Impact of Fatty Acid Composition of Polyglycerol Esters on the Emulsifying Performance in Cosmetic Formulations
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The cosmetics industry continually seeks innovations that deliver ever-higher performance while meeting growing sustainability requirements. Although numerous plant-derived surfactants have recently emerged, achieving performance levels comparable to synthetic benchmarks remains challenging. In this study, we aimed to design a natural polyglycerol-10 ester (PG-10 ester) capable of stabilizing demanding systems such as high-internal-phase nano-emulsions (nano-HIPE) and mineral oil-in-water sunscreens. We investigated the key parameters governing surfactant efficiency: fatty acid composition from C12 to C22 or their blends, the presence of partial glycerides, and reaction parameters. Various polyglycerol esters were synthesized and characterized through chromatographic analysis and HLB determination, and then incorporated into formulations to assess their performance. This work made it possible to identify four parameters as essential for achieving high surfactant efficiency: (i) grafting multiple fatty acids onto a single polyglycerol backbone, (ii) combining short/medium-chain (
Source: Cosmetics
Language: English
Subfield: Organic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,172
OpenAlex ID: W7162084868
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