A process of forming a population of microcapsules is described comprising a liquid hydrophilic core material and a wall material at least partially surrounding the core material. The liquid hydrophilic core material can be anionic, cationic, or neutral but polar. The microcapsule population is formed by providing liquid hydrophilic core material; providing an oil continuous phase which is low boiling and preferably nonflammable, the oil continuous phase comprising preferably one or more organic oil materials such as esters with chain length up to about 42 carbons. A mixture is formed by dispersing the liquid hydrophilic material in the oil continuous phase. Either an oil soluble or dispersible monofunctional amine acrylate or monofunctional amine methacrylate, along with acid; or alternatively monofunctional acid acrylate or monofunctional acid methacrylate along with base; or alternatively, monofunctional amine acrylate or monofunctional amine methacrylate along with acid acrylate or methacrylate; is added. A multifunctional acrylate or methacrylate monomer or oligomer is provided along with an initiator. Optionally a surfactant is also added to form the mixture. Emulsification is achieved by subjecting the mixture to high shear agitation and heating the mixture for a time sufficient to enable forming a prepolymer which migrates to the liquid hydrophilic material, thereby forming prepolymers adhered to the hydrophilic core materials. Heating is carried out or light exposure or both for a time and temperature sufficient to crosslink the prepolymers.