6 ingredients used to make cold process soaps
Soaps are created by a reaction called saponification, which is a chemical reaction between lye and oil, or better yet between lye and the fatty acids within the oil. The base ingredients that make up natural soap are oils, lye and water. Depending on the oils in the...
5 Vegan Beeswax Alternatives for Natural Skincare (+ Free Sweet Orange Lip Balm Recipe!)
Waxes are often an essential part of a cosmetic formulation. Waxes help harden liquid oils, which plays a crucial role in making lip balms, ointments, solid lotion bars and other natural skincare products. One of the most commonly used waxes is beeswax. Beeswax is...
What is the Difference Between a Preservative and an Antioxidant?
It’s quite possible you have heard that preservatives and antioxidants are used to extend the shelf-life of cosmetic products. For this reason, some people mix the two terms up. But in reality, preservatives and antioxidants have very different mechanisms for...
Natural Palm Oil-free Emulsifier for Natural Cosmetics: Imwitor 375
Emulsifiers are a key ingredient in natural cosmetics. They are needed to emulsify water and oil together to create emulsions, such as creams and lotions. There are many natural emulsifiers available that are COSMOS-approved and therefore permitted for use in...
Antioxidants in Natural Skincare
Antioxidants play a vital role in cosmetics and natural skincare is no exception, but there is often a misunderstanding about what antioxidants are, how they work and why they are used in cosmetic products. In this article, we explain what antioxidants are, where they...
Natural Preservatives in Skincare: What You Need to Know
The topic of preservation in cosmetics is a contentious one and unfortunately there is a lot of incorrect information shared on the internet and in books. In this article we want to clarify just exactly what natural preservatives are, where they come from, and how and...
Beeswax in Natural Skincare: Everything You Need to Know
What is beeswax and where does it come from? Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honey bees, who secrete it from wax-producing glands. Freshly produced beeswax is colorless, but over time worker bees introduce pollen into it, giving it that familiar yellow to brown...
What is hyaluronic acid and how do you use it in natural skincare?
(INCI: Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate) What is hyaluronic acid? Hyaluronic acid (often shortened to HA) is one of the most powerful humectants available; it can hold up to 1,000 times its own weight in water! What is really interesting about hyaluronic acid is...
9 Natural Benefits of Rosehip Oil for Your Skin
Today we’re sharing a very special natural skincare ingredient and an essential element in some of our favourite recipes – Rosehip Oil INCI: Rosa Canina (Rose hip) seed oil What makes this ingredient so special is the way that it can help to repair and...
Carrier Oils: Finding the right carrier oil for your skin
When you start on the exciting journey of learning to create and even formulate your own natural skincare products, you’ll find there are some ingredients that are special – the star of your product. These ingredients are things like essential oils, CO2 extracts and...