Cold-resistant formulations: How winter care products remain stable at low temperatures

Cold affects not only the skin, but also the stability and performance of cosmetic formulations. Low temperatures, wind, and low humidity can significantly alter a product’s behavior — including texture, spreadability, the structure of the lipid phase, and the stability of certain active ingredients. For brands that develop winter care products or sell in regions with strong temperature fluctuations, this know-how is essential.

This article explores how formulations react to cold temperatures and which development approaches ensure that winter care products perform reliably under real-world conditions.

How cold affects lipids and waxes in balms and sticks

Balms, lip care, body sticks, and oil-based winter care formulations consist of a combination of waxes, butters, and oils. At low temperatures, these components change their physical properties: hard waxes crystallize more strongly, plant butters can develop a brittle structure, and the overall formulation becomes firmer and harder to apply. Especially in winter care products, this highlights the importance of a cold-resistant formulation.

Key mechanisms:

Waxes with a high melting point (e.g., carnauba, candelilla) significantly increase hardness and reduce spreadability, especially when the product is stored at low ambient temperatures.
Butters with a low melting point (e.g., shea, cocoa) provide a more pleasant skin feel and melt more quickly on the skin, but if processed incorrectly, they may lead to unwanted crystallization and graininess.
Single-wax systems can lead to brittle, crumbly textures, which become even more noticeable in winter as the product further hardens in the cold.

This is why balanced wax blends are essential. Structuring waxes are combined with softer lipids to achieve a stable yet spreadable matrix. What matters is not only the melting point but also the crystal structure—two waxes with similar temperature values can behave completely differently in terms of sensory feel. For cold-resistant winter care products, it is therefore crucial to combine waxes, butters, and oils in a way that harmonizes hardness, melt behavior, and skin feel.

Sensory properties and spreadability of winter care products in cold conditions

Consumers don’t perceive the INCI list—they perceive how the product feels on the skin. What ultimately matters is the sensory profile in everyday use: whether the stick is applied in a cold car, on the ski slope, or during a winter walk, the formulation must perform well even at low temperatures.

A balm stored in the cold:

melts more slowly on the skin,
requires more pressure during application,
may appear streaky or uneven.
is often perceived as too hard or too waxy.

A well-developed winter product remains smooth even in cold conditions and maintains consistent spreadability across different temperature ranges.

Possible development approaches:

a higher proportion of liquid oils to promote faster melting on the skin without destabilizing the overall structure
selected butters to reduce mechanical hardness, tailored to the desired sensory profile of the winter care product
flexible Wachssysteme statt starrer Strukturen, um Bruch und Rissbildung zu vermeiden
use of esters and polyglycerides to reduce friction and provide better glide during application

Practical difference:

A good summer product is stable and firm, and must primarily withstand higher storage temperatures.
A good winter product remains stable and comfortable to apply, even after being stored at low temperatures.

This makes sensory performance a central quality feature of winter care products and an important differentiating factor in the market.

Crystallization, graininess, and texture issues at low temperatures

Cold influences crystallization processes within the lipid phase. In winter care, similar effects repeatedly occur in practice, which can significantly reduce the perceived product quality:

Common effects:

grainy texture, especially in formulations containing shea butter
crystalline film on the surface
brittle or uneven texture during application

These issues often stem from processing rather than raw material quality. Especially for cold-resistant formulations, the interplay between formulation and process control is critical.

Typical causes:

cooling too quickly leads to large crystal clusters, resulting in a sandy or grainy skin feel
uneven melting of individual components leads to inhomogeneities in the lipid phase
a high proportion of untempered butters promotes unstable crystal structures and later recrystallization

Optimization approaches:

controlled cooling curves support the formation of a finer crystal lattice and a more homogeneous texture
a defined melting sequence of the oil phase improves component distribution and structural stability
antioxidant systems (e.g., tocopherol, rosemary extract) protect sensitive oils from oxidation and thereby indirectly contribute to texture stability and shelf life

Texture stability depends just as much on the manufacturing process as on the formulation itself. For brands offering winter care products, it is a clear quality indicator when both formulation development and process design are consistently aligned toward cold-resistant, homogeneous textures.

Formulation strategies for cold-resistant winter care products

For stable winter formulations, it is worthwhile to consider multiple layers at the same time. The goal is a formulation that remains stable, sensorially pleasant, and visually appealing at both higher and lower temperatures.

Key levels:

✔ Structural stability

high-melting-point waxes provide firmness and structural stability
plasticizers and suitable lipids prevent brittleness and cracking
the ratio of hard and soft components is tailored to the intended temperature range in which the winter care products will be used

✔ Sensory stability

esters and polyglycerides improve glide without weakening the structure
the product remains structurally stable in the packaging, yet spreads quickly and evenly upon contact with the skin
the sensory profile remains consistent throughout the product’s entire lifecycle and across different storage conditions

✔ Oxidation protection

unsaturated oils still oxidize at low temperatures, just more slowly
antioxidant systems increase shelf life, stabilize scent and color, and prevent degradation processes that alter texture
a well-designed antioxidant strategy is a key element of any high-quality winter cosmetic

✔ Texture management

The goal is not simply to make the formula softer, but to achieve controlled melting at skin temperature.
the formulation should remain stable on the shelf, in storage, or during shipping, and only activate optimal performance upon contact with the skin
This is particularly relevant for brands that do not store or sell products in consistently climate-controlled environments, such as outdoor shops, markets, or mountain regions.

This is how a cold-resistant formulation is created—one that meets technical requirements, sensory expectations, and brand promises equally well.

Cold stability tests as a quality standard for winter care products

Stability tests should not focus solely on high temperatures. For winter-focused or oil-based products, additional cold-condition testing is essential to reflect real everyday scenarios.

Meaningful tests include:

long-term stability testing under different temperature profiles to evaluate performance throughout the entire storage period
freeze–thaw cycles to simulate freezing and subsequent warming as they may occur in real logistics conditions
viscosity and melting-point measurements at different temperatures to objectively assess spreadability and melt behavior
application tests under real-life conditions, for example in a jacket pocket, in the car, or during outdoor use

These tests reveal potential issues at an early stage:

excessive hardening in cold conditions
phase separation and oil bleeding
unwanted crystallization and graininess
an unpleasant skin feel that does not align with positioning as a premium winter care product

The product must perform not only in the lab, but also in real-life conditions—cold, wind, and on the go. Cold stability tests make the performance of a winter formula measurable and are a clear indicator of professional development work in winter cosmetics.

Conclusion

Cold affects not only the skin but also the physical properties of cosmetic products—directly influencing the performance of winter care formulations. To create a successful, cold-resistant winter formula, it is not enough to simply add richer ingredients. What truly matters for stable and sensorially convincing winter cosmetics is:

a balanced ratio of waxes, butters, and oils tailored to the specific requirements of winter care products
controlled crystallization to ensure a smooth, homogeneous texture even at low temperatures
antioxidant and stabilizing systems that ensure the durability and quality of the formulation
targeted temperature tests and cold-stability tests during development to realistically evaluate how the product behaves in cold conditions

A winter care product that remains spreadable, uniform, and pleasant on the skin even at low temperatures offers real seasonal value, strengthens brand perception, and is far more than a summer formula with a new label.

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