This document discusses skin creams and their classification. It provides a brief history of skin care preparations dating back to antiquity. Modern creams are typically emulsion-based and can range in consistency from liquid to solid. Creams are classified by function, with some of the main types being cleansing/cold creams, foundation/vanishing creams, and hand/body creams. The document also provides several formulations for beeswax-borax cold creams and liquefying cleansing creams.

1. Skin Creams
Presented by Sudipta Roy
Associate Professor
East Point College of Pharmacy Bangalore

2. • Skin care is the age old necessity of mankind.
• This necessity lead to the continuous modification and
invention of more and more skin care cosmetic
preparations.
• Skin care preparations are not new and dates back to
earliest antiquity.
• The use of salves and unhuents for preserving and
beautifying the skin is very old process.
• These were prepared, mainl, by digesting roots, flowers,
leaves, gums, aromatic resins with fats and oils.
• The first notable change was made by the greek
physicians galen, during second century A.D., by addition
of water to his salves.

3. • That preparation was considered to be the
foundation of modern days cleansing creams and
cold creams.
• Though over the centuries a continuous
modification took place, but the basic concept
remained unchanged. It has become so important
that plenty of efforts and money are being
continuously spent on research dealing with effect
of various materials and preparations on the skin
and to design better skin care preparations.

4. • With the availability of wide spectrum additives,
like emulsifying agents etc., and development of
various techniques, preparation of creams has
become very simple. Mostly, the creams are
emulsion type and consistency can from a liquid to
a spreadable solid.
• All the skin care creams can be classified on
different basis-
• 1. According to function. e.g. cleansing, foundation,
massage, etc.
• 2. According to characteristic properties , e.g. cold
creams, vanishing creams etc.

5. • The most widely accepted classification is based on
function.
• According to functions the creams can be classified
as follows-
• 1. Cleansing and cold creams
• 2. Foundation and vanishing creams
• 3. Night and massage creams
• 4. Hand and body creams
• 5. All purpose and general creams

6. Cleansing and Cold creams.
• Keeping the body clean is the important and
primitive need on account of personal hygiene and
beautification which leads to the need of
cosmetics. Though the natural process of constant
sloughing off of regarded as adequate from the
cosmetic point of view. Modern people demand a
higher degree of cleanliness.
• Cleansing cream or lotion is required for removal of
facial make-up, surface grime, oil and water and oil
soluble efficiently mainly from the face and throat.

7. • A good and properly formulated cleansing creams should be able to
remove, quickly and efficiently, applied cosmetics as face powder,
rouge, foundation bases, cake make up and lipstick. The excessive
increase in eye make up also necessiates use of cleansing products
specially formulated to remove such make up.
• Although adequate washing with soap and water will perform the
cleaning action but a cleansing cream has certain advantages.
Washing with soap-water makes the skin look dry. The cleansing
cream can readily remove the chemical substances of the facial
make-up by dissolving or lifting away the greasy binding materials
holding pigments or grime on the skin. Studies have indicated that
solidified skin oil, sebum over sebaceous or pilosebaceous orifices
are resistant to removal by scrubbing with soap and water, but can
easily be removed by the use by scrubbing with soap and water, but
can easily be removed by the use of various commercial cleansing
creams, polyethylene glycol 400, and of various commercial
cleansing creams, polyethylene glycol 400 and olive oil.

8. • Various fat solvents such as acetone, chloroform, glycerol,
kerosene, white gasoline, dioxane and 95% ethanol were found to
be effective in removal of surface oil layer, but not the slid sebum
plaques. This may be due to the superior efficacy of cleansing
creams to dislodge and remove these plaques from the orifices of
the sebaceous ducts.
• Ease of application is an important feature of the cleansing cream
and so most of these creams are liquids so that excess cream and
soil are then easily removable with tissue.
• The resultant layer left on the skin must not be occlusive but
should be suffieciently emollient to prevent drying. Cold creams
on the other hand must primarily have an emollient action. It is
also expected that they should produce a cooling sensation in use
and the resultant oil film on the skin should be non-occlusive.

9. • A cleansing cream should be easily applicable and
spreadable. It should cause low irritation to the
skin. In addition to the primary function of
cleaning, a multipurpose character can be imparted
by adding appropriate ingredients to bring abilities
to soften, lubricate and protect.
• Characteristics.
• A good cleansing cream should have the following
characteristics-
• 1. It should effectively be able to remove oil-soluble
and water-soluble oil and surface oil from the skin,
specifically face and throat.

10. • As a cosmetic it should be stable and have a good
appearance.
• It should melt or soften on application to the skin.
• It should spread easily without too much drug.
During application, it should not feel greasy or oily.
• After evaporation of any water, the cream residue
should not become viscous.
• Its physical action on the skin and pore openings
should be that of flushing rather than absorption.

11. • A light emollient film should remain on the skin after
use of the cream.
• The method of use of cleansing cream is standard.
The cream is to be applied to face and throat with
fingertips. A rotating upward stroke of the fingers is
used to spread the cream.
• A tissue paper or soft cloth is then used to remove
the residue. In case of washable cleansing creams,
the cream residue my be removed using tap water
with or without prior use of tissue.

12. Types of cleansing cream.
• Traditionally, cleansing creams are classified into
two categories-
• 1. White, emulsified cold cream (beeswax-borax
type)
• 2. Translucent, liquefying type, anhydrous in
character and consisting of a mixture of
hydrocarbon oils and waxes.
• As a result of the development of several newer
and better emulsifying agents, nowadays many
emulsion type cleansing creams are made without
beeswax and borax.

13. • 1. Beeswax-borax type:
• The beeswax-borax type is a most important
formulation among cleansing creams. The typical
creams are usually white , of high lustre, and free
from graininess. The creams have a firm
consistency. They liquefy on application to the skin
and spread with ease. These creams contain high %
of mineral oil fir cleansing efficacy. Basically, they
are oil-in-water type of emulsion. After the creams
are rubbed on the skin , a sufficient quantity of
water epaporates to impart a phase inversion to
the water-in-oil type.

14. • In this beeswax-borax type preparation borax
reacts with the free fatty acids present in the
beeswax and produces soft soap which acts as the
emulsifying agent and emulsifies the oil phase,
containing bees wax, mineral oil, paraffin etc, in the
aqueous phase.
• General procedure for manufacturing.
• As these preparations are emulsion type, the total
ingredients can be classified into oil phase and
aqueous phase.

15. General process for
manufacturing.
• As these preparations are emulsion type, total ingredients
of oil phase should be taken in increasing melting point.
The materials of least melting point should be taken and
melt it.
• Add the other oil or wax gradually in increasing melting
point and melt them with continuous stirring.
• Take separately the ingredients of aqueous phase and mix
them and heat to same temperature as oil phase.
Emulsifying agents should be added to specific phase. Mix
the two phases with continuous stirring until a smooth
cream is formed. Finally the product can be milled by
triple roller mill. Preservative should be dissolved in the
water before making cream. Perfume should be added
after the primary cream is formed and cooled but before
final milling.

16. Beeswax-Borax Cold Cream Type.
• A. Mineral oil -28.0gm
• Isopropyl myristate- 14.0gm
• Acetoglyceride-2.5gm
• Petroleum Jelly-7.5gm
• Beeswax-15.0gm
• B. Borax-1.0gm
• Water-32.0gm
• Preservative-q.s.
• Perfume-q.s.

17. • Heat first five materials (A) and next three materials
(B) separately in glass containers at about 75
degree centrigrade.
• Add the second mixture to the first mixture slowly
with continuous stirring until the thick stable
emulsion is formed.
• Add the perfume when the temperature has fallen
to about 34degree centrigrade. Stir again, mill and
store in a suitable container.

18. Formula 2
• Beeswax- 2.0gm
• Almond oil- 50.0gm
• Lanolin- 0.5gm
• Borax- 2.0gm
• Rose water- 35.5gm
• Preservative- q.s.
• Perfume- q.s.

19. Formula 3
• Beeswax- 10.0gm
• Mineral oil- 50.0gm
• Paraffin wax- 5.0gm
• Spermaceti- 3.0gm
• Water- 28.4gm
• Borax- 0.6gm
• Preservative- q.s.
• Perfume- q.s.

20. Formula 4
• Beeswax- 9.0gm
• Ceresin wax- 4.5gm
• Mineral oil- 52.0gm
• Lanolin- 0.5gm
• Borax- 0.7gm
• Water- 33.3gm
• Preservative- q.s.
• Perfume- q.s.

21. Formula 5
• Wheat-germ oil- 48.0gm
• Speramaceti- 15.0gm
• Beeswax- 15.0gm
• Water- 21.5gm
• Borax- 0.5gm
• Preservative- q.s.
• Perfume- q.s.

22. Formula 6
• Beeswax- 8.0gm
• Mineral oil- 49.0gm
• Paraffin wax- 7.0gm
• Cetyl alcohol- 1.0gm
• Borax- 0.4gm
• Water- 34.6gm
• Preservative- q.s.
• Perfume- q.s.

23. Formula 7
• Beeswax- 12.0gm
• Mineral oil- 50.25gm
• Spermaceti- 5.00gm
• Ozokerite wax- 2.00gm
• Lanolin- 2.00gm
• Borax- 0.75gm
• Water- 25.00gm
• Preservative- q.s.
• Perfumes- q.s.

24. Liquefying cleansing cream.
• These are translucent liquefying anhydrous type of cleansing
creams of thixotropic character. They consist of a mixture of oils
and waxes and have such consistency that they liquefy when
gently massaged on the skin. The materials used for preparaing
these creams are mineral oil, paraffin, petrolatum, waxes.
• Occasionally vegetables oils, fatty acid esters, or lanolin are also
incorporated in small amounts.
• Proportion of various materials should be decided properly and
formulation should be done carefully. Thixotropic character is
obtained by using wax like paraffin. The proportion of mineral oils
and wax is very important to avoid problems like separation,
sweating and granular appearance . The formation of crusty
surface can be avoided by substituting amorphous ozokerite and
petrolatum for crystalline ones. The petrolatum also prevents
bleeding of mineral oils.

25. • For emollient character normally lanolin or its
derivatives, cetyl alcohol, spermaceti, and coca
butter are incorporated. Sometimes an opaque
appearance is preferred and can be obtained by
incorporating agents like zinc oxide, titanium
dioxide, magnesium stearate, zinc stearate or
hydrous lanolin. These substances are normally
used at 2% concentration.

26. • General procedure of manufaturing.
• Melt the waxes first. Add petrolatum and finally the
liquid oils. Stir thoroughly , add the perfume after
cooling to about 45 degree centrigrade. The melted
mixture should be filtered. Finally it can be passed
through a roller mill.

27. Liquefying Cleansing Creams.
• Formula 8
• Mineral oil- 80.0gm
• Petroleum jelly- 15.0gm
• Ozokerite wax- 5.0gm
• Preservative- q.s.
• Perfume- q.s.
• Heat all the oils and waxes together at 65degree
centrigrade. Cool with stirring. Add preservative
and perfumes after cooling at 40 degree
centrigrade. Store in suitable container.

28. Formula 9
• Isopropyl myristate- 25.0gm
• Mineral oil- 25.0gm
• Petrolatum jelly- 30.0gm
• Paraffin wax- 20.0gm
• Preservative- q.s.
• Perfume- q.s.

29. Formula 10
• White mineral oil- 42.0gm
• White petroleum jelly- 18.0gm
• Spermaceti- 12.0gm
• Ozokerite wax- 14.0gm
• Cetyl alcohol- 14.0gm
• Preservative- q.s.
• Perfume- q.s.

30. Formula 11
• Mineral oil- 62.5gm
• Petrolatum- 18.75gm
• Paraffin wax- 12.5gm
• Beeswax- 6.25gm
• Preservative- q.s.
• Perfume- q.s.

31. Foundation and Vanishing Creams
• Vanishing and foundation creams are widely used for
purposes. The names have been derived according to
the functions. Vanishing creams are named so as they
disappear when applied and rubbed into the skin.
Whereas foundation creams serve as a foundation base
for the make-up acting as an adherent base for
application of make up powders. They also provide
emollient action, and a protective action against
environment by leaving a semi-occlusive residual film
on the skin which is neither too greasy nor too drying.
It can also be mentioned here that another
nomenclature, ''Day Creams" is used as these
preparations are used during the day in contrast to
heavy light creams. All these creams must not damage
the skin, should be stable and have a good consistency.

32. • Normally these preparations are based on stearic
acid but can varied also.
• Some suitable additives may be incorporated to
impart skin protecting properties. The formula can
be modified suitably to make genuine skin
conditioners with emollient or depth effect or
cleansers of the massage cream type. The
composition of stearate creams intended for
daytime use (day cream) is usually very simple.

33. Vanishing creams
• They are called vanishing creams because they
seem to disappear when rubbed into the skin.
These preparations are stearic acid based and part
of the stearic acid is saponified with an alkali and
rest of the stearic acid is emulsified with this soap
in a large quantity of water.
• After applications the cream leaves a dry but tacky
residual film which also has a drying effect on the
skin.
• Beacuse of this reason the stearic acid based
creams are still favoured for use with greasy skin
conditions and particularly in hot climates which

34. • Finest quaility triple-pressed stearic acid of melting point of
about 55 degree centrigrade is normally used.
• The high quality stearic acid provides an oil phase, which
melts above body temperature and crystalizes in a suitable
form, provides an invisible and non-geasy film and produce
a very attractive appearance. Normally, 20-30% of free fatty
acids is neutralized by akali, either potassium hydroxide or
sodium hydroxide.
• Characters of the creams vary according to the proportion
of the stearic acid present.
• The total proportion should not exceed 25% and best
preparations are obtained using 16-20% neutralization. The
consistency and texture of the cream also depends on the
amount of acid saponified and the nature of alkali used.

35. • Sodium hydroxide makes a harder creams than
potassium hydroxide. The amount of alkali is
required to be calculated on the basis of amount of
free acid available.
• Apart from potassium hydroxide, triethanolamine is
also an excellent alkali to prepare good quality
creams.
• Use of triethanolamine makes the preparation easy
and of viable nature.

36. • Borax can be useful to make a very white cream
but the disadvantage is that the product has a
distinct tendency to grain. Ammonia solution has a
tendency to discolour creams made with it after
some time.
• Glycerin not exceeding 10% is also incorporated to
maintain the consistency and enhance spreading
ability. But, being hygroscopic in nature, it may
absotb moisture after application, forming of
minute globules of water. These problems can be
overcome by using alternative glycols.

37. • As the satiny appearance of vanishing creams is
very much wanted, many substances are
incorporated to attain the pearliness. The materials
which are normally used to attain this are liquid
paraffin, spermaceti, cocoa butter, starch, castor
oil, and almond oil.
• Since these creams contain a large quantity of
water, preservatives are required to prevent
microbial growth and enhance stability.
• For this purpose methyl parahydroxy benzoate
(0.12%) and propyl prahydroxy benzoate (0.12%),
combination is normally preferred. Also to prevent

38. • Perfume is another important additive for these
creams. As in any other cosmetic preparations
much attenton is needed to select perfumes.
Selection of proper flavour is importnat to match
with other cosmetic to be used. Improper perfume
may discolour cream and thus indole, vanillin,
eugenol, and must-ambrette should be avoided.
Materials which can be selected are geranium, bois
de rose, sandalwood, bergamot, patchouli, vetivert,
ylang-ylang, lavender oils, terpineol, linalol,
geraniol, cinnamic alcohol etc. Some resinoids are
also good and can be cosidered.

39. General process for
manufacturing.
• These preparations are emulsion type and have
aqueous phase and oil phase.
• So ingredients of oil phase should be mixed
gradually increasing melting order, starting with
melting of lowest melting point substance.
Components of aqueous phase should be mixed
together and warmed to about same temperature
of oil phase and mix with oil phase with continuous
stirring until a smooth cream is formed. Add
perfume after cooling and mill further through
triple roller mill.

40. Formula 12
• Stearic acid 20.0gm
• Cetyl alcohol 0.50gm
• Triethanolamine 1.20gm
• Sodium hydroxide 0.36gm
• Glycerin 8.00gm
• Water 69.94gm
• Perfume q.s.
• Preservatives q.s.

41. Formula 13
• Lanolin 2.00gm
• Cetyl Alcohol 0.50gm
• Stearic acid 10.00gm
• Propylene glycol 8.00gm
• Potassium hydroxide 0.40gm
• Water 79.10gm
• Perfume q.s.
• Preservative q.s.

42. Formula 14
• Stearic acid 12.0gm
• Cetyl Alcohol 0.5gm
• Sorbitol syrup 5.0gm
• Propylene glycol 3.0gm
• Triethanolamine 1.0gm
• Glycerin 0.3gm
• Water 78.2gm
• Perfume q.s.
• Preservative q.s.

43. Formula 15
• Stearic acid 15.00gm
• Potassium hydroxide 0.50gm
• Sodium hydroxide 0.18gm
• Cetyl alcohol 0.50gm
• Propylene glycol 3.00gm
• Glycerin 5.00gm
• Water 75.82gm
• Perfume q.s.
• Preservative q.s.

44. Formula 16
• Stearic acid 20.00gm
• Cetyl alcohol 0.50gm
• Sodium hydroxide 0.36gm
• Triethanolamine 1.20gm
• Glycerin 8.00gm
• Water 69.94gm
• Perfume q.s.
• Preservative q.s.

45. Formula 17
• Stearic acid 20.0gm
• Potassium hydroxide 1.4gm
• Glycerin 4.0gm
• Water 74.6gm
• Perfume q.s.
• Preservative q.s.

46. • Take the ingredients of A i.e. stearic acid, alkali and
other materials, like lanolin, spermaceti etc., if
required and heat at 70 degree centrigrade in a
container. Take ingredients of B i.e. water, glycerin
etc. along with preservatives and heat also at 70
degree centrigrade. Add the second mixtuee to the
first one with continuous stirring. Cool with
continuing stirring. Add perfume when the
temperature is about 35 degree centrigrade. Mill it.