Use Polysorbate 20 to keep your water-based sprays from separating.

Although most commercial body mists and room sprays use alcohol, many people with dry skin don’t like alcohol’s drying effects. You can make stable room and body sprays with the use of an emulsifier called Polysorbate 20. Here is a quick overview of this useful home bath and body ingredient.

What Is Polysorbate 20 (Poly 20)?

Poly 20 is a thick liquid that will make oil and water mix. It’s an emulsifier; that’s its job. It basically acts as a kind of glue between the water and your fragrance or essential oils so that they don’t separate.

How much do you need?

Start with as much Polysorbate 20 as fragrance oil or essential oil. If you have one teaspoon of essential oil, you’ll probably need at least a teaspoon of Poly20. It’s not unusual to need 3-4 times as much Poly 20 as fragrance. As you probably know, different fragrance oils have different densities, so the heavier ones, like patchouli or vetiver, may require more Poly 20.

How do you use the Polysorbate 20?

It’s easy! Mix the Poly 20 and fragrance oil together first, then add your water.

Does the mixing order matter?

I wondered this myself, so in the name of science, I did everything exactly wrong. I filled my bottle with water, then glopped in some dense essential oil. The oil sunk to the bottom, of course, and I shook it to temporary emulsion. Then, I squirted in some Poly 20, guessing at the amount, and shook it up. The result was cloudy, but stable. The spray did not separate at all.

Will my room or body spray still be cloudy?

Yes. Emulsions are always cloudy, just like milk, salad dressing and mayonnaise. If that bothers you, you can try adding some ethyl alcohol to clarify your spray. In my experience, however, the only way to get a truly clear body spray is to use alcohol to dissolve the fragrance oil, and distilled water.

Making Gardenia scented water spray from the Bath and Body Book.

You can also just put your sprays in a brushed aluminum bottle, like Burt’s Bees.

Poly 20 and fragrance oil will make your spray thicker, but if you figure 5% fragrance and 10% Poly 20, 85% will still be water. So it will only be a little thicker than normal water, and you probably won’t notice.

Is Polysorbate 20 natural? Toxic in any way?

Well… Poly 20 is derived from coconut oil, but I wouldn’t call it straight from the earth! It takes a lot of processing to get from coconut oil to Poly 20.

That doesn’t mean it’s harsh or harmful. It’s used in all kinds of personal care products. If you, like, rub it into your eyes, it will probably irritate them. So I don’t recommend doing that!

Is Poly 20 called anything else?

Yes. It’s also called Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate, Liposorb, and Tween 20.

Will I need Poly20 with other water-based products?

You may, depending on the water content. In general, bath and body products use .5% to 5% fragrance, which is not a lot. You might be able to get away with not using Poly20. If you’re making a liquid soap or surfactant-based product (like shower gel or shampoo), you probably won’t need it. The soap and surfactants will emulsify the fragrance or essential oil on their own.

But always test first. Let your products stand 24 – 48 hours and check for separation. If you see any layers, chances are that your oil has separated. Repeat your test batch with Poly 20 added.