Achieving thermal stability and desired sensory qualities poses a significant challenge for formulators when working with exotic butter. Bloom, a common issue, can manifest in the final product on the shelf, resulting in an unappealing rough or grainy appearance, sweating, or changes in texture during storage.

Our shea, cocoa, and illipe soft butter variants have all been carefully optimized to quickly transition into the Beta (β) crystalline form. This transition creates a compact and consistent crystalline structure without the need for specialized equipment. This not only prevents the occurrence of bloom but also reduces the necessity for additional texturizing agents and maintains viscosity stability over time.

Furthermore, all three of our soft butter variants have a melting profile that is notably smoother compared to their standard refined counterparts.

Processing

Melting curve and its impact on formulations?

The melting profile is a representation of the solid fat content at various temperatures. It is determined through pulsed Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurements, providing a direct measurement of the solid content within an emollient at specific temperature intervals according to established protocols. Connecting these data points creates the characteristic shape of the melting profile.

The melting profile graphs presented below provide a comparison between our optimized soft butter and their standard refined counterparts. Notably, even when they share the same INCI name, these melting profiles exhibit significant differences. These distinctions serve as an indicator of how these comparative butter variants will behave both on the skin and in product containers.

A lower solid fat content at room temperature (20 °C) signifies that the butter will possess a softer and more malleable consistency. Conversely, the higher solid fat content at skin temperature (35 °C) plays a crucial role in safeguarding and restoring the lipid barrier. Furthermore, the elevated solid fat content at 40 °C contributes to the thermal stability of both hydrous and anhydrous formulations, simplifying the scaling-up process.

Cutting-edge advancements in shea technology.

Soft Kernel

Soft Kernel

Crude Soft Butter

Crude Soft Butter

 

Final Product Refined Shea Butter

 

Refined Shea Soft Butter (Shea Olein)

 

Refined Shea Hard Butter (Shea Stearine)

Impact

Comprehending various patterns of melting profiles

This video provides a thorough examination of the distinct melting characteristics between Milcoa® Soft Shea and conventional refined shea butter. It employs polarized microscopy images to visually showcase the unique crystalline structures at key temperature thresholds, including body temperature, room temperature and 40 °C .