Carrier Oils
The term “carrier oil” encompasses hundreds of different oils and butters. In the most basic sense, the word “carrier” serves to distinguish oils that are not “essential” oils. Common carrier oils include olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, grapeseed oil, canola oil, sweet almond oil, walnut oil, and more. These oils will vary wildly in terms of texture, color, thickness, nutritional composition, and scent, but generally they are our base oils/butters.
You can find these in the supermarket, natural heath food store or even online.
Carrier oils serve a variety of purposes including moisturizing benefits.
Consistency
There are 3 general types of oils you should be aware of, Brittle, Soft and Liquid.
Absorbency
Absorbency rates are also important to know as you may want a cream or lotion that is fast to absorb versus one that will provide a barrier as a protectant. Here are a few of the most common.
Fast to Absorb Average to Absorb Slow to Absorb
Safflower Jojoba Avocado
Camellia Seed Kuikui nut Castor
Hazelnut Virgin Coconut Flax seed
Grapeseed Sweet Almond Evening Primrose
Rosehip (also drying) Olive Oat
Apricot kernel Hemp Seed Macadamia nut
Canola Sunflower
Texture & Melting Point
Melting point is really only important with oils that are solid at room temperature, as liquid oils generally tend to stay that way as their tipping point into the solid realm is generally far below temperatures you’d use in a body butter (olive oil solidifies around 1°C).
In terms of texture, coconut oil is smooth and oily; shea butter is thick, tacky, and sticky, so the texture of an oil or butter can and will impart differing properties to a finished product.
Additives are a wonderful thing to add to your cream or lotion. Most are considered part of the water phase or you can replace water with these. Some of the things I’ve used is aloe vera juice or gel, chamomile tea, rose water or any other hydrosols or extracts.
Balms or ointments are considered an all oil base and therefore no preservative or emulsifying agent is needed.
Lotions or creams need an emulsifying wax and a preservative. I use a paraben free preservative and the emulsfying wax is an all natural vegetable base unless otherwise indicated on the ingredient list.
Other ingredients in over-the-counter products
Glyceryl Stearate is made from glycerin and stearic acid (a fatty acid derived from animal and vegetable oils and fats). It is primarily used as an emulsifier – it keeps the various ingredients from separating. Fun fact: In products like conditioners and lotions, it is also used to create a moisture barrier between the skin or hair, and the external environment.
Cyclopentasiloxane is mainly used as a conditioner, delivery agent, lubricant and solvent. Like all other silicones, this ingredient has a unique fluidity that makes it easily spreadable. When applied to the skin and hair, it gives a silky and slippery feeling to the touch and acts a mild water repellent by forming a protective barrier on the skin.
PEG-100 Stearate is made by combining natural oils (oftentimes palm or coconut) with Stearic Acid to form a water-soluble ester. PEG-100 Stearate is primarily used by the cosmetics and beauty care industry as an emollient, an emulsifier and a moisturizer, although PEG Stearates in general are also known to clean the skin and hair by helping water to mix with oil and dirt so that they can be rinsed away.
Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol and Cetostearyl Alcohol A fatty alcohol (meaning it is an alcohol which comes from fat). It does not behave like a 'real alcohol' for example ethanol or propanol. It is derived from coconut oil and palm oil. Cetyl alcohol is made by heating coconut oil with a strong base (for example lye - sodium hydroxide). This process is the same process used to make soap (saponification).
Sorbitol, or glucitol as it is sometimes called, is a slow-metabolizing sugar alcohol derived from fruits, corn and seaweed. Sorbitol is added to soaps, especially transparent glycerin bar soaps. It has moisturizing qualities and may be found in lotions and moisturizing soaps.
Tocopheryl acetate, also known as vitamin E acetate, is a common vitamin supplement with the molecular formula C31H52O3. It is the ester of acetic acid and tocopherol. It is often used in dermatological products such as skin creams.
Phenoxyethanol can be found naturally in green tea, but the commercial ingredient is synthetically produced in a laboratory creating what’s termed a “nature identical” chemical. Specifically, it’s created by treating phenol with ethylene oxide in an alkaline medium which all reacts to form a pH-balanced ingredient. Fights bacteria. Most personal care products are made with a lot of water and a variety of nutrients (consider all of the natural oils and botanicals in Honest products!) which makes an incredibly hospitable breeding ground for microorganisms. What’s worse – the product might smell and look just fine, but be swarming with bacteria or fungi that are dangerous to your health. Effective preservatives are vital for ensuring safety!
DMDM hydantoin is an organic compound belonging to a class of compounds known as hydantoins. It is used in the cosmetics industry and found in products like shampoos, hair conditioners, hair gels and skin care products as a preservative. Because this compound is a formaldehyde releaser, I only use it at a .5% rate but it is one of the most commonly used preservatives in cosmetics today. The alternatives such as parabens have been linked to cancer, so if you do not have a skin allergy to most over the counter lotions, this preservative most likely will not harm you with this dilution rate. In good conscience I can not sell a product that is a water/oil base without a microbial killing agent.
PEG-150 Distearate is an Effective thickener for surfactant-containing products (e.g. shampoo, conditioner, shower gels), solubilizer for various water-insoluble ingredients, good co-emulsifying properties in creams & lotions.
Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide secreted by the bacterium Xanthomonas campetris, and is used as a food additive and rheology modifer, commonly used as a food thickening agent and a stablizer in cosmetic products to prevent separating.
Disodium EDTA has properties that preserve and stabilize solutions. It purifies products especially when tap water or another type of questionable water source is used. Disodium EDTA is also used as a chelating agent which effectively removes metal ions in the water. It can also control the viscosity in solutions making skin care products easy to use and apply on to the skin.
The term “carrier oil” encompasses hundreds of different oils and butters. In the most basic sense, the word “carrier” serves to distinguish oils that are not “essential” oils. Common carrier oils include olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, grapeseed oil, canola oil, sweet almond oil, walnut oil, and more. These oils will vary wildly in terms of texture, color, thickness, nutritional composition, and scent, but generally they are our base oils/butters.
You can find these in the supermarket, natural heath food store or even online.
Carrier oils serve a variety of purposes including moisturizing benefits.
Consistency
There are 3 general types of oils you should be aware of, Brittle, Soft and Liquid.
- Brittle examples are Cocoa Butter, Kokum Butter and Illipe Butter. Just because the name says it is a butter does not mean it is soft and your lotion or cream will have a different consistency.
- Soft examples are Coconut Oil, Mango Butter, Almond Butter, Shea Butter. These all have a smooth texture and melt quickly when place on the skin.
- Liquid oils are in a liquid state. The best oils for body care products I have found are Sweet Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Olive Oil, Hemp Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Argon Oil and Shea Oil.
Absorbency
Absorbency rates are also important to know as you may want a cream or lotion that is fast to absorb versus one that will provide a barrier as a protectant. Here are a few of the most common.
Fast to Absorb Average to Absorb Slow to Absorb
Safflower Jojoba Avocado
Camellia Seed Kuikui nut Castor
Hazelnut Virgin Coconut Flax seed
Grapeseed Sweet Almond Evening Primrose
Rosehip (also drying) Olive Oat
Apricot kernel Hemp Seed Macadamia nut
Canola Sunflower
Texture & Melting Point
Melting point is really only important with oils that are solid at room temperature, as liquid oils generally tend to stay that way as their tipping point into the solid realm is generally far below temperatures you’d use in a body butter (olive oil solidifies around 1°C).
In terms of texture, coconut oil is smooth and oily; shea butter is thick, tacky, and sticky, so the texture of an oil or butter can and will impart differing properties to a finished product.
Additives are a wonderful thing to add to your cream or lotion. Most are considered part of the water phase or you can replace water with these. Some of the things I’ve used is aloe vera juice or gel, chamomile tea, rose water or any other hydrosols or extracts.
Balms or ointments are considered an all oil base and therefore no preservative or emulsifying agent is needed.
Lotions or creams need an emulsifying wax and a preservative. I use a paraben free preservative and the emulsfying wax is an all natural vegetable base unless otherwise indicated on the ingredient list.
Other ingredients in over-the-counter products
Glyceryl Stearate is made from glycerin and stearic acid (a fatty acid derived from animal and vegetable oils and fats). It is primarily used as an emulsifier – it keeps the various ingredients from separating. Fun fact: In products like conditioners and lotions, it is also used to create a moisture barrier between the skin or hair, and the external environment.
Cyclopentasiloxane is mainly used as a conditioner, delivery agent, lubricant and solvent. Like all other silicones, this ingredient has a unique fluidity that makes it easily spreadable. When applied to the skin and hair, it gives a silky and slippery feeling to the touch and acts a mild water repellent by forming a protective barrier on the skin.
PEG-100 Stearate is made by combining natural oils (oftentimes palm or coconut) with Stearic Acid to form a water-soluble ester. PEG-100 Stearate is primarily used by the cosmetics and beauty care industry as an emollient, an emulsifier and a moisturizer, although PEG Stearates in general are also known to clean the skin and hair by helping water to mix with oil and dirt so that they can be rinsed away.
Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol and Cetostearyl Alcohol A fatty alcohol (meaning it is an alcohol which comes from fat). It does not behave like a 'real alcohol' for example ethanol or propanol. It is derived from coconut oil and palm oil. Cetyl alcohol is made by heating coconut oil with a strong base (for example lye - sodium hydroxide). This process is the same process used to make soap (saponification).
Sorbitol, or glucitol as it is sometimes called, is a slow-metabolizing sugar alcohol derived from fruits, corn and seaweed. Sorbitol is added to soaps, especially transparent glycerin bar soaps. It has moisturizing qualities and may be found in lotions and moisturizing soaps.
Tocopheryl acetate, also known as vitamin E acetate, is a common vitamin supplement with the molecular formula C31H52O3. It is the ester of acetic acid and tocopherol. It is often used in dermatological products such as skin creams.
Phenoxyethanol can be found naturally in green tea, but the commercial ingredient is synthetically produced in a laboratory creating what’s termed a “nature identical” chemical. Specifically, it’s created by treating phenol with ethylene oxide in an alkaline medium which all reacts to form a pH-balanced ingredient. Fights bacteria. Most personal care products are made with a lot of water and a variety of nutrients (consider all of the natural oils and botanicals in Honest products!) which makes an incredibly hospitable breeding ground for microorganisms. What’s worse – the product might smell and look just fine, but be swarming with bacteria or fungi that are dangerous to your health. Effective preservatives are vital for ensuring safety!
DMDM hydantoin is an organic compound belonging to a class of compounds known as hydantoins. It is used in the cosmetics industry and found in products like shampoos, hair conditioners, hair gels and skin care products as a preservative. Because this compound is a formaldehyde releaser, I only use it at a .5% rate but it is one of the most commonly used preservatives in cosmetics today. The alternatives such as parabens have been linked to cancer, so if you do not have a skin allergy to most over the counter lotions, this preservative most likely will not harm you with this dilution rate. In good conscience I can not sell a product that is a water/oil base without a microbial killing agent.
PEG-150 Distearate is an Effective thickener for surfactant-containing products (e.g. shampoo, conditioner, shower gels), solubilizer for various water-insoluble ingredients, good co-emulsifying properties in creams & lotions.
Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide secreted by the bacterium Xanthomonas campetris, and is used as a food additive and rheology modifer, commonly used as a food thickening agent and a stablizer in cosmetic products to prevent separating.
Disodium EDTA has properties that preserve and stabilize solutions. It purifies products especially when tap water or another type of questionable water source is used. Disodium EDTA is also used as a chelating agent which effectively removes metal ions in the water. It can also control the viscosity in solutions making skin care products easy to use and apply on to the skin.