The rheology of commercial creams and lotions / Siti Afina Anis Roslan

Cosmetics such as creams and lotions are semi-solids type products formulated based on emulsion system consisting of two immiscible components. These preparations are difficult to characterize and require specific flow properties to be stable when placed into the container and applied on the affected area. For that matter, rheology is necessary as it influences how the material is formulated and developed. This research study is to analyze the rheological and textural parameters as well as other additional measurements of the commercial cosmetic creams and lotions. For this purpose, about eleven products consist of both creams and lotions marketed were studied by using the appropriate measurements. The rheological assessment of the products was studied using viscosity, oscillation amplitude sweep and oscillation frequency sweep tests while the textural analysis tests used were back extrusion and spreadibility. Particle size distribution and stability analyses were also performed. It has been shown that the flow behaviour of the cosmetic products as evaluated by the rheology measurements have a strong influence on the stability of the product.