Cream

Cream is a so-called disperse system in which one phase is finely dispersed in the other. This results in a spreadable, opaque preparation at room temperature, which is slightly greasy and – due to the evaporation of the water – has a cooling effect.

Application

Creams are used in dermatology as a carrier medium for medicinal substances or as a care product in cosmetics. Compared to ointments, creams can be spread more easily on the skin and are better absorbed.

A skin cream is a semi-solid spreadable preparation for application to the skin and consists of an aqueous and an oily or fatty component, one of which is distributed in the other like an emulsion.

Physical structure

From a physical point of view, creams have a complex structure that mainly combines the structures of emulsions and gels. A distinction is made between creams that can be washed off with water, in which the oily components are finely distributed in a coherent aqueous phase, and the non-washable variants, in which the aqueous component is dispersed in the oily phase. This type of emulsion is intended to combine the advantages of W/O emulsions and O/W emulsions. A low water content gives a cream ointment-like properties, while the incorporation of larger quantities of finely ground solids results in a pasty consistency.