Beauty

Making Scentz (aka Homemade Bath Products)

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What are anti-oxidants and chemical preservatives? In order to know very well what chemical preservatives and anti-oxidants are for, and how they must be used, it is important to first “digest” a few initial concepts. First of all, there is a lot of deceptive, and often intentionally wrong information being circulated among natural skin care manufacturers. Secondly, these misleading statements have brought forward further confusion about nature regrettably, application scope and utilization of some important ingredients. In particular, it is sadly common to hear the terms anti-oxidant and preservative being used interchangeably, with frustrating consequences especially for those who find themselves unwillingly opening a “can of worms” by bringing up the subject on some e-mail lists.

The truth is, anti-oxidants and preservatives are two very different “beasts”, with different character, different application scope and different utilization requirements. Anti-oxidants are chemicals that inhibit oxidation. Animal fatty acids and veggie oils are made up by chemical substance constructions called triglycerides, where one molecule of glycerol is bonded with three molecules of fatty acids, which consist of hydrocarbon chains of variable length.

Oils and excess fat also contain variable levels of free fatty acids – i.e, fatty acidity molecules that aren’t bonded with any glycerol molecule. The essential fatty acids in natural oils and fats can combine with oxidising agencies (such as oxigen, for instance, which is present in the air and in drinking water), and oxidise. Quite simply, the essential oil (or fat) risk turning rancid.

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Adding an anti-oxidant helps stop or slow down this natural oxidation process, and prolongs the shelf life of the oils. Substances that, by inhibiting oxidation, effectively prolong the shelf life of natural oils, and keep oil-based applications fresher for longer periods therefore. These include several types of rosemary extracts, the most widely known being Rosemary Oleoresin Extract, or ROE, and citrus seed extracts also.

Because citrus seed ingredients can have negative part effects, rosemary draw out is usually preferred. ROE is best added to the oils before heating always, as it also offers the result of impairing dissociation of the fatty acid molecules caused by higher temperatures. Substances that protect skin cells from the harmful effects of oxidisation, and are added as substances typically.

These include Vitamin C, Vitamin E and beta-carotene. Whenever formulating a fresh product, it’s important to establish whether an anti-oxidant is necessary for one or the other reason, and consequently choose the most appropriate. Most importantly, remember that anti-oxidants haven’t any influence on fungi, bacteria, yeast and other living things that may corrupt emulsions and every other water-based cosmetic. Preservatives are substances that kill bacterias and fungi (or at the very minimum make it very hard for “living things” to endure), and have no effect on the shelf life of the natural oils.

Bacteria, fungi, candida and other potentially dangerous microorganisms typically avoid waterless substances (such as balms, salves, pomades and oil-only blends) and also substances with a comparatively high pH (such as soap), but thrive in humid conditions. It is important to comprehend that the efficacy of preservatives depends, by definition, on the ability to destroy live cells; in other words, their toxicity can be an unavoidable element of their reason of being. Several natural extracts, plants and essential oils contain substances that have the charged power to effectively kill bacteria, yeast and fungi; however, in many cases these substances are or can be toxic for humans, too.

A typical example are citrus or grapefruit seed components: although these have natural antimicrobial properties, some of their constituents are usually accountable for life-threatening hormonal imbalances. Also, citrus seed extracts are not approved for cosmetic use in Europe and in Japan, and are therefore no option in those countries.