7 Steps to consider when choosing a Botanical Oil for Macerations

JUNE 2016 ACCREDITED ORGANIC COSMETIC SCIENCE SCHOOL

Macerating Oils

• Some of the most important ingredients in organic cosmetics are plant extracts and infusions

• Lipophilic plant extracts for cosmetics are often prepared through maceration – the process of infusing plant components in oil

• Plant macerates are then applied in a range of different skincare and cosmetics

• But what factors should you consider when choosing your plant oils for maceration?

1. Shelf Life

Consider the shelf life of the oil you choose and make sure it has a reasonable shelf life.• Preparing lipophilic plant extracts

and macerations takes time• You don’t want to spend weeks

preparing an extract for it to then be discarded after a few months

• High iodine oils (for instance, borage oil) will shorten the shelf life of your maceration

2. Thermal stability

Consider the thermal stability of your oil – it may oxidise when exposed to heat• Botanical oil macerations can be prepared

using the ‘hot process’ method• Additionally, you may use your oil maceration

in balms, butters or hot process emulsions• Certain oils have poor thermal stability and will

oxidize when exposed to heat.

3. Fragrance

Consider the inherent scent of your oils – they may affect your final cosmetic product• Certain oils such as neem oil or perilla seed oil

will have a strong inherent scent• You may not wish to have a strong scented oil

in your finished product, or you may be making an infusion based on scent alone (e.g. vanilla pods in jojoba oil)

4. Colour

Consider the inherent colour of your oils – they may affect your final cosmetic product• Certain oils such as acai oil or

avocado oil will have a strong inherent colour

• You may not wish to have a strongly coloured oil in your finished product, or you may be making an infusion based on colour alone (e.g. Calendula petals in almond oil)

5. Viscosity & Skin Feel

Consider the skin feel you want to achieve with your finished product• Certain oils such as wheat

germ oil may have a high viscosity and leave a sticky or heavy feel on the skin

• High viscosity oils may also be difficult to filter at the end of the maceration process

6. Availability & Price

Consider the availability and price of your ingredients – your oils might be expensive• Certain exotic oils can be very expensive and

you may not wish to use them for maceration• Certain exotic oils may also be difficult to

obtain in steady large quantities for maceration

• Expensive oils usually also have a shorter shelf life

7. Unsaponifiables

Consider the unsaponifiables of your oil and their skin beneficial properties• Unsaponifiables are components in your oil

which cannot form soaps. Examples include tocopherol, lecithin, phytosterols, etc.

• Unrefined oils will generally contain more unsaponifiables than refined oils.

• These unsaponifiables can add skin therapeutic and beneficial properties.

Read more?

Visit the Formula Botanica blog at:

http://www.formulabotanica.com/blog

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