Date：December. 10 2025
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A natural emulsifier like AC-M68 SV is a plant-derived ingredient made from glucose and C16-C18 fatty alcohols that stabilizes oil and water mixtures by forming liquid crystal structure.
It is highly effective—only 0.5% is needed to emulsify 30% oils—and offers mild, non-irritating properties with a skin-friendly pH of 5.5–7.5, making it suitable for sensitive skin and sustainable formulations.
In the field of cosmetics and personal care products, natural emulsifiers are a class of key ingredients capable of stably mixing oil and water.
Their core characteristic lies in their "amphiphilic" molecular structure—containing both hydrophilic groups (which bind to water) and lipophilic groups (which bind to oil).
This structure acts like a "bridge": by reducing the tension at the oil-water interface, it allows oil and water, which are inherently immiscible, to form a uniform and stable emulsion.
For example, common emulsions (such as facial creams) are mostly oil-in-water (O/W) type, where oil droplets are dispersed in water; while cleansing oils are water-in-oil (W/O) type.
Compared with traditional synthetic emulsifiers, natural emulsifiers are mainly derived from plant-based or biodegradable ingredients.
AC-M68 SV (composed of Cetearyl Glucoside and Cetearyl Alcohol) has glucose groups as hydrophilic groups and plant-derived fatty chains as lipophilic groups, free of ethoxylated substances, solvents, or irritating by-products.
The core advantages of natural emulsifiers are compared in the following table:
Characteristics | Traditional Synthetic Emulsifiers (e.g., PEG-based) | Natural Emulsifiers (e.g., AC-M68 SV) |
Raw Material Source | Petrochemical or synthetic processes | Plant extracts (e.g., glucose, fatty alcohols) |
Biodegradability | May produce persistent pollutants | 100% aerobic biodegradation within 28 days |
Skin Irritation | May cause inflammation with long-term use | Low irritation, suitable for sensitive skin and infants |
Environmental Risk | Ethoxylation degradation products pose pollution risks | Green and sustainable, in line with clean beauty trends |
In addition to basic emulsifying functions, natural emulsifiers can achieve multiple values through their unique structures:
Solubilization: When the concentration reaches the critical micelle concentration (CMC), micelles can be formed to "encapsulate" oil-soluble substances such as fragrances and essential oils in water, forming a transparent solution.
Skin Feel Regulation: Provides a silky, easy-to-spread texture, avoiding the waxy or greasy feel of traditional creams.
Compatibility: Non-ionic properties make it resistant to acids, alkalis, and electrolytes, and compatible with various active ingredients (e.g., vitamin C, plant extracts).
The core mechanism of natural emulsifiers stems from their unique liquid crystal structure, an "ordered fluid" between liquid (disordered) and solid (highly ordered) states.
Taking AC-M68 SV as an example, the Cetearyl Glucoside (large hydrophilic head groups) and Cetearyl Alcohol (long hydrophobic chains) in its molecules act synergistically through hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces to form a layered "sandwich" or "onion" structure.
This structure is not a simple mixture but achieved through molecular self-assembly: glucose hydrophilic head groups bind to water through a hydrogen bond network, while the hydrophobic chains of fatty alcohols embed into the oil phase, forming a tightly packed interfacial film.
The formation of liquid crystal structures requires specific conditions: linear saturated hydrophobic chains, large-volume hydrophilic head groups (e.g., glucose), and co-emulsifier compounding (e.g., fatty alcohols).
If the molecular structure is mismatched (e.g., branched-chain emulsifiers or ionic surfactants), charge repulsion or steric hindrance will hinder liquid crystal formation.
For example, the glycoside content in AC-M68 SV needs to be precisely proportioned with Cetearyl Alcohol. If the alcohol ratio is insufficient, the arrangement of the interfacial film will become loose, leading to liquid crystal defects.
The five major functional advantages of liquid crystals are clearly compared in the following table:
Characteristics | Ordinary Emulsions | Liquid Crystal Structure Emulsions |
Stability | Kinetically stable, may stratify over time | Thermodynamically stable, layered barrier prevents droplet aggregation |
Moisturizing Property | Dependent on film-forming agents and humectants | Mimics skin lipids, repairs the barrier, and reduces TEWL |
Active Ingredient Delivery | Direct release, may cause irritation | Sustained and controlled release, e.g., retinol acts gently after encapsulation |
Skin Feel | Prone to greasiness or waxy feel | Silky and rich, no greasiness |
Permeability | Passive absorption | Temporarily disrupts stratum corneum lipids, promoting active ingredient penetration |
From the perspective of raw material sources, the hydrophilic groups of AC-M68 SV are glucose units, derived from natural polysaccharides (e.g., corn or potato starch), while the hydrophobic chains are C16-C18 fatty alcohols (e.g., Cetearyl Alcohol derived from coconut oil or palm oil).
This plant-derived design forms a sharp contrast with traditional PEG-based emulsifiers—which rely on petrochemical ethoxylation reactions and may leave ethylene oxide by-products.
The "green gene" of AC-M68 SV is reflected in full-chain traceability: solvent-free production process, no animal-derived ingredients, and compliance with ISO 9001 quality management system.
Chemical Composition Ratio
The content of Cetearyl Glucoside in AC-M68 SV is approximately 20%-30%, and the rest is Cetearyl Alcohol.
The ratio of glycoside to alcohol is the key to forming the liquid crystal structure—if the glycoside content is too high (e.g., 30%) and the fatty alcohol ratio is insufficient, the molecular arrangement will become loose, reducing emulsion stability.
Production Process
AC-M68 SV adopts one-pot melt glycosidation: first melt Cetearyl Alcohol, add glucose and solid superacid catalyst, dehydrate under vacuum, filter to remove the catalyst, and finally granulate and shape.
This solvent-free process avoids chemical residues from traditional ethoxylation processes, and the selection of catalysts (e.g., solid superacids) can reduce side reactions, ensuring the acid value of the final product is ≤0.5 mg KOH/g.
Non-ionic Characteristics
The zero-charge molecular structure of AC-M68 SV makes it immune to interference from electrolytes or pH values, enabling stable emulsification of oil phases with greatly different polarities—from non-polar mineral oil to polar GTCC (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride), and even forming uniform emulsions when compounded with cationic surfactants.
