Raw Materials in Anti-perspirants and Deodorants
Aluminium Hydroxychloride (INCI Name: Aluminium Chlorohydrate) is an
aluminium salt which is used in most anti-perspirants. Its salts act as
a sweat inhibitor, closing off the skin's sweat pores so the sweat is
unable to come out. So far so good, but closing off the body's most important
secretory organ day after day (sweating from the arm pits included) and
with a substance than can be irritating to the skin and is easily absorbed
by damaged skin, is not the best solution for our sweat problems.
We believe that the use of this salt can cause cancer. Another product
on the market that often claims to be natural are crystal deodorants,
and through investigations that I have done, people selling them admit
that they contain aluminium hydroxychloride and I doubt that they are
natural, but are in fact made in factories.
A much safer raw material to use in deodorants and anti-perspirants is
farnesol. (INCI name: Farnesol). This is a substance which occurs naturally
in a number of essential oils, for instance Palmarosa and Roman Chamomile
oils. Farnesol kills the bacteria which make sweat smell. It does not
close off the pores and does not prevent the secretion of sweat. Used
at a strength of approx. 1%. The effect lasts for 5-6 hours.
Another deodorant raw material which is safe to use is Lemon Ester. (INCI
Name: Triethyl Citrate). This is found naturally in cherries. It reduces
the bacteria on the skin by making the skin more acid. The best use in
deodorant is to use 4- 5% together with 1% Farnesol.
Farnesol and Lemon Ester in combination will not provide protection for
the whole day the way that aluminium will, but at least they are safe
to use.
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Moisturisers
It is very important not only to use vegetable
oils on the skin, but to use moisturising products like creams
and lotions. We have several different ingredients for this purpose and
their molecular structure enables them to retain water and bind it in
the skin.
Glycerine in products from normal High Street shops is usually derived
from animal fats. As a vegetarian myself, I don't want to use that on
my skin. The vegetable one that I personally work with is as good, but
it costs more. Propylene Glycol is a moisturiser with arguable benefits.
Personally I am not afraid to use it, but you can choose between others.
Other moisturisers that are safe to use are Sorbitol, preferably used
in cleansers and peeling products. Carbamide crystals that are both moisturising
and antiseptic are very good in foot and hand creams.
Another product that is used very much is silk protein (INCI name: Silk
Amino Acid). This protects and strengthens the hair / skin whilst helping
it to retain its moisture. It can be used in shampoos, conditioners and
hair packs.
Silk is produced by silk worms that live on mulberry bushes. It is a
secretion from a gland on the silk worm which it spins into cocoons. Silk
amino acid is produced from dead silk worms. It is therefore an animal
based substance and silk worms have to die for the silk to be extracted.
(They are actually gassed to death!) Fortunately we can use silk protein
in products which comes from marine algae called sea silk that gives the
same effect. Silk amino acid is used in creams,
lotions, shampoos and conditioners. They protect, soften and help to retain
moisture in the skin. In hair they act as a moisture retainer and also
form a film around the strands of hair to strengthen and protect them.
Silk amino acid also gives the hair more shine and makes it look healthy.
Another fat and moisturiser is lanolin. (INCI name: Adeps lana). In its
dehydrated form is a light yellow, fatty, sticky mass which smells slightly
of sheep. Lanolin is formed in the same way as sebum in humans - in glands
in the sheep's skin which open onto the strands of wool. The fat protects
the wool and skin from drying out, and from extremes of hot and cold and
from bacteria. Lanolin is extracted from the fleece after it is shorn.
Lanolin has the property of being able to bind water to itself. In baby
ointments / nappies
it neutralises the corrosive ammonia of the urine through saponification
whilst at the same time protecting the skin.
Lanolin is the fatty substance most akin to the fat in our own skin.
It can help our skin to retain moisture and prevent it from drying out.
At the same time, it allows the skin to sweat and breathe naturally. Some
people are sensitive to lanolin. They can develop small, red, itchy bumps
which disappear within a day once the use of lanolin has stopped. Unfortunately
lanolin can be contaminated with pesticides (DDT, lindan, dieldrin and
endrin). Sheep can be dipped or sprayed once or twice a year in pesticides
to kill off any insects living in their fleece. Minute quantities of pesticide
can be left behind in the lanolin. Pesticides are easily absorbed by the
skin, especially when combined with fats, and are stored in the skin's
fatty tissues. It is now possible to obtain lanolin with very low pesticide
content. This lanolin is almost odourless.
Raw Materials for Sun Protection
Commonly used in sun protection products is Paba (INCI name: Paba). Its
full scientific name is para-amino-benzoic acid and it is a water-soluble
substance often referred to as B10 but which has never been accepted as
a vitamin. Paba is always produced synthetically through simple chemical
methods. One form of Paba is used for sun protection as it provides an
effective screen against ultraviolet rays and thus prevents sunburn. Paba
is also used in the treatment of sunburn and vitiligo (pigment blotches).
It is stored in the outer layers of the skin. Not everybody tolerates
Paba. People with sensitive skins who react strongly to sunlight by developing
a rash, tenderness or swelling should not use Paba as (for these people)
it can cause eczema
and light sensitivity.
Paba is a nitrosamine forming agent that can cause cancer. Research in
Sweden links the chemically made sun blockers to skin cancer. So the paradox
is that they should prevent skin cancer but they may also be the cause
of it. So what is the alternative? Fortunately, we have got an alternative
raw material called Tiosol (INCI name: Titanium Dioxide (and) Cocos nucifera).
Tiosol is a new sun screening substance produced on the basis of old
knowledge. It is based on the substance titanium dioxide, a natural mineral
which, like zinc oxide, has been used effectively for a long time as a
sun block (it reflects and absorbs ultra-violet light). However, both
have had the disadvantage that they give an unsightly bluish-white colour
to the skin. This problem has been resolved by grinding the titanium dioxide
to a grade where visible light passes through it and the titanium white
becomes invisible on the skin. This blocks the ultra-violet light even
more effectively than the titanium dioxide of normal grade.
Tiosol screens out UVA, UVB and to a large extent UVC rays. It is very
easy to use, tolerates heating and can achieve a sun factor of anywhere
from 2-20. As already described, Tiosol consists of finely ground titanium
dioxide which is then mixed into liquid coconut oil, 40% titanium dioxide
and 60% coconut oil. The Coconut
Oil is specially treated to remove the fatty acids that go rancid.
This enables long exposure to bright sunlight without the cream going
rancid. Tiosol is the safest sunscreen with the broadest spectrum currently
available on the market. It doesn't have any side effects or cause allergies
and it is easy to use.
You can also choose to use certain vegetables that have a natural sun
factor in them already. For example, you can use Coconut
Butter / Oil , and Shea Butter or Shea Butter Oil. They have
a sun factor from 2 - 3, but do not use them on people with oily or large
pores. The other
Vegetable Oils you can use for all skin conditions are Sesame Oil
(sun protection factor 2 - 3) or Jojoba Oil (factor 4).
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