Early Detection of Lamellar Gel Network Instability in Cosmetic Emulsions Using Rheology, Laser Diffraction, and AI-Assisted Microscopy
Abstract
Standard ISO testing of cosmetic emulsions offers limited insight into the microstructural mechanisms governing long-term stability. We hypothesize that a single weight-percent increase in emulsifier concentration is sufficient to determine, through its effect on inter-bilayer junction connectivity, whether the lamellar gel network consolidates or fails. To test this, we apply a two-tier strategy combining ISO/TR 18811 testing and Turbiscan turbidimetry with rheology, laser diffraction, and AI-assisted polarized light microscopy, on two oil-in-water emulsions structured by a lamellar gel network and stabilized by Cetearyl Alcohol/Cetearyl Glucoside at 2 wt% (Emulsion A) and 3 wt% (Emulsion B) over 30 days of storage. First-tier testing distinguished formulations only at Day 30; Turbiscan index values (2.64, 1.78) stayed below threshold throughout. The second-tier protocol resolved structural divergence from Day 8 to 15, two to three weeks earlier. In Emulsion A, a transient birefringent fraction (51.5% at Day 8) preceded network disruption, droplet coalescence, and a drift of the loss tangent toward more liquid-like values. In Emulsion B, birefringence expanded to 98.4% by Day 30 and the loss tangent declined to 0.325. These results indicate that a 1 wt% difference in emulsifier concentration, within a range of industrial use, is sufficient to determine whether the lamellar gel network consolidates or fails, and that combining rheology, laser diffraction and AI-assisted microscopy resolves this divergence two to three weeks before conventional ISO criteria are met.
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BibTeX
@article{viton2026early,
title = {{Early Detection of Lamellar Gel Network Instability in Cosmetic Emulsions Using Rheology, Laser Diffraction, and AI-Assisted Microscopy}},
author = {Axel Viton and Raphaël Coatmeur and Béatrice Anthouard and Magalie Claeys-Bruno and Christophe Sauzet and Philippe Piccerelle},
journal = {Cosmetics},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.3390/cosmetics13040203},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05734763v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Early Detection of Lamellar Gel Network Instability in Cosmetic Emulsions Using Rheology, Laser Diffraction, and AI-Assisted Microscopy
AU - Axel Viton
AU - Raphaël Coatmeur
AU - Béatrice Anthouard
AU - Magalie Claeys-Bruno
AU - Christophe Sauzet
AU - Philippe Piccerelle
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/12
JO - Cosmetics
DO - 10.3390/cosmetics13040203
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05734763v1
AB - Standard ISO testing of cosmetic emulsions offers limited insight into the microstructural mechanisms governing long-term stability. We hypothesize that a single weight-percent increase in emulsifier concentration is sufficient to determine, through its effect on inter-bilayer junction connectivity, whether the lamellar gel network consolidates or fails. To test this, we apply a two-tier strategy combining ISO/TR 18811 testing and Turbiscan turbidimetry with rheology, laser diffraction, and AI-assisted polarized light microscopy, on two oil-in-water emulsions structured by a lamellar gel network and stabilized by Cetearyl Alcohol/Cetearyl Glucoside at 2 wt% (Emulsion A) and 3 wt% (Emulsion B) over 30 days of storage. First-tier testing distinguished formulations only at Day 30; Turbiscan index values (2.64, 1.78) stayed below threshold throughout. The second-tier protocol resolved structural divergence from Day 8 to 15, two to three weeks earlier. In Emulsion A, a transient birefringent fraction (51.5% at Day 8) preceded network disruption, droplet coalescence, and a drift of the loss tangent toward more liquid-like values. In Emulsion B, birefringence expanded to 98.4% by Day 30 and the loss tangent declined to 0.325. These results indicate that a 1 wt% difference in emulsifier concentration, within a range of industrial use, is sufficient to determine whether the lamellar gel network consolidates or fails, and that combining rheology, laser diffraction and AI-assisted microscopy resolves this divergence two to three weeks before conventional ISO criteria are met.
SN - 2079-9284
ER -