(1) Classified by chemical structure
Polymer class
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC): is a common polymer thickening emulsifier. It has a good thickening effect and is applied in fields such as food and cosmetics. In food, it can be used to increase the viscosity of sauces, beverages, etc; In cosmetics, it helps to adjust the texture of the product, such as when used in some cleansers, which can make the product easier to apply on the face and less likely to flow.
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC): also a polymer, has a wide range of applications in industries such as building materials, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc. In building materials, it can improve the viscosity and water retention of mortar; In cosmetics, it can increase the consistency of lotion and cream, and has a certain emulsification stability.
Natural minerals
Bentonite thickener: This is a natural mineral thickener. It can absorb and wrap water in lotion to prevent water loss, thus improving the water retention performance and consistency of lotion. Bentonite thickeners are used in some water-based coatings and cosmetics lotion to enhance the stability and texture of products.
(2) Classified by application field
Food thickening emulsifier
Gelatin: It is partially degraded from collagen in connective tissues such as animal skin, bone, and muscle membrane. It is a white or pale yellow substance without a fixed structure and relative molecular weight. It can be used as a thickener, emulsifier, and stabilizer in food, commonly used in making jelly, pudding, and other foods to increase their viscosity and stability.
San Xian Jiao: It is a high molecular weight polysaccharide obtained through the fermentation of sugar by microorganisms of the genus Xanthomonas. The appearance is a white to light yellow powder, which is used as a thickener and viscous agent in the food industry. It can be used in various beverages, sauces, and other products to thicken and stabilize.
Thickening emulsifiers for cosmetics
Emulsifying thickener 556: Chemical name: Acrylic ester acrylic amine modified acrylate copolymer with isoparaffins and laurel polyoxyethylene acid. Easy to disperse in most oils, highly soluble, dispersed, and emulsified in water or mixtures of water and oil, forming a stable white paste. It has excellent stability, compatibility, skin affinity, as well as good thickening, shaping, emulsification, and stability properties. It is commonly used in hand cream, face cream and other cosmetics. It is easy to operate and can meet the requirements for consistency and emulsification stability of the product at a certain proportion.
Italian Viscolam AT 100P thickening emulsifier: It has a good emulsifying and thickening effect on most vegetable oils, synthetic oils, and silicone oils, and also has a good emulsifying and thickening effect on solvents. It can be used as a raw material for skincare cosmetics.
Industrial thickening emulsifier
Emulsified paraffin thickening agent: widely used in the industrial field. The thickening principle is that when added to water, particles spontaneously form a network structure to hinder the flow of water, thereby increasing the viscosity of the system, and also forming a "core-shell" structure to enhance the viscosity and stability of the system. Can be used in industrial products such as coatings and inks to improve the rheological properties and stability of the products.