Formulating Emulsions & Creams

Hand-Stirred Lotions and Emulsions

 Light on the skin, smooth in texture, easily absorbed, and virtually non-greasy. What’s not to like? Emulsions are the mixtures of water and oil that we commonly refer to as creams or lotions. But can you really make safe, stable emulsions at home? Lise Andersen is here to show you how!

2025 Cohort starts August 26, 2025

Also offered as a part of our three-part Complete Formulation Program

Prerequisite: Formulation Module 1 OR Good Formulation Practice

  • To be able to enroll, you need to have completed either the Essential Formulation course or the Good Formulation Practices single class.
  • You can take Good Formulation Practices now; it is a single, 60-minute workshop. Follow this link to check it out.

Formulation Module 2

Payment in full
US$240

  • Paid in full – one payment.

Formulation Module 2

Payment plan
US$120/month

  • Two payments of $120 over 2 months

In this 4 week course, Lise Andersen expertly walks you through the process and equips you with the knowledge to make your own safe, stable, hand-stirred emulsions without having to invest in pricey lab equipment

The need for preservatives, emulsifiers, and pH testing makes some artisan formulators hesitate about taking the big leap. Yes you do need them, and yet there are creative solutions! Lise Andersen will guide you through each process – with her signature enthusiasm and her wealth of knowledge to help, you can do this!

Lise has carefully selected ingredients that are globally available, easy to work with, and that can be combined using regular kitchen tools and equipment. She shares her many tried and tested techniques and provides you with the insights you’ll need to continue your emulsion-making journey with confidence.

You’ll get step by step instructions and six unique formulations from eye serum to face cleanser to rich soothing salve. You’ll learn how to work with six different emulsifiers and get comfortable about using preservatives while creating a collection of beautiful products that are as natural is it’s possible to be. Six unique essential oil blends by Robert Tisserand are included in the course.

Prerequisite: Essential Formulation (let us know if you’re interested in taking it as a refresher)

What You Get in the Course

4 LESSONS
Four pre-recorded lessons instructed by Lise Andersen.

Q&A SESSIONS
Four recorded plus two live Q&A sessions

PRINTABLE COURSE MATERIAL
Extensive downloadable handouts and course notes with links to additional research and resources.

DEDICATED GROUP DISCUSSIONS
Access to our private online forum to ask questions and interact with Lise, the TI team, and classmates.

ONGOING COURSE ACCESS
Ongoing access extended access for 8 weeks after the last lesson, and 6 months of view-only access. 

Plus You'll Get

A total of six individual tried and tested product formulations with detailed instructions.

Robert Tisserand’s six original essential oil blends, tested with formulas from the course.

An invaluable and comprehensive list of recommended suppliers for quality ingredients, tools, equipment and packaging. 

Tisserand Institute Instructor Lise Anderson

Lise Andersen

Formulator | Founder of LisaLise Pure Natural Skincare & Formulators’ Kitchen

A self-professed ‘green’ formulator, Lise works with luxurious natural plant-based ingredients – preferably as raw and unprocessed as possible. As a trusted expert, she has decades of experience in researching, testing, and developing cosmetics.

Lise is the author of several DIY e-books on making skincare and haircare products, herbal extracts, and more. She also offers consultation and bespoke formulation for beauty brands. Visit her blog where she journals her experiments and shares know-how on everything from making no-soap cleansers to pressed eye shadow.

Full 2025 Schedule

Formulating Emulsions & Creams (Starting August 26, 2025)

Weekly lessons are pre-recorded, and will release at or before 8am PST each Tuesday. We will host 4 live Q&A sessions, listed in red below, which begin at 10am Pacific time.

Lesson 1: August 25, 2025
Lesson 2: September 02, 2025
Live Q&A: September 04, 2025 at 10am PST
Lesson 3: September 09, 2025
Lesson 4: September 16, 2025
Live Q&A: September 18, 2025 at 10am PST

Course Breakdown

What you’ll be learning over the four weeks:

Lesson 1 - Elements of Emulsion

  • Understanding the nature and benefits of an emulsion

  • Requirements for a safe and stable emulsion

  • Discussion of emulsifiers and co-emulsifiers 

  • Selecting a preservative or preservative system

  • Guidelines on using active ingredients in your emulsion

  • Packaging options

Lesson 2 - Light Lotions and Creams

  • What constitutes a light emulsion

  • About the emulsifiers we’ll be using in this lesson

  • Step by step heating and cooling methods for optimal results

  • Tips on the hand stirring techniques shown in this lesson

  • How to measure the pH of your product

  • Creating an emulsion for the eye area – ingredient highlights

Products: Eye serum, Body lotion

Lesson 3 - Viscous Emulsions - Creams and Salves
  • The elements of rich emulsions and where they are optimally applied
  • Creating emulsions for the face – ingredient highlights and tips
  • Identifying and working with quality multifunctional emulsifiers
  • Demonstration of the heating and cooling methods for these formulas
  • Transferring to containers – tips and tricks
  • Customizing your cream and salve

Products:

Rich Face cream  

Soothing Salve for Dry Skin

Lesson 4 - Cold Mix and Anhydrous Emulsions

  • What constitutes a cold mix and an anhydrous emulsion 

  • About the emulsifiers we’ll be using in this lesson

  • Fail-safe stirring techniques for cold mix emulsifiers

  • Emulsions as cleansers and scrubs

  • Tailoring your formula to your needs

    Products made:

    Cleansing Milk 

    Body Scrub

When You Complete the Course

CERTIFICATION
Your certificate – issued by the leaders of evidence-based instruction – demonstrates your knowledge of safe and effective use of essential oil blends in anhydrous formulas, aqueous sprays, bath products and facial masks.

What previous students say about our courses:

Everything – I loved that you covered so many different types of product, there was so much information packed into each lesson and I loved that Lisa shared all her tips from her years of experience. Thoroughly enjoyed it and learned so much – thank you!

The personalized attention and friendly feel. Sometimes you feel like instructors are holding back their best secrets or knowledge. But I didn’t feel like that with either Lise or Robert. Lise was delightful. I felt like I could just pull up a chair with a cup of tea and we could talk formulations! Also being able to learn about blending from Robert was an incredible treat! I would love to have a larger course about that!! ~Kristi Maxwell

I notice i have been mulling things over a lot from this course and that more has gone in than i thought. I’m having my own distilled understandings arriving – which is proof of quality education. Overall i think it was a very good course and that your online platform is superb – as good as any I have used. ~Nigel Sutton

I appreciated the passion that was put into the course. I stumbled across this by chance and I am so thankful I did. This has expanded my passion and knowledge about formulations. It has enhanced my learning about essential oils. I just want to thank you for offering this course and all that you do. I feel so confident having your institute as my education platform. I am a beginner but feel confident with your amazing education that it wont be long before I am a pro!! ~Penny Ferguson

Everything – I loved that you covered so many different types of product, there was so much information packed into each lesson and I loved that Lise shared all her tips from her years of experience. Thoroughly enjoyed it and learned so much – thank you!

Dear Hana, Robert and Team,

I thoroughly enjoyed this course! I had many conflicts in my schedule but you and your team set everything up to be as easily accessed by computer as possible. Hearing the Q&A as well as the print outs was also a real bonus. I learned many new things I was unfamiliar with and those are the real value!!

Thanks and again and many blessings to you all. – Sara Holmes

I want to thank you for this course. I feel so confident having your institute as my education platform. I’m a beginner but with your amazing education, it won’t be long before I’m a pro!

The course and online platform are a chance to ask questions directly – and to see everyone’s questions. The entire course – from syllabus to platform, webinars to reminders, handouts to community engagement – is masterfully put together and executed.

It’s helpful to have access to credible information. There’s so much information out there, it’s hard to know what is credible and what isn’t.

Emulsions are a great addition to your aromatherapeutic product portfolio. This course is a unique chance to understand how to make them and customize to your needs – with an incredibly experienced tutor, Lise Andersen. 

Ready to get started?

FAQs

Will there be notes for me to review?
Yes. Each lesson comes with printable handouts of the slides used in the lesson, and additional lesson notes. These are sent to you before each lesson and are for you to keep and refer to at any time.
I am a certified aromatherapist. Will I learn anything new?
Many of our students have commented that our courses helped them grasp what they learned elsewhere in more detail, or complemented their previous education. Some of our students are lifelong learners, and some are teachers.
I am new to essential oils. Is this course for me?
We will let one of our previous students answer this one:

“The information presented is appropriate for all levels, and although I am just beginning my aromatherapy journey it all makes sense.”

Will there be assessments or exams? What kind?
Each weekly lesson is followed by a multiple choice quiz, and there is a summary test at the end of each course. Passing both the weekly quizzes and the final tests is a requirement for certification.
When will the live Q&As take place?
There will be five live sessions. You can ask questions any time on our online platform.
Will I be able to ask questions?
Absolutely! In addition to the live Q&A sessions, you can post your questions in the dedicated student forums.
I’m only interested in skin care, do I really need to know about all the safety aspects?
We believe that safety should be at the core of any practice using essential oils. This is why we require those who wish to study Essential Oils for Healthy Skin to also pass our Essential Oil Safety Masterclass. This ensures that the knowledge you gain can be applied safely as well as effectively. Understanding essential oil safety from all angles helps you make safe choices for yourself, your family and/or your clients.
How long will I have access to the recordings?
You will have access to all the recordings and course materials for at least twelve weeks weeks after the last lesson. All the printable materials (notes, handouts, charts, etc.) are of course yours to keep for reference forever.
I have already done the Essential Oil Safety Masterclass. What do I do?
You don’t need to do the Safety Masterclass again, but we will open it for you as a sit-in to refresh your memory for no extra cost – you just pay for the Skin part. If you have purchased the Safety Masterclass before but did not get the Certificate of Completion, you can use this opportunity to do so. Please check your email for a message about how to proceed. 🙂
How is Essential Oils for Healthy Skin different to the “Complete Skin Series”?
Essential Oils for Healthy Skin is an update of the Complete Skin Series, which was launched in 2014. It not only includes much new information, but it is now a certification course. There are recorded lessons and live Q&A sessions, and you will need to pass the assessments to gain your certificate. This all happens on our new learning portal where you can interact with fellow students as well as ask questions in dedicated forums.
Do you offer continuing education credits?
Because we have students from all over the world and of many professions we are not able to offer credits for specific organizations – there are simply too many. However, we issue a confirmation of CE hours gained on the course that you can apply with your professional organization and will be happy to assist with any additional documentation.
What if I fall behind or cannot attend classes?
We have found that running classes on specific dates works best to help you finish a program. You join a class of students, and learn along with them. Many students help each other with queries, and of course our tutors are there too. That said, if you miss a few classes you should be still able to comfortably jump right back in and if you do fall behind you can request extra time. Of course this cannot be indefinite, but we do our best to help you get your certificate.