No, distillation isn’t unnecessary chemistry jargon. Distillation is not talked about much because honestly, it seems like a pretty bland topic. Distillation might only provoke thoughts of decaying car batteries or steam irons.

Interestingly, there are tons of other applications of distillation. Distillation is the process involving the separation of two or more liquids (components) of a mixture.

These components possess varying boiling points, and as a result upon heating the mix, the component bearing the lower boiling point gets evaporated first, thus leaving the other component undisturbed.

Here are some industries that require distillation:

• Petroleum
• Food Flavourings
• Water

Another noteworthy sector that relies on distillation is the cosmetics industry. Yes, believe it or not, the water that goes into the making of your favourite makeup products requires heavy scrutiny in the form of distillation and other parameters.

Importance of Distilled Water in The Cosmetics Industry:

1. FDA’s Guidance on Cosmetic Manufacturing Practice Guidelines places heavy emphasis on the quality of water used for cosmetics production. Distilled water helps cosmetic companies meet those high-demanding quality standards. Sometimes, mediocre water quality can lead to skin irritation and other skin problems and an eventual plummeting of a company’s popularity.
2. Distilled water serves as an excellent solvent for cosmetic products. A useful solvent like distilled water helps effectively dissolve all the significant ingredients comprising any cosmetic product. Almost all cosmetic products ranging from lotions, moisturisers, to makeup, shampoo, conditioners, and even shaving creams require water to dissolve all vital solutes.
3. Distillation isn’t the only water purification method available at the disposal of cosmetic manufacturers. There are seven different methods, but distillation tops the list in terms of effective purification of all primary salts and other suspended impurities.
4. During the process of distillation, water tends to absorb CO2 from the air, thus resulting in a slightly lower pH value around the range of (4.5-5.0). Cosmetic companies prefer this pH range of water for their operations.
5. A shocking stat is that most cosmetic products contain somewhere between 50-70% of water. You are essentially shelling out the big bucks for water that you use on your face! Well, it isn’t just water, but mostly water. Cosmetic companies require water void of toxins, microbes, and pollutants for the formulation of skin care products. Distilled water boasts of exceptional purity and is a favourite for cosmetics manufacturing.

Here’s an interesting fact: If you skim through the ingredients of your makeup (for instance, a foundation) and notice “aqua” mentioned, you are holding a product formulated using distilled water.

Summing it up:

Those are five crucial reasons why cosmetic companies, at least the top-notch ones, ensure that state-of-the-art water distillation facilities are available at their laboratories.

Since the cosmetic products contain a huge percentage of water, the usage of purified, distilled water becomes quintessential to impart more value to customers and improve a cosmetic firm’s reputation as a reliable company in the public’s opinion.