Send us Fan Mail

A few days ago, a lovely, thoughtful client asked to return an unopened product. She'd spotted a "cross polymer" on the ingredient list, read that it might be a microplastic, and didn't want to harm the environment. Her heart was in exactly the right place, and yet almost everything the internet had told her was misleading. That message is why I made this episode.

Today I want to talk about the ingredients that never make the front of the bottle: emulsifiers, stabilisers and thickeners. They're not glamorous and don't promise glow or collagen, but without them, your favourite cream would separate, turn grainy, or fall apart on the shelf within weeks. I'll explain what each of these three groups actually does, why "polymer" doesn't automatically mean "microplastic," why a fatty alcohol isn't ethanol, and why the natural-versus-synthetic argument is largely a false one. The ingredient list isn't a shopping list. It's an engineering plan, and I'll teach you to read it like one.

Learn more from the previous episodes:

The Most Misunderstood Ingredient in Skincare: Water

Creams and Emulsions (Pt.1): From Galen to Nivea and The Surprising History of Cream

Inside a Cream: The Science of Emulsions (Pt. 2)

Connect with us:

Meder by Dr. Tiina Meder

Meder Beauty Instagram

Meder Beauty Facebook

Meder Beauty TikTok

Meder Beauty LinkedIn

Meder Beauty YouTube

Listen to the Meder Beauty Podcast on Apple Podcasts