Final answer:
Emulsions in the salon & spa industry include various personal care products like lotions and creams, where substances like cetearyl alcohol act as emulsifiers to stabilize oil-in-water or water-in-oil mixtures. These products aim to protect, moisturize, and aesthetically enhance the skin or hair by creating barriers similar to those produced by natural sebum.
Step-by-step explanation:
Common emulsions used in the salon & spa industry are colloidal systems that are crucial in cosmetics like creams and lotions. These emulsions can combine oil and water, which are typically immiscible, thanks to the presence of an emulsifying agent. Ingredients such as soaps, detergents, proteins, and phospholipids act as emulsifiers by having a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head. For example, cetearyl alcohol is used in lotions to maintain the emulsion, while lecithin found in egg yolk stabilizes mayonnaise.
Emulsified products in the beauty industry include cold creams, lotions, and hair care products. They are designed to remain stable, control crystallization, reduce stickiness, keep ingredients dispersed, and help products dissolve more easily. The purpose of these products is to protect, moisturize, and provide aesthetic enhancement by creating a barrier on the skin or in the hair.
Overall, the use of emulsions in personal care products is to mimic the skin's natural functions, using moisturizers to replace sebum and protect the skin. This is representative of the broader use of emulsions in various industries, where they play a significant role in combining ingredients for a range of purposes.