## 3 Results  
### Evaluation of Physicochemical and Organoleptic Properties  
The tested formulations and the reference cream underwent comprehensive analyses, including short-term stability tests, physicochemical evaluations, rheological assessments (viscosity, thixotropy, flow behavior index, and consistence coefficient), and occlusivity measurements. The results enabled the identification of a formulation with properties comparable to the reference cream (CR). This strategy minimized the risk of subjective bias arising from potential differences in sensory appeal among the tested products. All tested creams had a uniform consistency, a pleasant fragrance, and a beige or yellowish color. When applied to the hands, they spread easily and were quickly absorbed. The formulations, together with the reference cream, were stable o/w emulsions, showing no signs of phase separation in the centrifugation test. Detailed findings, including stability and physicochemical properties, are summarized in Table 2.  
The ability of a cosmetic cream to occlude, i.e., stop transepidermal water loss (TEWL), allows for the prediction of how well it will moisturize the skin. The C1-C6 creams and the reference cream showed a comparable occlusion factor (F) of around 50%. Microscopic analysis of the mean droplet size of the oil phase (\(\Phi\)) showed that all formulations had similar droplet sizes, ranging from 2.98 \(\pm\) 0.52 \(\upmu\)m for cream C3 to 3.42 \(\pm\) 0.98 \(\upmu\)m for cream C6. The droplet size for the reference cream was 4.4 \(\pm\) 1.14 \(\upmu\)m.  
Rheological studies conducted using a rotational viscometer demonstrated that the creams exhibited similar rheological properties. All samples displayed pseudoplastic flow behavior, which could be modeled using the Ostwald de Waele model. Among the tested creams, C3 and C6 had extreme values. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline  & **C1** & **C2** & **C3** & **C4** & **C5** & **C6** & **CR** \\ \hline F & 55.1 \(\pm\) 1.4 & 51.1 \(\pm\) 0.5 & 49.1 \(\pm\) 4.7 & 58.8 \(\pm\) 1.5 & 52.5 \(\pm\) 4.8 & 41.7 \(\pm\) 2.3 & 49.36 \(\pm\) 4.3 \\ \(\Phi\) & 3.63 \(\pm\) 1.56 & 3.31 \(\pm\) 0.71 & 2.98 \(\pm\) 0.52 & 3.01 \(\pm\) 0.62 & 3.04 \(\pm\) 0.95 & 3.42 \(\pm\) 0.89 & 4.4 \(\pm\) 1.14 \\ \(\eta_{\rm 5}\)s\({}^{-1}\) & 18.09 & 27.01 & 7.13 & 30.75 & 27.7 & 34.38 & 17.73 \\ \(\eta_{\rm 50}\)s\({}^{-1}\) & 2.41 & 3.56 & 1.36 & 4.19 & 3.41 & 4.55 & 2.58 \\ A \(\times\) 10\({}^{3}\) & 692 & 1366.3 & 463.51 & 2490 & 1833 & 1532.6 & 1099 \\ K & 73.39 & 113 & 25.15 & 127.48 & 115.7 & 144.48 & 67.22 \\ P & 0.13 & 0.12 & 0.25 & 0.12 & 0.1 & 0.11 & 0.1 \\ \(\Upsilon_{0}\) & 49.2 & 133.67 & — & 90.17 & — & 125.63 & 84.54 \\ k & 25.98 & 6.35 & — & 55.75 & — & 30.6 & 3.5 \\ n [-] & 0.25 & 0.5 & — & 0.19 & — & 0.31 & 0.65 \\ Sf & 2.95 \(\pm\) 0.05 & 2.59 \(\pm\) 0.04 & 3.59 \(\pm\) 0.02 & 2.88 \(\pm\) 0.03 & 2.85 \(\pm\) 0.02 & 2.56 \(\pm\) 0.03 & 3.11 \(\pm\) 0.04 \\ S & 76 \(\pm\) 3 & 105 \(\pm\) 1 & 44 \(\pm\) 3 & 80 \(\pm\) 0.5 & 79 \(\pm\) 0.2 & 108 \(\pm\) 1 & 64 \(\pm\) 4 \\ pH & 5.65 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 6.02 \(\pm\) 0.02 & 7.06 \(\pm\) 0.04 & 5.55 \(\pm\) 0.02 & 6.76 \(\pm\) 0.02 & 5.15 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 6.54 \(\pm\) 0.03 \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline  & F (\%)—occlusive factor, \(\Phi\) (\(\upmu\)m)—average droplet size of the oil phase (\(\upmu\)m), \(\eta_{\rm 5}\)s\({}^{-1}\) (Pa-s)—viscosity measured at a shear rate of 5 s\({}^{-1}\), \(\eta_{\rm 5}\)s\({}^{-1}\) (Pa-s) viscosity measured at shear rate of 50 s\({}^{-1}\), A (Pa/s)—thixotropy area, K (Pa-s)—consistency coefficient according to the Ostwald de Waele model, p (\(\cdot\))—flow behavior index, \(\Upsilon_{0}\) (Pa)—yield stress according to the Herschel–Bulkley model, k (Pa-s)—consistency factor according to the Herschel–Bulkley model, n (\(\cdot\))—flow behavior index, Sf (mm\({}^{2}\)/g)—spreadability index at 1000 g load, pH (\(\cdot\))—pH value, 5 (mN)—slip, F (\%)—occlusion factor.  
\end{table}