Rheological additives
What is Gilugel®
Gilugel® is a lipogel which lends both stability and viscosity to cosmetic emulsions. Gilugel® is composed of 20% Aluminium-Magnesium-Hydroxide-Stearate, as the active material, which is based on the inorganic pharmaceutical active, Hydrotalcite. The remaining 80% consists of specific oils or ester, in which the active material is gelled.
Gilugel® takes on the colour and odour of the oil or ester used for gelling. Gilugel® is free from preservatives, stabilisers and components of animal origin.
The active component Aluminum-Magnesium-Hydroxide-Stearate is listed in „Annex 2 of BDHI Standard Certified Natural and Organic Cosmetics (Positive List)“.
Application Areas and Benefit
Stability, exellent skin feel, increased water content in W/O emulsions
Thermostability, increased SPF, water resistance
Homogeneous pigment distribtion
Protective film formation, resistant to aqueous and oily media
Lends consistency to sticks and creams
How Gilugel® works
Gilugel® is a functional additive which, as a result of the patented gelling agent, Aluminium-Magnesium-Hydroxide-Stearate, improves the stability and rheological characteristics of emulsions. Depending on the application area, additional formulation benefits can be achieved by using specific Gilugel® types.
Stabilisation of emulsions with waxes can be avoided by using Gilugel®, allowing formulators to take full advantage of the dermatological benefits of water in oil (W/O) formulations.
Skin Feeling
The absence of waxes, in combination with the thixotropic properties of Gilugel® allows the formulation of very light W/O emulsions (containing more than 80% water) with excellent skin sensory characteristics.
Pigment Distribution
In formulations containing TiO2 , ZnO or Iron Oxide pigments, Gilugel® forms a layer on the surface of the particles which leads to improved pigment dispersion and prevention of reagglomeration, even on storage of the end product. This means that in sun care emulsions, a reduction in sun protection factor (SPF) over time is avoided and a favourable relationship is achieved between the level of pigments applied and the resulting SPF.
Water Resistance
Tests have shown that sun care formulations containing Gilugel® maintain their SPF even after 3 hours of swimming. This water resistance can be attributed to the film forming characteristics of Gilugel® on the skin.
Thermostability
Gilugel® lends high thermostability to formulations. In sun care products, for example, changes in viscosity are minimal even at extreme temperatures.
Figure 1 shows the change in viscosity of a sun care formulation containing Gilugel® (12-1) compared to a corresponding formulation containing micro-crystalline wax (12-4) and a commercial product. The formulation containing Gilugel® is the most stable at both higher and lower temperatures.
Antiperspirants
The efficacy of anhydrous antiperspirant products can be negatively affected by the presence of high levels of hydrophobic waxes. The thickening properties of Gilugel® allow wax levels to be reduced to a minimum.