Emulsifiers

What are emulsifiers?

An emulsifier is a surfactant that keeps oil and water mixed in a single, stable product. For B2B buyers the practical question is not only what is an emulsifier, but which type will hold your emulsion under real production conditions — temperature, pH, electrolyte load and shelf life.

The right selection stabilises your finished goods, simplifies production and cuts rework. The wrong one shows up as creaming, phase separation or off-spec batches — which is why we help buyers compare emulsifier examples and options before the first sample is shipped.

Common types of emulsifiers

Emulsifiers are grouped by ionic charge and by the phase they stabilise. The main types buyers ask us to compare are:

• Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsifiers — water-continuous systems such as Tween-80 (polysorbate 80), used to disperse oils in creams, lotions and food emulsions.
• Water-in-oil (W/O) emulsifiers — oil-continuous systems such as Span-80 (sorbitan oleate), chosen for heavy emulsions, cosmetics and industrial blends.
• Nonionic emulsifiers — charge-free and highly compatible, popular in cold-process cosmetics and in systems where ionic charge would interfere.
• Anionic emulsifiers — negatively charged and common in detergents, cleaning and agrochemical systems; see anionic surfactants.
• Natural and bio-based emulsifiers — plant-derived options increasingly requested for natural and organic skincare and food lines.
• Polyoxyethylene stearate (SG) — nonionic O/W emulsifiers such as Emulsifier SG-10 for cosmetic, fibre-processing and cleaning systems.
• Ethoxylated castor oil (EL) — nonionic emulsifiers such as EL-40 for textile, cosmetic and metalworking fluids.

Where emulsifiers are used

Emulsion stability matters across most of the industries we serve — we supply emulsifiers to formulators in Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, India and the Middle East.

• Cosmetics and personal care — creams, lotions and sunscreens depend on an emulsifier for cosmetics that stays light and stable. See cosmetics & daily chemical.
• Food and beverage — emulsifiers in food keep dressings, sauces and dairy products smooth and uniform. See food grade additives.
• Agrochemical — pesticide emulsifiers turn active ingredients into stable spray emulsions for even field coverage. See agriculture & agrochemical.
• Industrial — metalworking fluids, coatings and cleaners use emulsifiers to blend oils into water-based systems. See metal processing and coatings & inks.

Frequently asked questions