Choosing oils for skincare infusions was a big undertaking as I began to prepare formulations and offerings for our private label, Wild Nectar, coming soon. There are soooo many options! I mean, between the cosmetics area and the baking aisle its hard to know what to choose! Seeds, butters, fruits and vegetables, and tons of stuff I’ve never heard of…salmon oil? Babassu oil? Whoa. Let’s sort it out…
Two kinds of fats: saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature…butter, lard, etc. Unsaturated fats are more commonly found in herbal products because they are liquid at low temps and easy to infuse. There are two subtypes: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. My concern is, the polyunsaturated type is highly unstable. Their chemical makeup contains an incomplete hydrogen bond; therefore, these oils oxidize easily when exposed to heat and light (hello, our body). The higher an oil is in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), the quicker they cascade free radicals aging our cells. Yes, that’s correct, many of the lovely skincare and beauty items purchased today are in fact making your skin age faster. Crazy!
PUFAs can cause trouble all over if consumed in high quantities. Things like…
-altered thyroid functioning
-altered hormone production
-disruptions in metabolic processes
-tissue peroxidation and inflammation
-increases in cholesterol
-increase risk of heart disease
-taxing liver functions + detox process
-reduced immunity
-cognitive decline
And they are everywhere! Food, cosmetics, sunscreen! All up in there! Read the labels, friends! When it comes to herbal infusions and skincare, I felt it best to choose low PUFA oils and saturated butters.
In my formulations, you’ll find these organic options…
-coconut oil
-castor oil
-jojoba oil
-moringa oil
-cold pressed olive oil
-tallow
-cocoa butter
-shea butter…
and a few others!
Why go through all this work and research when cheap and easy options are available on store shelves nationwide? I mean, its not hard to throw a label on a package and turn a profit….right?! Other herbalists and skincare formulas do it all the time?!
Because I care about you, your family, our communities. I care about the composition, effects and sustainability of our future. I care about healthy cultivation and harvesting practices. I care about the stewardship and relationship we have with our beautiful Earth. It’s our home. When we know better, we do better.
