Tag: carrier oil

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The carrier oil series–coconut oil

Image by Lebensmittelfotos from Pixabay

You know when you open the jar—the aroma of the unrefined coconut oil is luscious.
It makes me want to put my hand in there and grab a piece…. smells delicious.

Where does coconut oil come from?

Coconut belongs to the family of the Cocos nucifera L. It is a tree that is cultivated for many uses cosmetic, nutritional and medicinal. There are many products that come from the coconut, and I am only concerned about the oil here today, which comes from the fruit of coconut and is cold-pressed.

Does coconut oil have therapeutic properties?

The oil has medicinal properties such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antimicrobial. The oil is moisturizing sinking into the skin, reported to be good for eczema and psoriasis.

Shelf life: 2-4 years
Viscosity: Solid, melts at 76.
Comedogenic index of 4: high to clog pores.
Feel: Oily

Aroma: Coconut aroma in the unrefined oil.

What is fractionated coconut oil?

Fractionated coconut oil made from coconut oil. The coconut oil is heated to high temperature to remove the solid parts of the oil. The only thing is that fractionated coconut oil is odorless, tasteless, and never gets solid-even in the refrigerator.
Most butters and DIY blends have unrefined coconut oil. I have used it for lip balms, salves, and deodorants. The benefit is that the butter does not get grainy like unrefined shea butter does. Shea butter can start out being ok, then get grainy because it was not cooled down quickly enough.

One of my favorite carriers.

Happy blending,

Crystal.

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The carrier oil series–castor oil

Ricinus communis/

Palma christi

What is castor oil?

Castor oil comes from the Ricinus communis/Palma christi plant which is a treelet originally from Africa. The entire plant including the seeds are poisonous. It contains an irritant substance that poisons the blood. The oils is safe, because the poison remains in the seed.

Castor oil is cold pressed from castor beans, then heated to clarify. It has a thick viscosity with a greasy feel. The aroma is neutral, and the color is slightly yellow. The shelf life of castor oil is 5 years or less. I had some that looked moldy, and I know it wasn’t 5 years old. The oil had no off aroma or rancid smell, it just looked bad. Out in the trash it went.

What else is in castor oil?

Castor oil contains Ricinoleic (ris-uh-noh-lee-ik) acid 85-95% : linoleic acid 1-5%; Oleic acid: 2-6%, A-linolenic acid and undecylenic acids. The therapeutic properties of ricinoleic acid are: Antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial. Ricinoleic acid is used in pigment, printing ink, and textile finishing. It is sometimes added to Turkey red oil and dry-cleaning soaps.

Castor oil is used in over 80% of lip products.

Uses of castor oil…

I have used castor oil in blends that need to sit on the skin-say to use on a wart for example. The castor oil blend sitting on top of the skin allows the essential oils to do their thing. After all, this oil needs to be on the skin, not absorbed into the skin.

The comedogenic index rates how the oils used will clog pores. Castor oil is a heavy oil that will sit on the skin and not be absorbed quickly. Which is really weird because the comedogenic rating is 1–which means it is low on the list to clog pores. Other articles state that castor oil should be mixed with other carrier oils for use on the skin. Make sure that the carrier you buy is hexane free. The emollient properties make it an excellent carrier for psoriasis and eczema. Castor oil is great for lip gloss products. In a study I read stated that castor oil is used in 81% of lipsticks.

Next blog will focus on yet another carrier in the series, stay tuned.

Happy blending,

Crystal.



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The carrier oil series, looking at jojoba

Jojoba (Simmondsia californica)

Jojoba oil is not an oil, but a wax.

Where does jojoba come from?

Jojoba oil is cold-pressed from the seed of the mature shrub. The shrubs are found in southern Arizona, southern California and northwest Mexico. Jojoba seeds contain from 40 to 60% of oil which is chemically classified as liquid wax because unlike most vegetable seed oils that are composed of triglycerides, jojoba oil consists of esters. Jojoba contains 97% mono-esters of long-chain fatty acids and alcohols (wax ester), a small fraction of triglyceride esters and docosanol (the active ingredient in OTC cold sore cream). It contains vitamin B, E and fatty acids.

The oil is odorless. The refined oil is clear and the unrefined oil is golden in color. The fact that jojoba is a wax, is great because it doesn’t go rancid like most carriers do.

What is jojoba good for?

Jojoba is good for all skin types because it resembles the natural oils of the skin (the sebum). Sebum dissolves in jojoba. The comedogenic index is 2-meaning it is moderately low tendency to clog pores and allows skin to breathe. Other oils that have a comedogenic index of 2 or less are: grapeseed, sweet almond and olive oil.

The emollient ability to protect and cleanse makes jojoba a good oil for everything from preventing diaper rash and wrinkle formation to using as a make-up remover. The high absorption rate allows jojoba to be used in many cosmetic preparations.

Used on the hair, it makes it shiny and silky and can be used for dry hair, to protect the scalp, with an addition of essential oils for a variety of needs.

What are the benefits of using jojoba?

Therapeutically it is antifungal, pain relieving and anti-inflammatory. It is a benefit to keep in mind when creating blends for certain situations. I use jojoba as the carrier in my roller ball blends. Remember that your blend will last as long as your shortest expiration dated oil. This could mean that you have a roller ball blend that is good for 6 months or one that is as long as a few years!

I hope you learned something about jojoba. Come back next time for information on another carrier oil.

Happy blending,

Crystal

“He fills my life with good things.”

Psalm 103:5