The Preparation of Hand Cream
Hypothesis
It is hypothesized that each hand cream product will have different physical properties, as a result
of the different combinations of ingredients used.
Purpose
The purpose of this lab was to prepare hand creams using different combinations of the same
ingredients, and to examine the characteristics of each product.
Introduction
The function of a skin cream is to protect the skin against harshness from the environment and any
dry conditions of the skin. A skin cream should aid the skin in carrying out its normal functions,
that is, restoring moisture to dry skin, allowing the elimination of waste matter through the pores,
and the cooling of the body by evaporation of water (perspiration) and radiation, thus aiding in the
maintenance of the normal body temperature. If the cream clogs the pores of the skin with heavy,
insoluble, inert material, it results in a thick sticky coating on the skin and prevents sufficient
normal skin function, being detrimental to health.
Skin creams contain a variety of ingredients that range from common, such as mineral oil, to the
exotic, such as placenta extract. Some skin creams may contain small amounts of vitamins or other
“nutrients”. A basic and satisfactory skin cream can be prepared from stearic acid, lanolin, mineral
oil, triethanolamine, and water. A cream can be easily made using emulsifying ointment, which is
a mixture of oils and waxes that blends with water or tinctures.
Home-made creams will last for several months, but the shelf-life is prolonged by storing the
mixture in a cool place or refrigerator or by adding a few drops of benzoin tincture as a
preservative. Creams made from organic oils and fats deteriorate more quickly. A skin cream can
also be prepared from a tincture made from Azadirachta indica, borax, sunflower oil, white
beeswax, and white soft paraffin. Skin creams contain ingredients for adding body, improving
texture, emulsifying the oil and water components, raising the melting point, improving the spread
ability, improving the odor, softening the skin, and providing various medicinal properties.
Formulations for most hand creams commonly contain water for moisture and lanolin which aids
the absorption of water by the skin. Lanolin has the ability to absorb 25- 30% of its own weight of
water thereby forming a fine emulsion. Lanolin is a yellowish wax composed of esters of long
chain fatty acids and long alcohol chains. Spread ability of the hand cream is a function of mineral
oil. Mineral oil consists of high molecular weight hydrocarbons. Homogeneity of the hand cream
requires the inclusion in the formulation of strong emulsifying agents.
Emulsifying agents ensure that nonpolar substances such as lanolin and mineral oil will uniformly
disperse in the polar water medium. An emulsifying agent must have a hydrophobic portion that
interacts with the nonpolar components of the hand dream and a hydrophilic portion that interacts
with the water. A mixture of stearic acid and triethanolamine react to produce a salt that is a
commonly utilized emulsifying agent. Textures of hand creams can be modified by the inclusion
of alcohols or esters. Two common examples are 1,2-propanediol and methyl stearate.
The hand cream that will be synthesized in this lab consists of three polar ingredients: water,
triethanolamine, propylene glycol. And four nonpolar ingredients: stearic acid, methyl stearate,
lanolin, and mineral oil.
Lanolin (also known as wool wax) is a yellow waxy substance secreted by glands in the skin of
wool-bearing animals such as sheep. It is used widely in skin products. It has a complex and
variable chemical composition containing thousands of unique (mainly nonpolar) organic
molecules.
Mineral Oil: Is a byproduct of petroleum distillation. It is a clear, colorless oil containing mainly
alkanes. Mineral oil is non-polar substance. It is a highly refined and purified oil. Its inert nature
makes it less likely to cause skin reaction. Also, it reduces water loss from the skin, thus helps to
retain the moisture of the skin. If a hand cream sample missing mineral oil in it, the sample will
miss all the above benefits.
Triethanolamine: It is a polar ingredient in hands cream. It does not provide any benefit to the skin
and thus its usage is limited and regulated in various countries. It is used in formulations to regulate
the pH and to improve the texture of the final product of hand cream over time. It is used
as emulsifier to bind water and oil in the hand cream to provide appropriate thickness and even
and smooth texture to the final product. If this is missing in hand cream, the final product is uneven
and oily.
Methyl stearate: It is an ester class compound and if missing from the hands cream, cream
lacks smoothness.
Propylene glycol: It acts as humectant. For example, it retains moisture of the skin on exposure
and hence keeps skin hydrated.
Emulsifying agents: Most creams contain both oil and water and it is necessary in a cream that
both ingredients are properly mixed together to form a smooth textured cream. Hence, emulsifying
agents are a must as they contain both hydrophilic and hydrophobic ends to bind the water and oil
in the cream together to give a smooth texture to the final product.
The purpose of the water in hand cream is to provide moisture to the skin. Lanolin is able to absorb
water and aid in the moisturizing of the skin. Since the hand cream contains both water (polar) and
oils (non-polar), an emulsifying agent is needed maintain an emulsion with a high degree of
homogeneity. An emulsion is a mixture of finely divided particles suspended in a liquid. If no
emulsifying agent was present, the mixture would quickly separate. An emulsifying agent must
have a polar and non-polar portion. Stearic acid (structure above) is an example of such a molecule.
It has a long non-polar hydrocarbon chain (giving the compound an overall non-polar quality) but
it also has a polar –CO2H group. The polar portion of the molecule can interact with the water.
Whereas the non-polar portion is able in interact with the oil.
Hand creams function to soften the skin and prevent dryness, eliminate natural waste products
(usually oils) by emulsification, and cool the skin. Formulations for hand creams must also ensure
spread ability. Hand creams may also contain fragrance or medications. The four remaining
ingredients: triethanolamine, propylene glycol, methyl stearate and mineral oil, each serve an
important function in generating the desired properties of a hand cream. These properties include
smoothness, homogeneity, appearance, and cooling effect. In this experiment we will try to
determine the specific function these four ingredients by leaving each one of them out of a handcream recipe and characterizing the resulting products.
Outline of Procedure
Part 1 – Preparation of the Hand Creams
1. The first step of this experiment was to set up a ring stand with an iron ring and a piece of
wire gauze over a Bunsen burner. Then fill a 400-mL beaker about halfway with tap water
and start heating it with the burner.
Hand Cream #1
1. Place 5 g palmitic acid, 0.5 g hexadecanol, 4 g lanolin, and 5 mL mineral oil in a 50mL
beaker. (These are all the nonpolar ingredients.)
2. Place100-mL beaker, place 25 mL deionized water, 1 mL triethanolamine, and 0.5 mL of
ethylene glycol. (These are the polar ingredients.)
3. Using a pair of crucible tongs to hold one edge of the beaker, hold the 50-mL beaker of
nonpolar ingredients in the water bath until everything in the beaker has melted. Remove
this small beaker and set it on the bench top.
4. In the same way, hold the 100-mL beaker of polar ingredients in the hot water bath for 5
minutes. After 5 minutes, removed this beaker and set it on the bench top.
5. If the nonpolar ingredients have solidified by now, re-melted them in the water bath.
Vitamin E was also added to each mixture.
6. Slowly poured the melted nonpolar ingredients into the polar ingredients while constantly
stirring the mixture with a stirring rod. Kept stirring the mixture for 5 minutes, until it was
smooth and uniform. These steps were completed four times.
7. The pH of each hand cream mixture was tested using pH strips.
Hand Cream #2
1. In a clean, dry 50-mL beaker, place 5 g oleic acid, 0.5 g hexadecanol, and 4 g lanolin.
2. In a clean 100-mL beaker, place 25 mL deionized water, 1 mL triethanolamine, and 0.5
mL of propylene glycol.
3. Follow steps 4-7 above in hand cream mixture 1, to heat and combine the mixtures. This
time label the beaker of finished hand cream “Mixture #2” and set it aside.
Hand Cream #3
1. In a clean, dry 50-mL beaker, place 5 g palmitic acid, 4 g lanolin, and 5 mL mineral oil.
2. In a clean 100-mL beaker, place 25 mL deionized water and 1 mL triethanolamine.
3. Follow steps 4-7 above in hand cream mixture 1, to heat and combine the mixtures. This
time label the beaker of finished hand cream “Mixture #3” and set it aside.
Hand Cream #4
1. In a clean, dry 50-mL beaker, place 5 g oleic acid, 0.5 g hexadecanol, 4 g lanolin, and 5
mL mineral oil.
2. In a clean 100-mL beaker, place 25 mL deionized water and 0.5 mL of propylene glycol.
3. Follow steps 4-7 above in hand cream mixture 1 to heat and combine the mixtures. This
time label the beaker of finished hand cream “Mixture #4” and set it aside.
Data/Results
Mixture
1
pH
7
2
6
3
7
4
6
Description of Product
Thick and fluffy consistency
Spread on hands smoothly
Slightly tacky/sticky
White color
Smooth, slightly fluffy consistency
Cream color
Creamy, a little thick
Spread on hands easily
Slightly tacky when rubbed on hands
Very thick ad fluffy
A bit dense
Cream color
Sticky when rubbed on hands
Lotion did not form
Polar and nonpolar compounds did not
mix; they remained separated
Discussion
Creams are considered an important part of cosmetic product as topical preparations from time
immemorial due to their ease of application to the skin and their removal (Chauhan and Gupta,
2020). Hand creams function to soften the skin and prevent dryness, eliminate natural waste
products (usually oils) by emulsification, and cool the skin. Formulations for hand creams must
also ensure spread ability. Hand creams may also contain fragrance or medications. Home-made
creams will last for several months, but the shelf-life is prolonged by storing the mixture in a cool
place or refrigerator or by adding a few drops of benzoin tincture as a preservative. Creams made
from organic oils and fats deteriorate more quickly. A skin cream can also be prepared from a
tincture made from Azadirachta indica, borax, sunflower oil, white beeswax, and white soft
paraffin. Skin creams contain ingredients for adding body, improving texture, emulsifying the oil
and water components, raising the melting point, improving the spread ability, improving the odor,
softening the skin, and providing various medicinal properties.
Skin creams contain a variety of ingredients that range from common, such as mineral oil, to the
exotic, such as placenta extract. Some skin creams may contain small amounts of vitamins or other
“nutrients”. A basic and satisfactory skin cream can be prepared from stearic acid, lanolin, mineral
oil, triethanolamine, and water. A cream can be easily made using emulsifying ointment, which is
a mixture of oils and waxes that blends with water or tinctures.
Formulations for most hand creams commonly contain water for moisture and lanolin which aids
the absorption of water by the skin. Lanolin has the ability to absorb 25- 30% of its own weight of
water thereby forming a fine emulsion. Lanolin is a yellowish wax composed of esters of long
chain fatty acids and long alcohol chains. Spread ability of the hand cream is a function of mineral
oil. Mineral oil consists of high molecular weight hydrocarbons. Homogeneity of the hand cream
requires the inclusion in the formulation of strong emulsifying agents.
A hand cream appears smooth and uniform after you prepared it, but in a week of storage most of
the water settles on the bottom and most of the oil separates on the top. Water and oil are normally
mixed to form a new product. Their properties complement each other, as part of the water’s
characteristic of being an emulsifying agent. For the hand cream preparation, one of the most
common problems experienced is that the mixture was not combined properly. The contents of the
ingredients may have been miscalculated or the temperature of the water bath is not enough. It is
possible to make the hand cream without the water. However, there would be some problems with
the characteristics of the preparation. As an emulsifying agent, water has the capability to combine
all of the ingredients in the preparation. Unfortunately, the absence of water in the preparation
would hinder the ingredients from interacting with each other, making combination impossible.
The purpose of this lab was to prepare hand creams using different combinations of the same
ingredients, and to examine the characteristics of each product. In this experiment, four hand
creams were made using a different combination of the ingredients discussed previously. These
ingredients were palmitic acid, oleic acid, mineral oil, vitamin E, lanolin, hexadecanol, water,
triethanolamine, and ethylene glycol.
The first hand cream mixture was made by using 5 g palmitic acid, 0.5 g hexadecanol, 4 g lanolin,
and 5 mL mineral oil in a 50mL beaker, (these are all the nonpolar ingredients), 25 mL deionized
water, 1 mL triethanolamine, and 0.5 mL of ethylene glycol. (These are the polar ingredients.)
This hand cream mixture #1 had a pH of 7. The product had a thick and fluffy consistency. When
it was rubbed on the skin, it spread smoothly. After rubbing, it left a slightly tacky or sticky feeling
on the hands. The product was white in color.
The second hand cream mixture was made by using 5 g oleic acid, 0.5 g hexadecanol, 4 g lanolin,
25 mL deionized water, 1 mL triethanolamine, and 0.5 mL of propylene glycol. This hand cream
mixture had a pH of 6. The final product was smooth and had a slightly fluffy consistency. When
it was rubbed on the skin, it spread easily and had a thick creamy texture. After rubbing, it left a
slightly tacky feeling on the hands. It had a cream a color.
The third hand cream mixture was made by using 5 g palmitic acid, 4 g lanolin, 5 mL mineral oil,
25 mL deionized water, and 1 mL triethanolamine. This hand cream had a pH of 7. The product
was very thick and fluffy. It was also a bit dense. It had a cream color. After rubbing the cream on
the skin, it left a sticky or tacky feeling on the hands.
For the final hand cream mixture, it was made by using 5 g oleic acid, 0.5 g hexadecanol, 4 g
lanolin, 5 mL mineral oil, 25 mL deionized water and 0.5 mL of propylene glycol. This product
had a pH of 6. When all the compounds or ingredients were mixed together, the lotion did not
form. The polar and nonpolar compounds did not mix. They remained separated.
It was hypothesized that each hand cream product will have different physical properties, as a
result of the different combinations of ingredients used. This hypothesis was accepted, seeing that
each product made had a slightly different description from one another. The first hand cream was
thick and fluffy, the second hand cream was slightly thick and fluffy, the third hand cream was
very thick and fluffy, and the last hand cream did not form into lotion at all. It is noticeable that
the pH levels of each sample were near each other. This means that majority of the ingredients are
similar with each other, yet the amount differs. The first hand cream had a pH of 7. The second
hand cream had a pH of 6. The third hand cream had a pH of 7. The last hand cream had a pH of
6. Another characteristic that may be noticed is the fact that each cream was sticky. This is from
the lanolin that was placed in each mixture.
From the results obtained, it can be concluded that each compound or ingredient plays a specific
role in the formation of a good hand cream. For instance: Mineral Oil – considered to be one of
the most important ingredients in cosmetics. This type of oil is also used as a substitute for the
more expensive ones, and its properties of being tasteless and odorless would not inhibit the full
potential of the other characteristics of the other ingredients. Triethanolamine – this ingredient is
an organic chemical that is used as a neutralizer for a range of cosmetic products, including hand
creams. In this regard, triethanolamine is also employed for its solubility in water, and does not
penetrate the deep ends of the skin. Lanolin (also known as wool wax) is a yellow waxy substance
secreted by glands in the skin of wool-bearing animals such as sheep. It is used widely in skin
products. It has a complex and variable chemical composition containing thousands of unique
(mainly nonpolar) organic molecules. Hexadecanol: if missing from the hands cream, cream
lacks smoothness. Ethylene glycol: it retains moisture of the skin on exposure and hence keeps
skin hydrated.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the purpose of this lab was to prepare hand creams using different combinations of
the same ingredients, and to examine the characteristics of each product. In this experiment, four
hand creams were made using a different combination of the ingredients discussed previously.
These ingredients were palmitic acid, oleic acid, mineral oil, vitamin E, lanolin, hexadecanol,
water, triethanolamine, and ethylene glycol. Skin creams contain a variety of ingredients that range
from common, such as mineral oil, to the exotic, such as placenta extract. Some skin creams may
contain small amounts of vitamins or other “nutrients”. A basic and satisfactory skin cream can be
prepared from stearic acid, lanolin, mineral oil, triethanolamine, and water. A cream can be easily
made using emulsifying ointment, which is a mixture of oils and waxes that blends with water or
tinctures.
The first hand cream mixture was made by using 5 g palmitic acid, 0.5 g hexadecanol, 4 g lanolin,
and 5 mL mineral oil in a 50mL beaker, (these are all the nonpolar ingredients), 25 mL deionized
water, 1 mL triethanolamine, and 0.5 mL of ethylene glycol. (These are the polar ingredients.)
This hand cream mixture #1 had a pH of 7. The product had a thick and fluffy consistency. When
it was rubbed on the skin, it spread smoothly. After rubbing, it left a slightly tacky or sticky feeling
on the hands. The product was white in color.
The second hand cream mixture was made by using 5 g oleic acid, 0.5 g hexadecanol, 4 g lanolin,
25 mL deionized water, 1 mL triethanolamine, and 0.5 mL of propylene glycol. This hand cream
mixture had a pH of 6. The final product was smooth and had a slightly fluffy consistency. When
it was rubbed on the skin, it spread easily and had a thick creamy texture. After rubbing, it left a
slightly tacky feeling on the hands. It had a cream a color.
The third hand cream mixture was made by using 5 g palmitic acid, 4 g lanolin, 5 mL mineral oil,
25 mL deionized water, and 1 mL triethanolamine. This hand cream had a pH of 7. The product
was very thick and fluffy. It was also a bit dense. It had a cream color. After rubbing the cream on
the skin, it left a sticky or tacky feeling on the hands.
For the final hand cream mixture, it was made by using 5 g oleic acid, 0.5 g hexadecanol, 4 g
lanolin, 5 mL mineral oil, 25 mL deionized water and 0.5 mL of propylene glycol. This product
had a pH of 6. When all the compounds or ingredients were mixed together, the lotion did not
form. The polar and nonpolar compounds did not mix. They remained separated.
It was hypothesized that each hand cream product will have different physical properties, as a
result of the different combinations of ingredients used. This hypothesis was accepted, seeing that
each product made had a slightly different description from one another. The first hand cream was
thick and fluffy, the second hand cream was slightly thick and fluffy, the third hand cream was
very thick and fluffy, and the last hand cream did not form into lotion at all. It is noticeable that
the pH levels of each sample were near each other. This means that majority of the ingredients are
similar with each other, yet the amount differs. The first hand cream had a pH of 7. The second
hand cream had a pH of 6. The third hand cream had a pH of 7. The last hand cream had a pH of
6. Another characteristic that may be noticed is the fact that each cream was sticky. This is from
the lanolin that was placed in each mixture.
Future Studies
Lotion is a very popular product within the sales industry today. Another product that we use and
is also important within the sales industry is soap. Therefore, a future study that can be done, is
the synthesis of soap or saponification. The discovery of soap dates back to about 6000 years ago.
Around 2800 B.C.E, the ancient Babylon excavations uncovered cylinders with inscriptions for
making soap.1 In 1500 B.C.E, records from ancient Egypt described how animal and vegetable
oils were combined with alkaline salts to make soap. According to a Roman legend, “soap got its
name from Mount Sapo, where animals were sacrificed.
Rain washed the fat from the sacrificed animals along with alkaline wooden ashes from the
sacrificial fires into the Tiber River, where people found the mixture helpful in cleaning clothes.
This procedure for making soap remained unchanged for centuries, with American colonists
collecting and cooking down animal tallow (rendered fat) and then mixing it with an alkali potash
solution obtained from the accumulated hardwood ashes of their winter fires. Similarly, Europeans
made castile soap using olive oil. Since the mid-nineteenth century, the process became
commercialized and soap became widely available at the local markets.”1 To date, most people
use similar methods to make home-made soaps.
Soap making has remained unchanged over the centuries. The ancient Roman tradition called for
mixing rainwater, potash, and animal tallow (rendered form of beef or mutton fat). Making soap
was a long and arduous process. First, the fat had to be rendered (melted and filtered). Then, potash
solution was added. Since water and oil do not mix, this mixture had to be continuously stirred and
heated sufficiently to keep the fat melted. Slowly, a chemical reaction called saponification would
take place between the fat and the hydroxide which resulted in a liquid soap. When the fat and
water no longer separated, the mixture was allowed to cool. At this point salt, such as sodium
chloride, was added to separate the soap from the excess water. The soap came to the top, was
skimmed off, and placed in wooden molds to cure. It was aged many months to allow the reaction
to run to completion.
All soap is made from fats and oils, mixed with alkaline (basic) solutions. There are many kinds
of fats and oils, both animal and vegetable. Fats are usually solid at room temperature, but many
oils are liquid at room temperature. Liquid cooking oils originate from corn, peanuts, olives,
soybeans, and many other plants. For making soap, all different types of fats and oils can be used
– anything from lard to exotic tropical plant oils.
Soap comprises of two distinct ends: the hydrocarbon end, which is lipophilic and non-polar, and
a hydrophilic end, which is polar. The non-polar end is capable of dissolving non-polar molecules,
whereas the polar end of the soap is capable of dissolving polar molecules. The efficiency of soap
is affected by various factors such as pH, the composition of the solvent (e.g., the elements/ions
present in the solvent), and temperature. Temperature is a physical property of matter that is vital
not only in the soap efficiency, but also in the formation of soap. High temperature in soap making
increases the rate of collision of the reactant molecules thus increasing the reaction rate, hence
high product yield. Moreover, low temperature increases the rate of separation of soap from the
solvent.
Additional Questions
1. Describe the properties of hand cream mixture #1, which contained all of the necessary
ingredients.
The first hand cream mixture was made by using 5 g palmitic acid, 0.5 g hexadecanol, 4 g lanolin,
and 5 mL mineral oil in a 50mL beaker, (these are all the nonpolar ingredients), 25 mL deionized
water, 1 mL triethanolamine, and 0.5 mL of ethylene glycol. (These are the polar ingredients.)
This hand cream mixture #1 had a pH of 7. The product had a thick and fluffy consistency. When
it was rubbed on the skin, it spread smoothly. After rubbing, it left a slightly tacky or sticky feeling
on the hands. The product was white in color.
2. Explain how the properties of hand cream mixture #2 differed from those of #1.
The first hand cream was thick and fluffy, while the second hand cream was slightly thick and
fluffy.
3. Based on your observations, what is the function of mineral oil in a hand cream?
Based on my observations, mineral oil is used to prevent moisture loss.
4. Explain how the properties of hand cream mixture #3 differed from those of #1.
Mixture number three was very thick and fluffy and was also very dense. On the other hand,
mixture one was thick and fluffy, but very light.
5. Based on your observations, what is the function of propylene glycol and methyl stearate
in a hand cream?
Propylene glycol acts as humectant. For example, it retains moisture of the skin on exposure and
hence keeps skin hydrated. Methyl stearate is an ester class compound and if missing from the
hands cream, cream lacks smoothness.
6. Explain how the properties of hand cream mixture #4 differed from those of #1.
Mixture number four did not form lotion at all. The polar and nonpolar ingredients remained
separated. On the other hand, mixture number 1 formed a thick and fluffy hand cream.
7. Based on your observations, what is the function of triethanolamine in a hand cream?
Triethanolamine is a polar ingredient in hands cream. It does not provide any benefit to the skin
and thus its usage is limited and regulated in various countries. It is used in formulations to regulate
the pH and to improve the texture of the final product of hand cream over time. It is used
as emulsifier to bind water and oil in the hand cream to provide appropriate thickness and even
and smooth texture to the final product. If this is missing in hand cream, the final product is uneven
and oily.
8. The structure of triethanolamine is N(CH2CH2OH)3. Stearic acid is an 18-carbon saturated
fatty acid. Write the equation for the acid-base reaction between triethanolamine and stearic
acid. Name the salt formed. (This salt is the emulsifying agent in the hand creams you
made.)
The salt formed is trolamine stearate.
9. If triethanolamine was omitted in the hand cream, what would be the consequence? Explain
in chemical terms.
It is used in formulations to regulate the pH and to improve the texture of the final product of hand
cream over time. It is used as emulsifier to bind water and oil in the hand cream to provide
appropriate thickness and even and smooth texture to the final product. If this is missing in hand
cream, the final product is uneven and oily.
10. Do you think it would be possible to prepare a hand cream without water? Explain why or
why not.
No, the absence of water in the preparation would hinder the ingredients from interacting with
each other, making combination impossible.
11. If a hand cream appeared smooth and uniform after you prepared it, but after a week of
storage most of the water and most of the oil separated, what do you think must have gone
wrong with the preparation?
This could possibly mean that triethanolamine was omitted in the hand cream. Triethanolamine is
used in formulations to regulate the pH and to improve the texture of the final product of hand
cream over time. It is used as emulsifier to bind water and oil in the hand cream to provide
appropriate thickness and even and smooth texture to the final product. If this is missing in hand
cream, the final product is uneven and oily.
References
Chauhan, L., and Gupta, S. (2020). Creams: A Review on Classification, Preparation Methods,
Evaluation, and its Applications. JDDT, 281-289.