What are Emulsifying Agents? Emulsifying Agent is a substance that helps an emulsion become more stable. They are added to an emulsion to prevent the coalescence of the globules of the dispersed phase. An emulsion is usually a mixture of two products such as oil and water that do not mix together or that are also referred to as immiscible. By adding an emulsifying agent to the mixture, they cause the oil to be broken down into smaller pieces that can then be dispersed throughout then water. This is then what becomes known as an emulsion. They are also known as emulgents or emulsifiers. They act by reducing the interfacial tension between the two phases and forming a stable interfacial film. The choice of selection of emulsifying agent plays a very important role in the formulation of a stable emulsion. Substances that are soluble in both fat and water and enable fat to be uniformly dispersed in water as an emulsion. Emulsions are stabilized by adding an emulsifier or emulsifying agents. These agents have both a hydrophilic and a lipophilic part in their chemical structure. All emulsifying agents concentrate at and are adsorbed onto the oil-water interface to provide a protective barrier around the dispersed droplets. In addition to this protective barrier, emulsifiers stabilize the emulsion by reducing the interfacial tension of the system. Some agents enhance stability by imparting a charge on the droplet surface thus reducing the physical contact between the droplets and decreasing the potential for coalescence. Some commonly used emulsifying agents include tragacanth, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate, and polymers known as the Spans® and Tweens®. Final emulsion: w/o oil water Final emulsion: o/w