the most expensive oil in the world, it’s about how you mix them.

It’s all in my hands! 😉

HAVE A GREAT DAY! 😄

28 thoughts on “Formulating a lotion: Choosing the fats – THEORY pt.5”

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    2. I’ve been having a problem with my creams where they just don’t rub in very quickly – I get the white streaks for ages – in terms of the oils – I am wondering if I have too many different ones and if I should just stick to 2-3 different oils

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      1. Mostly the white streaks are caused by the thickening or emulsifying agents. Stearic acid or cetearyl acid for example.
        It is not a matter strictly about HOW MANY oils, but definitely which combination.
        Also, check your humectants. Maybe too much glycerin? 🙂
        You just have to tweak your formula.

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  8. this is one of the most comprehensive blogs i have ever read regarding DIY cosmetics. i will definitely visit this blog on a regular basis. thank you so much. i can’t wait to start DIY-ing cosmetics.

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  9. Love love love your posts, very informative. Do you have a table of various carrier oils and their density, spreadability, absorbing ability and fatty acids? I’d also love to see more of your recipes.

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    1. I have it but it is on paper and I only summed up what I found online.
      There are some oils which have a different composition but, whatever the resellers claims, many oils are pretty similar (for example: hazelnut oil, almond oil, macadamia nut oil… they have a very different cost but their composition is quite similar).
      About density you can find information online (even though the data varies a little from one website to another), while for spreadability you have to make your own test by pouring a drop of oil on your arm or on paper (and waiting to see how it behaves). 🙂
      The same goes for the absorbing issue 🙂

      My recipes will come 🙂
      I am just formulating a face cream 🙂

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  10. Love your blog. Thank you.
    I hope that with time i will get enough courage and knowledge to start making my own creams and lotions.. But first of all, the most important thing for me is to truly understand how it is made (or should be made 😀 ).

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  11. Just loving your posts and learning!! I am a bit confused about the second example that you gave for dry skin formulation with 5% oils. You use 2% jojoba oil. I would like to confirm that is it for oily skin cream or dry skin? Or am i confused??

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  12. I just discovered your blog, and it’s really great! This post in particular I found really interesting. I’ve been DIYing cosmetics for several years now, but I’d never heard of the grease-fall… so wonderful to learn new things!

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  13. I love your blog!!!! I am so glad I’ve found this website!!

    I am a long time soaper (10+ years) and I have made toners and lotions a few times and even took a lotion making class. I have been reading your articles over 6 hours today, still reading :)!

    Your “Formulating cosmetics theory” and “How to Formulate Lotions and Creams” are so informative and so easy to understand! Your explanations are so clear that even someone like me could finally understood the basic of cosmetic making !

    I can’t thank you enough!

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  14. You are a great teacher, I just discovered your blog, just reading everything I can for the past 6hrs. Please do you have any training or do you have any books on formulation that can help us?. Thank you

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      1. But please can you recommend books that you read that was useful to you. Thank you

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  16. Thank you so much for your incredibly valuable information. You have a wonderful way of breaking down the chemistry and steps involved in cosmetics. I am note taking and absorbing as much as I can after taking another formulating course this really made me understand it all more clearly. I am waiting for product to arrive to begin this journey and will continue to reference this material without a doubt!

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