Question

A cosmetologist requires to prepare a cold cream. Suggest the commonly used combination that can be used.

• A. \( \text{Stearic acid- borax} \)
• B. \( \text{Bees wax- KOH} \)
• C. \( \text{Stearic acid-KOH} \)
• D. \( \text{Bees wax-borax} \)

Hint:

Think of the classic cold cream feel – often associated with beeswax. Borax is a common emulsifier in such traditional formulations.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Cold creams are typically oil-in-water emulsions. A common traditional formulation involves beeswax, mineral oil, and water, emulsified with borax (sodium borate). The beeswax provides structure and emolliency, mineral oil is the oily phase, and borax reacts with free fatty acids present in beeswax to form sodium soaps, which act as the emulsifying agents, creating a stable emulsion. Stearic acid is used in vanishing creams (water-in-oil emulsions) and is saponified with alkalis like borax or KOH to form the emulsifying soap, but beeswax is a characteristic component of traditional cold cream formulations.