Nonionic and anionic emulsifiers and solubilizers for cosmetic oil-in-water and water-in-oil systems — polysorbate 20 and 80, ceteareth-20, PEG-40 castor oil, glyceryl stearate, and sodium lauryl sulfate.
Emulsifiers are surfactants that lower the interfacial tension between oil and water so the two phases form one stable emulsion; INCI classes them as emulsifying agents. They are described by HLB (hydrophilic-lipophilic balance): high-HLB emulsifiers favor oil-in-water systems, low-HLB ones favor water-in-oil. This family is mostly nonionic (the polysorbates, ceteareth-20, PEG-40 castor oil, glyceryl stearate), with one anionic surfactant (sodium lauryl sulfate).
The practical trade-off is single-emulsifier convenience versus emulsion stability. A self-emulsifying base such as glyceryl stearate is simple to use but usually needs a higher-HLB co-emulsifier (a polysorbate or ceteareth-20) to hold a fine, stable oil-in-water emulsion. Pair a low-HLB and a high-HLB emulsifier to bracket the required HLB of your oil phase rather than relying on a single material to do both jobs.
Polysorbate 20 and polysorbate 80 also work as solubilizers for fragrance and oil-soluble materials at low oil loads, and PEG-40 castor oil serves the same solubilizing role. Sodium lauryl sulfate is primarily a foaming detergent that can act as an anionic emulsifier; for cleansing systems it sits more naturally in the surfactants family. Confirm grade (NF/FCC where relevant) against your application.
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