Solubilizers: Polysorbate 20 ExplainedUpdated a month ago

You know that oil and water don't naturally mix. This can be tricky when making products like room sprays or lotions!

Solubilizers are ingredients that act like a bridge between oil and water. They help tiny oil droplets spread out evenly in a water-based liquid, stopping them from separating and making your product stable (meaning it stays mixed).

Village Craft & Candle offers Polysorbate 20 as an available Solubilizer. For the purposes of highlighting its features and benefits, we'll be comparing Polysorbate 20 to another commonly available solubilizer, Polysorbate 80, to help highlight what makes them different. 

What are Polysorbates?

Polysorbates are a type of ingredient called a surfactant. Think of surfactants as compounds that reduce the tension between two liquids that normally don't mix, helping them get along. Polysorbate 20 and Polysorbate 80 are similar but work best in different situations.

Polysorbate 20

• What it does: Great for mixing lighter oils or smaller amounts of fragrance into mostly water products.
• Good for: Usually helps create clear liquids. Works well when you don't have a lot of oil to mix in (low oil concentration).
• Best Uses: Making clear room sprays, linen sprays, light body sprays, or face mists.

Polysorbate 80

• What it does: Better at mixing heavier oils or larger amounts of fragrance. It's also good at helping oils spread out in bathwater.
• Good for: Can sometimes make liquids slightly cloudy. Handles more oil effectively (higher oil concentration).
• Best Uses: Essential for bath bombs, bath oils, and shower steamers to help oils mix with bathwater and prevent slippery rings. Also useful in lotions or creams to help ingredients blend.

Which One to Choose?

• Pick Polysorbate 20 for light oils, small amounts of oil, and clear spray products.
• Pick Polysorbate 80 for heavier oils, larger amounts of oil, and especially anything going into the bath (like bath bombs) to help the oil spread out in the water.

Quick Tip for Using Solubilizers:

The amount you need changes depending on your specific oil. A good starting point is to use at least equal parts solubilizer to oil (a 1:1 ratio). Always test a small batch first, and if the oil doesn't mix completely, gradually add a little more solubilizer (you might need a 2:1 ratio or even higher) until everything stays perfectly blended.