{"id":7647,"date":"2018-01-19T08:00:57","date_gmt":"2018-01-19T14:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulprospector.com\/knowledge\/?p=7647"},"modified":"2019-02-06T10:19:45","modified_gmt":"2019-02-06T16:19:45","slug":"pcc-water-type-definitions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/7647\/pcc-water-type-definitions\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond H2<\/sub>O: Defining Different Types of Water"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WaterWhen formulating at my previous company, the type of water used was never something I thought about much. In the lab, we had a benchtop water deionizer and used it whenever making aqueous formulas. Of course, not everyone has one of these devices and there are other water options you should know about. The different types of water used in formulating cosmetics include tap, distilled, deionized, and purified) water. Here are some water type definitions.<\/p>\n

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Tap water<\/h3>\n

Tap water comes from municipalities and is suitable for many types of cosmetic products. But when you get the water right from the city water supply, it\u2019s filled with a small amount of metal and mineral ions. Often this will not have any effect on your cosmetic formula, but it can be a problem especially if you are using any soap-based ingredient. Since this type of water doesn’t allow you to control the level of ions in the formula, it\u2019s best to use something that is more purified.<\/p>\n

Distilled water<\/h3>\n

Distilling is the oldest method for purifying water. In this process water is boiled in a still. The vapor is collected in a condenser and cooled to reform the water. Theoretically, it removes all traces of contaminants except those that boil at a temperature lower than water, such as some alcohols. It also will absorb Carbon Dioxide from the air so the pH will typically be lower (pH 4.5 \u2013 5.0). This is suitable for most any type of formulation but can be inconvenient if you have to produce it.<\/p>\n

Deionized water<\/h3>\n

This is water in which the non-water related ions have been removed. Tap water is usually filled with ions from the soil including sodium, calcium & magnesium plus metal ions from the pipes such as iron and copper. It is deionized by sending it through an ion exchange column, which is a tube that contains a resin that selectively binds with ions in water. Ionized water goes in and deionized water comes out. This process doesn\u2019t remove organic contaminants, viruses or bacteria. This water is suitable for most any formulation and can be produced quickly.<\/p>\n

Demineralized water<\/h3>\n

This water is sent through an ion exchange process and is pretty much the same as deionized water. From a formulation standpoint, there is no difference.<\/p>\n

Ultrapure water<\/h3>\n

When you want just pure H2<\/sub>O, this is what you want. The water is first demineralized, then sent through an electrodeionization process. This is great for electronics and pharmaceuticals. It\u2019s probably over-kill for cosmetics.<\/p>\n

There you have it, all the different water types you might use when making cosmetic formulas. One final note: no matter which type of water you use when making a cosmetic, the only proper way to list it is on the ingredient list is WATER or AQUA.<\/p>\n

Further reading:<\/h3>\n