ABSTRACT
Often, when asked what I do for a living, the listener thinks that I study “reality” when indeed I had said “rheology.” The confusion is no doubt caused as much by the similarity of the two words as by the infrequent use of the word in every day language. But the “reality” of the situation is that rheology, whether known by its correct terminology or the commonly misused (and limiting) term “viscosity,” is so much a part of our lives that we generally accept its existence without ever knowing why or how we can manipulate it. The purpose of this chapter, then, is to present the rheological properties of creams and lotions, with particular emphasis on how this understanding can be used to make products that are more desirable and consistent.
