Eucerit

Eucerit is the first water-in -oil emulsifier which stood for industrial production in large quantities and cheaply available. Chemically, it is purified wool wax alcohols, a mixture of aliphatic alcohols ( alkanols with chain lengths of C18 to C20 diols with chain lengths of C16 to C26 ) and sterols. The cholesterol content is at least 30 %. The mixture was first won in 1900 by chemist Isaac Lifschütz from the wool fat of sheep; he called it " Eucerit " (Gr., beautiful wax ).

Eucerit is a pale yellow, waxy brittle substance. It is insoluble in water and can even take any water, but gives hydrocarbons a high water absorption capacity, when it is added to them. Wool wax alcohols are obtained by alkaline saponification of wool wax; unsaponifiable are finally removed by extraction with an organic solvent.

From 1903 Eucerit was marketed. 1911 earned Oscar Troplowitz for Beiersdorf 's patent rights for a "method for producing highly water absorptive ointment bases " by combining Eucerit with paraffins was the ointment base Eucerin, in which large amounts were incorporated water and therefore became the basis of an all-purpose cream. Within just a few months Troplowitz, Lifschütz and the dermatologist Paul Gerson Unna developed a cream that they called because of their snow-white appearance " Nivea ". Nivea came in December of the same year on the market. The recipe has remained virtually unchanged since the early days: water, alkanes, glycerin, panthenol, citric acid, perfumes, and as an essential component of the emulsifier Eucerit.

Nivea ®, Eucerin ® and Eucerit ® are now registered trademarks of Beiersdorf.