Surfactants are an important category of ingredient in cosmetics because they function as detergents which help to remove dirt. They are therefore the basis of many types of cleansing products such as face and body washes, hand wash, bubble bath and shampoo.

What is a surfactant?

The word surfactant is a shorter term for surface active agent, which actually describes how it functions – it lowers the surface tension between two liquids, between a gas and a liquid or between a liquid and a solid.

To understand what interface surface tension means, imagine water and oil mixed together. They will not form a homogenous mixture and where the two liquids touch each other (interface) there will be certain tension, keeping the two liquids separate. 

If surfactants are added to this mixture, they will lower the tension and allow water and oil to mix.

7 core functions of surfactants

Surfactants have lots of different functions but the main ones we will be focusing on are: wetting, foaming, dispersion, emulsification, detergency, solubilization and viscosity regulation.

1. WETTING

This refers to how a liquid deposits onto a solid or liquid surface and how it spreads out. An example of this is how shampoo and conditioner spreads out onto the hair in order to carry out its function.

2. FOAMING

Surfactants are used to create foam in products such as shampoo, and body, face and hand washes. Foam forms when gas is trapped inside so-called ‘cells’ with liquid film walls.

3. DISPERSION

This is normally a powder (solid) dispersed in a liquid. A surfactant reduces interfacial tension and helps effective dispersion.

4. EMULSIFICATION

Emulsification is the formation of a dispersed system made of two immiscible liquids (eg oil and water), where one is dispersed within the other in the form of small droplets.

The surfactant is positioned at the oil and water interface, lowering interfacial tension and preventing separation. This is how an emulsifier normally works to allow both oil and water phases to mix.

5. DETERGENCY

Surfactants have the ability to remove dirt and grime from a surface. The hydrophilic (water-loving) head is attracted to the water and the lipophilic (oil-loving) tail is attracted to the oil in the dirt and grime. 

These opposing forces loosen the dirt and grime on the surface, eventually suspending it in the water that washes it away.

This mechanism is used when we wash our clothes with detergent and when we use shampoo on our hair. Detergency is the function of surfactants that plays a key role in the cleansing action of face and body washes.

Notice how foam and detergency are two separate functions of surfactants? 

High foam does not necessarily mean high detergency, and vice versa. It is only our perception that a product must foam in order to clean well. There are surfactants that do a very good job of cleaning, yet do not produce much foam; these are mainly natural surfactants. 

In order to satisfy customers’ expectations of foaming body washes, surfactants that create good foam can be incorporated into a formula. On the other hand, a less foaming formula is usually perceived as more gentle and nourishing, which can also be used to your advantage.

6. SOLUBILIZATION

Solubilization is the process by which insoluble materials are made water soluble by their encapsulation within micelles.

Solubilization is required when you want a clear formula but still want to blend oil in a mostly water formula. There are surfactants, fortunately, that can create particles so small that light can pass through them. This allows the solutions to remain clear. 

Use of solubilizing surfactants is required when adding essential oils or fragrance oils to a water-based product. For solubilization to occur, oil and surfactant ratios must be at the optimum level.

7. VISCOSITY REGULATION

Surfactants also have the possibility to change the viscosity of the formulation. Oils have quite a low viscosity, as does water. But when the two are mixed with the addition of a surfactant to create an emulsion, the viscosity is greatly increased.

3. Surfactants are versatile – With a small selection of surfactants you can formulate a wide range of products.

4. Cost effective – Many surfactants are relatively inexpensive to buy; therefore by making your own surfactant-based products you can save a lot of money compared to buying natural and organic products.

5. Formulate gentle products – Many commercial surfactant-based products are harsh and drying on the skin. Learn how to make yours gentle and non-drying.

6.Suitable for natural/organic certification – Formulate to natural and organic standards.

7. Expand your skincare range – Take all five modules of Formulating with Natural Surfactants and you’ll have the knowledge to add a variety of cleansing products to your skincare range.

Can you formulate surfactant-based cosmetic products at home?

In short, yes you can!

As you will probably notice from this article, there is a bit of science involved, but don’t let that put you off. 

Surfactants are a wonderful category of cosmetic ingredient to discover. 

They add cleansing and foaming properties to a formula and are therefore used to create a wide range of products including face washes, body washes, shower gel, hand wash, bubble bath, shower foam and foaming cleansers.

Once you’ve grasped the fundamentals of surfactants – what they are, how they work, and how to formulate with them – making your own foaming cleansing products is a truly fun thing to be able to do.

Take our Formulating with Natural Surfactants course to learn the science of surfactants, discover a selection of gentle, natural surfactant choices (so you can avoid harsh surfactants such as SLS) and formulate a wide range of cleansing and foaming skincare products that are natural, mild and effective.

You can access this online course by being a Member of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club. To find out more about the Club, click here

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For beauty enthusiasts keen on making their own products, many have a real desire to make their own mineral makeup. It is a lot of fun and can be done easily from home.

However, making your own mineral makeup is different to other cosmetic products like skincare or haircare and knowing how to do it, as well as what’s different about it, is an important place to start.

You might like to read our article, How to Make Your Own Natural Mineral Makeup, to help get you started.

In this article, we are going to look at the essential ingredients used in mineral makeup products.

We will classify powdered ingredients into two main groups: base powders and pigment.

Base powders are colorless powders that give structure, volume and a pleasant skin feel to powdered makeup products such as mineral foundation. They do not offer much coverage and they also do not impart any colour to the product.

Pigments, on the other hand, are very concentrated powders that come in several different colors. They provide coverage and color to the product. They need to be blended or dispersed (‘diluted’) in base powders in order to get even distribution and suitable coverage.

You can imagine pigments as essential oils, and base powders as carrier oils in cosmetics. Using pure, undiluted essential oils on the skin would be dangerous. That is why we always dilute them in carrier oils. 

While using pure pigments on the skin would not be dangerous or irritating, it would be rather unappealing – it would create excessively strong coverage, resulting in a non-natural looking appearance.

To avoid this from happening, we use base powders to mix with our pigments.

The term ‘base powders’ is not a scientific term, but it describes the main function of these powders – they provide a base, or a foundation, for our mineral makeup product.

Let’s take a look at each in turn.

The Top 3 Pigments Used in Mineral Makeup

Mineral pigments are a vast group of inorganic pigments. They can be naturally derived (mined from different ores), but are often contaminated with dangerous heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic and lead.

Pigments used for cosmetic applications are made synthetically and are nature identical. This means that instead of being derived from nature they are replicated in a lab setting. Despite not being naturally derived, they are permitted in many natural/organic certifications. 

Mineral pigments are very stable (they do not fade or change color) and they produce intense hues.

Here are the 3 most widely used pigments in mineral makeup, and again we cover them in our online course, Formulating Mineral Makeup.

1. Titanium Dioxide (INCI: Titanium Dioxide), CI 77891
2. Zinc Oxide (INCI: Zinc Oxide), CI 77947
3. Colored Micas

How to make your own mineral makeup

Making your own mineral makeup can be tricky, especially if you’ve not done it before or haven’t had any proper tuition. 

Formulating these products is different to other cosmetic products and it can be hard to get them right, especially because the quantities (weights and measures) we’re working with are so small. It can be quite fiddly – especially when you don’t know what you are doing.

In addition to that, it is important you know about usage rates and percentages for each ingredient and that’s before we get into the intricacies of color cosmetics and understanding the theory around getting that right.

Don’t let any of this put you off, because it is absolutely possible to make some amazing mineral makeup products from home. 

If you are a beginner, you’ll be able make:

1. Mineral foundation
2. Mineral eye shadow
3. Mineral blushers, bronzers and highlighters and
4. Pressed powders

We cover all of this and much more in our brand new online course, Formulating Mineral Makeup – which you can access by being a member of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club.

And once you’ve grasped the basics, you can move onto the more advanced products, which we’re going to be covering in our upcoming online course, Formulating Advanced Mineral Makeup, such as:

1. Mascara
2. Cream blush
3. Lip and eye crayons
4. Lipsticks
5. Concealers
6. And one or two other exciting products too 🙂

Inside the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club, not only will you receive expert tuition from qualified Cosmetic Scientists, you’ll also join a vibrant online community of natural beauty lovers from all around the world. 

And you’ll be able to access a whole range of other natural beauty classes, courses and learning materials covering the whole natural cosmetics spectrum!

To find out more about the Club, click here.

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Soaps are created by a reaction called saponification, which is a chemical reaction between lye and oil, or better yet between lye and the fatty acids within the oil. The base ingredients that make up natural soap are oils, lye and water. 

Depending on the oils in the recipe, the resulting soap can have different properties – different degrees of hardness, cleansing ability, conditioning and foaming capabilities. 

Soapmaking recipes are not like cosmetic formulations…

They are not presented in the form of percentages – only the oils are expressed as percentages, and the rest of the ingredients are in grams according to your preferred batch size.

The 3 core ingredients used in cold process soapmaking 

1. Lye

As we previously learned, lye is one of the key ingredients when making soap. Lye, or sodium hydroxide (if making solid soap), is what reacts with the triglycerides in oil to form soap. 

Sodium hydroxide (also known as caustic soda) is usually available as white flakes or pellets. It is important to always be very careful when working with lye – it is extremely dangerous.

You’ll learn all about this in Lesson 1.3 Mandatory Safety Information of the Cold Process Soap Making course, found inside the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club. 

Sodium hydroxide can usually be bought in soapmaking shops and other chemical supply stores.

It is best to prepare your lye solution in a well-ventilated area, since the solution heats up very quickly (to about 90°C) and releases harmful fumes. Work outdoors or near an open window, and wear a respirator mask.

The amount of lye we use depends on the types of oil in the recipe and their quantities. Each oil has a different saponification value (often referred to as SAP). 

To learn all about saponification values, you’ll want to check out Lesson 1.2 Theory of Saponification of the Cold Process Soap Making course, found inside the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club. 

The amount of water used to create the lye solution will mainly depend on the amount of lye. Many soapmakers will express the amount of water relative to the total oil weight, ie

the amount of water as a percentage of the oils. 

We cover lye to water ratios in Lesson 1.2 Theory of Saponification in the Cold Process Soap Making course, found inside the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club. 

3. Oils

The ‘heart’ of the soap are the oils (and butters) – the choice of fats will affect the quality of the soap, its cleansing and nourishing abilities and the speed of saponification. 

Different oils/butters have different fatty acid compositions; each fatty acid will impart certain qualities to the finished soap.

An interesting aspect in the creation of a soap is the research of the compositions of the potential oils. This needs to be undertaken in order to make the best choice to obtain the

desired consistency or hardness, the foam produced, the cleansing properties, the after-use emolliency, the benefits for the skin and so on. 

These properties are imparted by the chain length of the fatty acids present in the oils, their level of saturation and their ratios.

Therefore, an oil composed of more stearic acid (C18 and saturated) will bring more hardness than an oil composed with more oleic or linoleic acids (C18 and respectively mono- or polyunsaturated), or an oil composed with more lauric acid (C12 and saturated).

On the other hand, the mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acids, although not effective in bringing hardness to the soaps, will bring softness and emolliency.

So, you have a wide choice of oils in many combinations that offer the properties you desire in soaps.

Inside the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club you’ll be able to take the Cold Process Soap Making course. And inside this course, you’ll find an Appendix 1 Fatty Acids in Soap Making where you can learn more about the fatty acid profiles of different oils.

4. Colorants

Soaps have a natural color depending on the oils in the recipe. Most vegetable oils have a yellowish color, so the soaps end up being a pale yellow color. We can deliberately color the soaps by using oils with strong colors – for example, unrefined avocado oil for a green color, or macerated carrot tissue oil for a yellow to orange color.

We can also add soap colorants to the soap batter.

Colorants can be tricky to use in soapmaking, as they can be pH sensitive and can change their color in the high pH ranges of soap.

This is why it is important to use colorants that are specifically designed to be used in soapmaking.

Very good options are mineral pigments, which are stable and are available in various colors such as blue, purple and pink (ultramarines), green (chromium oxide), red, yellow and black (iron oxides) and zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for white.

Since mineral pigments are prone to forming clumps, the colorant can be predispersed either in a small amount of oil, a small amount of water, or in a small quantity of the soap paste.

Mineral pigments are very concentrated so we add them slowly, drop by drop (of predispersed mixture) into the soap batter until the desired color is achieved. Typically, they would be used at up to 0.5% (of the oil weight).

5. Fragrance

It is possible to use ready-made fragrances or essential oils, although it is impossible to know in advance how the essential oils in particular will behave after their incorporation into the soap batter. 

In the case of essential oils, some are more sensitive to the reaction of saponification or more difficult to fix in the soap than others.

For instance, citrus essential oils are known to be difficult to use in soapmaking, since they will quickly evaporate from the finished soap. 

However, heavier molecules, usually used as base notes, generally work well; for example, lavender, vetiver, cedar or rosemary.

Important: Keep in mind that essential oils derived from spices such as clove and cinnamon will greatly accelerate the chemical reaction.

Fragrances or essential oils are usually used at concentrations of 1-4% of the total oil weight.

The chemical reaction involved has to be done carefully and correctly and you’ll need to know about the nuances around making cold process soap vs other cosmetic products, which is not the same process.

Unlike cosmetic formulations, when it comes to soapmaking, we usually do not work with formulas written in percentages. The main reason for this is the fact that the water amount can vary. 

So even if a certain quantity of water is stated in a recipe, you can still decide to use a different amount, for whatever reason (for example, you may wish to use more water so your soap batter is more fluid and easier to create swirls with). 

The only percentages that are given are the oil percentages: if we list oil percentages (so that all of the oils add up to 100%), we can easily see the ratios between soft and hard oils, between cleansing and nourishing oils, etc.

Soap calculators also follow this principle – the only ingredients expressed in percentages are the oils; the rest are given in grams for a certain batch size.

You’ll want to understand the essential soap making terminology (otherwise it won’t make much sense), the process of saponification, lye concentration and temperature control.

You’ll also want to make sure you follow up-to-date methods – it is extremely difficult to replicate traditional soaps correctly but using the right methods you can get close 🙂

And finally, you’ll want to carefully select the right scales of hardness, detergency, and foam as well as what nourishing properties you want to include.

Fortunately, we have created an online course called Cold Process Soap Making which is split into two sections – Beginner’s Cold Process Soap Making and Advanced Cold Process Soap Recipes.

How to make cold process soap? 

Making your own cold process soap is great fun and you can do it safely and effectively at home too. You might like to read our article, 6 Benefits of Cold Process Soaps too.

When it comes to making cold process soap at home, or in your lab, you’ll want to make sure you know what you are doing.

How do you access the Cold Process Soap Making Course?

Well, first of all you can only access the learning materials as a Member of the Natural Cosmetic Formulation Club…and fortunately that is easy to do. Click here to find out more and to join.

Membership to the Club is $57 per month (plus sales tax where applicable – currently only UK and Australia). 

In return you’ll receive 50 credits from us that you will use to unlock the learning materials you’d like to access and study. You can also top up with more credits once inside the Club.

How many credits is the Cold Process Soap Making Course?

Module 1 of Cold Process Soapmaking is 100 credits, and each subsequent module is 50 credits, meaning the five-module course is 300 credits in total. 

Module 1 and 2 are prerequisites for all the other modules. Once you’ve completed Modules 1 and 2 you can complete all the other modules, or just the ones of interest to you…you can pick and choose the modules you wish to take!

Can I unlock multiple modules of a course in a month rather than waiting?

Absolutely! You are in control of your studies, the choices you make and the credits you have.

Take the 300 credits for the Cold Process Soap Making course and divide that by the 50 credits you get each month. This equals 6 months of study.

Essentially, you can exchange your 50 credits each month for 6 months and study the course over those 6 months and beyond…

Or…

If you are able to dedicate more time to your studies and have the funds available, you can top your credits up and unlock multiple modules in one go and power through the materials without having to wait until next month.

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There are many alternatives to beeswax out there to choose from, but remember that plant waxes behave differently to beeswax. These beeswax substitutes will have different melting points, will give different degrees of hardness to a balm and they will also have a different skin feel. 

In this article we look at the most commonly used vegan alternatives to beeswax, discovering the characteristics of each wax and what they are used for.

As a bonus, we also include a free recipe for a Vegan Sweet Orange Lip Balm! 

Vegan wax alternatives to beeswax

Candelilla wax

(INCI: Euphorbia Cerifera Wax)

Candelilla wax is obtained from the coating of the ‘wax slipper plant’ found mainly in Mexico. This vegan friendly wax is extracted by boiling the plant (to separate the wax and the plant material), whereby the wax floats to the top of the water and is skimmed off to be processed. 

Melting temperature: 70°C.

The wax is brownish in color, has a faint aroma, and comes in the form of round pellets. On the skin a balm with candelilla wax feels very smooth, similar to a beeswax balm, but more dry. 

In terms of the hardness it creates, balms with candelilla wax in are very similar to beeswax balms, making it a great vegan alternative. You should use up to 20% wax for ointments and salves, and above that for lip balms or for skincare products sold in hotter climates.

Even though this wax has a high melting point, in concentrations up to 20% it creates a balm with similar hardness to beeswax and candelilla wax. At concentrations of 30% and 40%, on the other hand, the balm will be extremely hard and make it difficult for the user to get any product when they pass their finger over it. Carnauba wax’s hardness  might be useful, however, for lip balms and lipsticks in hot climates.

Jojoba wax 

(INCI: Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil)

Jojoba wax is extracted from the seeds of the jojoba tree by pressure. It is white in color and has no scent.

What we commonly call jojoba oil is actually a liquid wax. It contains almost no triglycerides (the main component of carrier oils), but rather it’s a mixture of long wax molecules. Since it resembles a vegetable oil, and it is used in the same way as other oils, it is called ‘jojoba oil’. 

Some suppliers sell a product called ‘jojoba wax’; it is in the form of solid pellets, resembling beeswax. This is jojoba wax that has been hydrogenated, to make it solid. 

Melting temperature: 65°C.

This substitute is a very soft vegan wax, which has to be present in very high percentages (over 20%) to make a balm semi-solid. It tends to give a grainy, uneven consistency. Jojoba wax is best used along with another wax to create a proper solid balm.

Berry wax is a softer wax with a low melting point, therefore it is not the best choice for skincare products that need to be completely solid (e.g deodorant sticks or lipsticks). Berry wax gives a nice jelly-like structure and helps semi-solid products to glide on the skin, such as salves and ointments.

Myrica fruit wax  

(INCI: Myrica Cerifera Fruit Wax)

Myrica wax is derived from the berry fruit peel of the Myrica tree, native to Latin America. 

Melting temperature: 45-55°C.

An interesting aspect of myrica wax is that it gives products good hardness, despite having a rather low melting point. This means that it creates products with good spreadability and a pleasant skin feel, making it a great vegan alternative to beeswax.

Free Recipe: Vegan Sweet Orange Lip Balm

This lip balm uses stearic acid and candelilla wax, instead of beeswax, to harden it. It also contains nourishing cocoa butter and coconut oil, as well as vanilla macerated oil for a sweet fragrance.

Recipe

This recipe will make a 100g (4 oz.) batch of lip balm, which makes approximately 20 5g lip balm tubes.

Instructions

1. Add phase A ingredients to a beaker and heat them in a water bath/bain marie to 75°C until the solid ingredients are melted.
2. Remove from the heat, cool to approximately 55°C, add phase B ingredients and stir.
3. Pour into lip balm tubes and allow to set.

It’s as simple as that!

How can I make more natural skincare products?

At the School of Natural Skincare we’re dedicated to teaching our students to make their own natural and organic cosmetic products, either for themselves or to sell. But we go further than that by encouraging our students and graduates to think for themselves, to be creative and to create their products according to their values. We also show them how to do it!

We do this through our portfolio of accredited online courses and programs, which are all hosted inside our state-of-the-art, mobile responsive and easy-to-use online classroom. Students can study in their own time, at their own pace, from wherever they are in the world.

The essence of our online courses and programs are to teach students the correct way to make natural cosmetic products, following industry standards, guidelines and regulations, but we make sure the DIY, handcrafted, artisan passion is the central focus of everything our students do. It is their passion that brings them to us and leads them to further exploration and the launch of their own natural beauty brands. 

We call this DIY Skincare Done Professionally… After all, there’s no point making your own natural skincare or haircare products that don’t work, aren’t safe, or stable or effective.

You can join our courses and programs at any point during the year. All you need is a Wi-Fi connection, a smile, a desire to learn and a passion to make your own natural skincare products. 

Bring your passion and we’ll help you craft your own natural skincare products with your values at the core.

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It’s quite possible you have heard that preservatives and antioxidants are used to extend the shelf-life of cosmetic products. For this reason, some people mix the two terms up. But in reality, preservatives and antioxidants have very different mechanisms for extending shelf-life. 

How are preservatives and antioxidants different and why is it important to not get them mixed up?

Preservatives prevent microorganisms from growing and spoiling cosmetic products. Antioxidants slow down the process of oxidation and thus prevent oils and other components from going rancid.

Both antioxidants and preservatives are used to extend the shelf-life of cosmetic products.

If a product contains water, eg a moisturizer or a toner, it can become contaminated with microorganisms and is subsequently unsafe for use. 

For example, when we use a moisturizer, we dip our fingers into the jar but we forget that our fingers contain millions of microorganisms. Whilst many of these are harmless, some are not. So, by doing this simple action we run the risk of introducing microorganisms into the product and contaminating it. 

Preservatives prevent the growth of microorganisms and thus make sure the bacteria and fungi introduced into the product can’t replicate and proliferate. 

This way they ensure the product remains microbiologically safe, even when used in a non-sterile environment.

Many cosmetic ingredients are prone to oxidative degradation (chemical reactions involving oxygen that degrades the quality of oils). Most notable examples are carrier oils, especially those with a large content of unsaturated fatty acids. 

Over time, as they are exposed to oxygen (from the air), sunlight and warm temperatures, they will begin to oxidize. You can often (but not always) recognize heavily oxidized oils by their rancid smell. 

Products that have gone rancid can be irritating when applied to the skin. 

For this reason, we use antioxidants in our products – they slow down the oxidation process, making sure we are not applying rancid oils to our skin.

However, antioxidants won’t protect the product from microbial contamination. And preservatives will not be at all effective in preventing oxidation. So it is important to know which is which, and when to use each of them.

You can find out more about natural preservatives here.

Why are preservatives and antioxidants important in natural cosmetics?

Products that contain water (eg gels, toners, spritzes, lotions, creams) need to contain a preservative to prevent microbial spoilage. 

Products that contain oils (or other ingredients that tend to oxidize quickly), need to contain antioxidants to delay the rancidity, for example lip balms, anhydrous body butters, lotion bars, facial oils, bath oils, lotions and creams.

As you can see, some products, like lotions and creams, have to use both preservatives and antioxidants to remain safe and effective. 

Three popular antioxidants that are passed off as preservatives (but they aren’t)

There are three common popular antioxidant ingredients in the DIY world that are passed off as preservatives. They are:

• Vitamin E – the gold standard for antioxidants in natural skincare.
• Rosemary extract – a wonderful natural extract made from rosemary.
• Grapefruit seed extract – while research remains inconclusive on whether or not it has antimicrobial activities, it does function as an antioxidant.

However, despite what you might read or see elsewhere, these will not function as preservatives.

To find out more about antioxidants, read our article here.

Why do preservatives have a bad reputation in DIY cosmetics and what’s the real story?

Many people who make their own natural cosmetics try to make preservative-free cosmetics. Their reasons can be various – from not wanting to use synthetic ingredients to wanting to avoid irritating ingredients. 

The truth is that while preservatives may have some negative effects (they are toxic to microorganisms, after all), they are still safer to use than using non-preserved products. 

Preservatives intended to be used in cosmetic products are considered to be safe, when used in accordance with usage guidelines and/or official legislation.

It’s also important to understand that human skin cells differ from bacterial and fungal cells, so preservatives will not have the same effects on humans as they do on microorganisms. Some preservatives can be irritants to human skin (especially for sensitive skin), but the majority of preservatives don’t have any negative consequences when applied to the skin. 

It is far more risky to use an unpreserved cream than to use preservative-free products that contain water. For this reason, most regulations across the world require cosmetic products to be protected from microbiological spoilage – which in most cases mean they need to be well preserved. 

How do you ensure you are making safe natural skincare products?

If you want to make sure your products are safe, stable and effective, you’ll need to make sure you are doing the simple things right.

These are things like:

• Being able to detect a good natural skincare recipe from a bad one.
• Having the knowledge to be able to spot incorrect and inaccurate information.
• Knowing how to write proper cosmetic formulas and how to convert them into natural skincare recipes.
• Developing good practical product-making skills.
• Knowing a broad range of natural and organic cosmetic ingredients from which to choose, including their therapeutic potential, safety data and specific requirements.
• Using the right ingredients, for the right purpose, in the right amounts.
• Putting into practice proper emulsification and preservation systems.
• Developing a good knowledge of the functional ingredients – preservatives, emulsifiers, antioxidants, thickeners and stabilizers.
• Having an understanding of skin anatomy and biology as well as understanding the characteristics of different skin types.
• Using the correct equipment that is used solely for the purpose of making your cosmetic products.
• Following proper good manufacturing practices and the correct lab procedures.
• Seeking instruction from qualified professionals who understand the meaning behind DIY cosmetics but follow industry best practices.

Ultimately, if you are able to do all of these things you’re on the right path to creating safe, stable and effective products, and if you bring your passion, values and beliefs into the mix, that’s when you create something unique!

This is exactly what we teach on all of our courses, but most especially our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation. 

This is where you’ll learn the professional way to formulate natural skincare products for yourself, whether you want to make them for yourself, or to sell. It is here that you’ll learn and perfect the practice, art and science of natural skincare formulation and this will enable you to become the independent creator of your own masterpieces. 

Plus, it’s an online multimedia course where you study from home wherever you are in the world, in your own time, at your own pace. Click here to find out more.

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Emulsifiers are a key ingredient in natural cosmetics. They are needed to emulsify water and oil together to create emulsions, such as creams and lotions.

There are many natural emulsifiers available that are COSMOS-approved and therefore permitted for use in certified natural and organic cosmetics, which is great news. 

However, many of these emulsifiers contain ingredients that are derived from palm oil. Some are made from ‘vegetable sources’ but suppliers find it hard to confirm exactly which vegetable sources. This means there is a high likelihood they are palm oil derived, too. 

An example of ingredients used in emulsifiers that are usually palm oil derived are cetyl alcohol and cetearyl alcohol.

What’s wrong with palm oil?

If we think about palm oil purely as an ingredient, there are many positives.

It is a widely used ingredient in cosmetics and has wide ranging properties that add significant qualities to natural skincare products. 

Palm oil  is also very versatile and many other ingredients can be made using its derivatives, for example emulsifiers.

So from a user perspective, palm oil is an extremely valuable source from which to derive natural skincare ingredients.

However, it is not so much the quality of the ingredient and its derivatives, or the value they offer cosmetics, that people take aversion to. It is more the negative environmental effects that arise as a result of palm oil production. 

Palm oil production is one of the biggest contributors of deforestation around the world. 

It is negatively affecting the lives of indigenous populations and is a contributing factor to a number of species, most notably orangutans, being put on the endangered list. Not to mention the vast environmental effects and climate change that can be attributed to the cutting down of trees in such high proportions.

To find out more about the environmental effects of palm oil production you can take a look at Rainforest Foundation UK and the Orangutan Foundation.

Many people are therefore campaigning for palm oil to be removed from cosmetics and are actively seeking palm oil-free products. These are products that don’t contain palm oil, as well as its many derivatives, like emulsifiers.

The debate about palm oil is extremely challenging though because it is so ingrained into the economic system across many different sectors, and removing it is not as simple as you might think. 

The RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) are campaigning for sustainable palm oil production because the complete removal of palm oil from the economic system may present even greater problems. 

According to the RPSO, palm oil would need to be replaced by something, but the alternatives (eg coconut) would lead to even greater deforestation because the yield is significantly less. Additionally, despite the challenges faced by indigenous people as a result of deforestation, many indigenous people actually rely on their small palm plantations as a source of income and livelihood.

Whichever side of the argument you agree with – the campaign to avoid using palm oil and remove it from the economic system or the campaign to create a sustainable industry – it is true that something has to be done about it. 

At the School of Natural Skincare, we are proud to be Rainforest Defenders through the Rainforest Foundation and we are also proud to be Associate Members of the RSPO. 

Through our portfolio of online courses and programs, we are delighted to offer students the opportunity to create their own natural and organic cosmetic products using ingredients that conform to their value system. Students can make their own choices about whether to use ingredients that are derived from palm oil or those that are palm-free. 

Palm oil-free emulsifiers and emulsifiers containing sustainable palm oil

Many of our students wish to avoid palm oil in their natural skincare products or want to use sustainable palm oil, and we’re answering the call to do what we can to make that possible. The challenge is that certain palm oil derived ingredients are immensely prevalent in the cosmetics industry and palm oil-free options are still fairly limited.

However, we have identified several options as part of the research and development we conducted for the creation of the Third Edition of our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation, including:

• Four palm oil-free natural emulsifiers. 
• A palm oil-free gelling agent, perfect for cleansing gels as well as face and body scrubs.
• A palm oil-free natural self-emulsifying emulsifier for oil-to-milk products. 
• A natural emulsifier using RSPO-certified sustainable palm.

The full details of these ingredients, guidelines for formulating with them and an example formulation are provided as part of the course curriculum.

Palm oil-free emulsifier: Imwitor 375 

Imwitor 375 (INCI: Glyceryl Citrate, Lactate, Linoleate, Oleate) is one of the palm oil-free ingredient options we tested out for the Third Edition of our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation. It’s an interesting ingredient because it can be used in both hot and cold process emulsions, and it is ideal for creating fluid, low viscosity emulsions. In the course we provide an example formulation using this emulsifier; a Floral Moisturizing Fluid. 

Here is the key information about Imwitor 375:

Imwitor 375 is a specialist emulsifier and is currently available to order from the UK and Germany (from suppliers that can ship internationally). While many cosmetic ingredients are easily available in every country, sometimes for specialist ingredients you need to be prepared to order from overseas. Alternatively, why don’t you ask your favorite supplier to start stocking it? 

We also provide alternative options to this emulsifier on our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation. 

If you’d like to see an example of how to formulate using this emulsifier see our formula for a Floral Moisturizing Fluid.

RSPO certified sustainable palm oil

Another option you could consider is rather than seeking out a palm oil-free emulsifier, identify an option that is from certified sustainable palm oil, such as Durosoft PG4L-SG (INCI: Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate).

As we said above, according to the RSPO, taking palm oil out of the economic system may well present more problems than we are currently facing and supporting the sustainable palm oil industry could be one way in which we could work to find a positive solution. The jury is still out on that industry and how sustainable it really is but it is worth looking into and considering further.

What is important to you as a natural skincare formulator?

The first thing we help you to do on our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation is identify your personal and/or brand values so you can formulate your natural skincare products with those values in mind.

You may prioritize being palm oil-free and/or you may choose other values too, such as:

• natural
• organic
• ethical
• fairtrade
• vegan
• cruelty-free
• clean 
• environmentally friendly/green
• sustainable
• locally sourced
• locally produced 

Whatever is important for you and whatever values you hold dear, at the School of Natural Skincare we’re here to give you the opportunity to express them and infuse your natural cosmetic products with them.

By choosing to join the School and enrolling on our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation, we can help you to not only make your own natural cosmetic products, but tailor them to suit your needs, preferences, values, beliefs, dreams and desires.

When you can formulate your own natural skincare products you decide what goes in them, you decide the value system they conform to and you decide the intended purpose and result.

So, what is it to be? 

Organic, fairtrade, ethical, sustainable, vegan, halal, kosher, green or eco-friendly, package-free, zero-waste, locally sourced, cruelty-free, clean, waterless, palm-free…?

The world is a big place, but as people we’re one global community. At the School of Natural Skincare we’re excited to be part of a global culture of passionate natural and organic beauty lovers all trying to do the same thing – making our own natural and organic beauty products using professional methods with DIY enthusiasm. We all hope to make a positive difference to our health, happiness and the future of our planet.

The intention is there, it is just how you express it that matters and we’ll help you to do that in whatever way feels right to you.

Click here to join the Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation today and begin your journey!

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Antioxidants play a vital role in cosmetics and natural skincare is no exception, but there is often a misunderstanding about what antioxidants are, how they work and why they are used in cosmetic products.

In this article, we explain what antioxidants are, where they come from, their benefits, and how and when to use one.

We’ll also explain why they are an essential ingredient for natural and organic skincare products and we’ll also give you our top three antioxidant ingredients to use!

What are antioxidants and where do they come from?

Antioxidants are substances that inhibit or slow down the oxidation processes. Free radicals can cause oxidation damage in our skin and in cosmetic products. Antioxidants work as free-radical scavengers, ‘catching’ and neutralizing damaging free radicals and thus preventing oxidation.

To simplify, they ‘sacrifice themselves’ to protect other molecules in the skin or in the product. 

They neutralize the free radicals and prevent them from causing harm to carrier oils or to our skin cells.

When oils are exposed to air, oxidation starts to occur causing the oils to go rancid. When oils oxidize, the molecules that make them transform into completely different compounds that can be irritating and harmful when applied to the skin.

Antioxidants are naturally present in microorganisms, plants and animals, for example: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, tannins, carotenes and coenzyme Q10. 

Antioxidants can also be produced synthetically.

Why are antioxidants used? The benefits to your skin and natural skincare products

The role of antioxidants are twofold: they provide benefits to the skin and they help delay the onset of the oxidation process, thus lengthening the shelf-life of oils and cosmetic products. Antioxidants play a very important role in skincare and our overall health. 

Our skin prevents many organisms and chemicals from entering our body. It protects us from pollution and harmful environmental factors, especially UV radiation from the sun. 

These factors cause free radicals to form in the skin. 

While our skin has a complex network of antioxidants that fight the negative effects of free radicals, the levels of naturally present antioxidants can deplete as we age, due to poor diet, exposure to stress, etc. 

Antioxidants included in skincare products help to restore healthy levels of various protective molecules in our skin and thus protect us from free radicals and other types of oxidative stress. 

Oxidative stress is one of the main causes of skin aging, mainly due to environmental factors (notably exposure to sunlight). With sufficient antioxidants in our diet and in our skincare, we can help to slow down the skin aging process and minimize sun damage. 

This is why most of the antioxidants used in skincare are usually described as anti-aging ingredients. 

They help to strengthen the skin’s own mechanisms of fighting against some signs of aging – loss of elasticity, formation of fine lines and wrinkles. The signs of aging can differ depending on skin color, with fine lines and wrinkles usually experienced sooner on lighter skin, while darker skin tends to experience hyperpigmentation as one of the early signs of aging. However, eventually all skin will develop lines and wrinkles!

We wrote an article called Understanding How Your Skin Works that you also might like to read.

What products are antioxidants used in?

Antioxidants are an important ingredient in any product that contains oils or other ingredients that are prone to oxidation. Using antioxidants in balms, salves, lotions and creams will improve the stability of the oils in the product, and thus prolong the product’s shelf-life.

Antioxidants with more pronounced skin benefits are used in high-performance skincare products, eg anti-aging serums and moisturizers. They are usually used in combination with different antioxidants as they work in synergy, protecting each other and often restoring each other’s antioxidant capabilities.

We talk more about high-performance ingredients, including multiple antioxidants, in our Advanced Certificate in High-Performance Serum Formulation. 

Are antioxidants natural?

There are many natural antioxidants available, for example natural tocopherols or rosemary antioxidant, and there are also synthetic antioxidants such as BHT and BHA. However, synthetic antioxidants are not approved for use in certified natural cosmetics. 

Some antioxidants that are commonly used in anti-aging products can be made synthetically as a nature-identical molecule. It’s best to check with the supplier to make sure your chosen antioxidant is naturally derived.

If you’d like to explore more about what natural means, check out our article, What is Natural Skincare?

Two popular examples of effective antioxidants used in natural skincare

Two commonly used antioxidants that slow down the process of oxidation and therefore lengthen the shelf-life of cosmetics are Vitamin E (INCI: Tocopherol/Mixed Tocopherols) and rosemary CO2 extract (INCI: Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract).

Vitamin E as an antioxidant:

Some Vitamin E solutions are naturally derived and some are synthetically derived. However, all of the solutions are suitable for use in natural cosmetics (you just need to keep in mind that you will need to adjust the amount of Vitamin E you use in a product depending on how concentrated your mixture is).

The optimal levels of antioxidant to be added to the product also depends on product type and oils used, but your supplier should be able to provide the information you need.

Rosemary extract as an antioxidant:

Rosemary antioxidant is a special type of rosemary CO2 extract which has excellent antioxidant properties and is 100% oil soluble and natural. 

Keep in mind that rosemary extract has a strong scent which may be noticeable in the final product if no other aromatic ingredients are added. Also, rosemary essential oil is not a substitute for rosemary extract, as it does not contain the compounds needed for antioxidant activity.

When buying rosemary extract, look for the one that has antioxidant activity noted in the name or in the description. This means that the extraction method is optimized for best antioxidant activity.

Are antioxidants and preservatives the same thing?

Antioxidants are not preservatives. The role of antioxidants and preservatives are often confused. It’s important to understand that they are different ingredients with different functions and one is not a replacement for the other. 

Products that contain water need a broad-spectrum preservative to kill microorganisms and waterborne bacteria, and prevent the growth of bacteria, mold and yeast. 

An antioxidant will not do this.

To understand more about the difference between antioxidants and preservatives, read our article, What is the Difference Between a Preservative and an Antioxidant? 

How can you learn the essential ingredient information you need to make amazing natural skincare products?

The foundation of every great product is the idea created by the innovator and the ingredient selection that brings that idea to reality.

To become an effective natural skincare products formulator you’ll need to know about and understand a wide range of ingredients, including antioxidants, their role in natural skincare products, the benefits they offer and the products in which they are used.

Additionally, it is important to know how to use them properly and what the recommended usage levels are for each ingredient.

In our Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products we have over 120 recipes and tips on how to vary them to suit your needs and preferences. This is a fantastic introduction to making your own natural skincare products and we teach the basics that every natural beauty enthusiast needs to know about. Created by industry professionals with a passion for natural and organic beauty, the course is the foundation you need to make a complete range of natural skincare products for yourself, family and friends.

In our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation students learn to become independent creators of their own handmade natural skincare products. They don’t need to follow other people’s recipes (unless they want to) because they have the essential theory, knowledge and practical skills to formulate professional quality products from scratch. This makes the job of cosmetic product testing much more simple and straightforward and it is also the basis of launching a successful brand – the practice, art and science of skincare formulation. 

Of course, you don’t need to want to launch your own brand to join this course. It is designed to help you learn the proper way to make your own natural skincare products – we ensure you keep the DIY essence, vision and values, but we match it with professional methods and industry standards… We call this DIY Skincare Done Professionally.

If you are just starting out, either course would be suitable. The Certificate helps you to learn the practical skill of making products and the Diploma course does that as well as show you how to create products by doing it from scratch without needing to follow recipes.

Loved learning about antioxidants in natural skincare? Make sure to remember by pinning this article!

Further reading:

If you wish to read more, two interesting studies are:

Evans, J. C., Kodali, D.R & Addis, P.B. (2002). Optimal tocopherol concentrations to inhibit soybean oil oxidation. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, 79(1), 47-51.

Huang, S. W., Frankel, E. N. & German, J. B. (1994). Antioxidant activity of. alpha- and gamma-tocopherols in bulk oils and in oil-in-water emulsions. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 42(10), 2108-2114.

The topic of preservation in cosmetics is a contentious one and unfortunately there is a lot of incorrect information shared on the internet and in books. In this article we want to clarify just exactly what natural preservatives are, where they come from, and how and why they are used in natural skincare.

We also want to set the record straight about some of the claims that are made about natural preservation in skincare and give you some top tips that will help you make sure your natural skincare products are not only safe, stable and effective, but are also the very best they can be – which is what we all want!

What are natural preservatives?

Natural preservatives are naturally occurring substances that prevent microbial contamination of cosmetic products. Since we don’t live in a sterile environment, microorganisms can enter a cosmetic product during its everyday use and cause it to go bad. 

Every time we dip fingers into a jar, every time a product is exposed to air (by opening a jar, by pressing a lotion pump or a spray head), microorganisms can get into our product. A small number of microorganisms can even be present in the product right from the start, since they may have been right there in the raw materials.

So we use preservatives to prevent microbial growth and proliferation in order to keep our product safe over a longer period of time. 

Where do natural preservatives come from?

There are several molecules with antimicrobial activity found in nature – for example benzoic acid (found naturally in strawberries and cayenne pepper), sorbic acid (found in rowanberry), ethanol (produced by microbial fermentation of sugars by yeast) or benzyl alcohol (found in jasmine and ylang ylang essential oil). 

While these natural sources contain ingredients with antimicrobial activity, it does not mean we can use the materials directly. 

One example mentioned above – strawberries – contain only tiny amounts of benzoic acid, much lower than the amount needed to actually preserve a product. The same goes for essential oils. All those natural materials contain constituents that, when used at correct concentrations, can function as cosmetic preservatives. But they need to be isolated from botanical matter first, then purified and analyzed, and in many cases also combined with other constituents. 

So even though they are found in nature, most commercial preservatives are made synthetically, as this process is much more energy and cost efficient compared to isolation from natural materials. 

How are preservatives permitted in natural skincare?

Most of the organizations that deal with the certification of natural and organic cosmetics (eg COSMOS, NaTrue, etc), have a list of permitted preservatives. Which preservatives are permitted and which are not depends on the certification body but, generally speaking, the ones that are nature identical (like those mentioned above) are usually permitted. To understand more about natural skincare, what it is and the varying degrees of ‘natural’, read our article, What is Natural Skincare?.

When do you need to use a preservative in natural skincare products?

Any cosmetics that contain water, eg creams and lotions, or toners and spritzers, are a potential breeding ground for microorganisms. These products, therefore, require a preservative.

In addition to that, any cosmetic product that will at some point come into contact with water, eg anhydrous body scrubs (that are used in the shower) are also a likely breeding ground for microorganisms and require a preservative, or careful packaging and usage to ensure that water doesn’t enter the product.

You can imagine a freshly made lotion like a soup you made for lunch – if it contains no preservatives and is left on the counter, it will go bad in a matter of days. Stored in a refrigerator, it might be safe for up to a week or two. But since we usually keep skincare products for much longer than a week or two, plus we store them at room temperature, not using a preservative can be a dangerous game. 

A contaminated product is unsafe for use as it can cause mild to severe infections – you are basically applying a high concentration of pathogenic microorganisms directly to your skin. 

While the skin is generally very good at protecting us from microorganisms, any wounds, cuts or scratches (even microscopic ones) can be the entering point for bacteria and fungi into your body. 

This can lead to localized, small infections and rashes, or even dangerous internal infections. 

Don’t believe the hype about not using preservatives

While it is true that preservatives are powerful ingredients that can be dangerous when not used with caution (eg adding much more than the recommended amount), they are the ingredient that will prevent your lotion from becoming a bacterial playground. 

Microbial contamination:

1. Can cause the product to spoil. Noticeable signs may include the color changing or the product smelling terrible.
2. Can have some nasty consequences for your health, including skin and eye infections, thrush, toxic shock and atopic dermatitis.
3. Can be present well before signs are visible! 

To avoid any complications or potential infections, the use of preservatives is a must.

Are glycerin, honey, essential oils, Vitamin E and grapefruit seed extract natural preservatives?

In a word, no. 

If you’ve seen recipes for DIY cosmetics online, you must have come across recipes that use glycerin, honey or essential oils as preservatives. In most cases, that is not going to work as natural preservatives

It is important to not believe the DIY hype about glycerin, honey, essential oils, Vitamin E or grapefruit seed extract being effective natural preservatives. Let us explain why.

Glycerin and honey

These are two ingredients that are considered self-preserving – this means that they will not go bad, even if they are stored at room temperature and without any preservatives added. 

The reason behind this is that they contain minimal amounts of free water (water that is available for microorganisms). Since bacteria and fungi need water to survive, they can’t grow in an environment that contains no water, or has no water available to them (also known as ‘water activity’). 

Some water-based products containing high percentages (50% and above) of sugar (sugar syrups), salt (brine solution) or glycerin, will have very low water activity and will thus be a very hostile environment for microorganisms. But if a product contains only a little bit of these, like glycerin or honey, the water activity will be higher and microorganisms will be able to grow in it. 

Essential oils

While many essential oils have proven antimicrobial properties, to use them effectively the product would need to contain very high amounts of essential oils in order to be well protected. Those high amounts, however, are likely to be irritating and sensitizing for the skin. Plus the aroma is likely to be overpowering, meaning that they would not be suitable for cosmetics. 

Vitamin E

This is often referred to as a preservative, which is not correct. It is an antioxidant that will prevent oils from going rancid, but it will do absolutely nothing to inhibit microbial growth and spoilage in products that contain water. Antioxidants and preservatives are often confused, which is why we have written an article explaining the difference. You can find it here.

Grapefruit seed extract

This seems to be an unreliable choice too, although different research has come to different conclusions. Some research found it has no antimicrobial activity whatsoever, whilst some found it could function as a preservative.

Until sufficient research and scientific studies have confirmed without doubt that it is an effective preservative, it should not be used. There are plenty of effective natural preservatives that should be used instead.

Check out our article on 3 natural preservatives for cosmetics and download your free factsheet for more information.

What natural skincare products don’t require a preservative?

Strictly speaking, products that don’t contain water or that won’t come into contact with water, do not require a preservative. These types of products are called anhydrous and include things like balms, butters, oils and serums. Since these products are made of only oil soluble ingredients, there is no need for preservatives because they are not prone to microbial contamination. 

They are, however, prone to oxidation, which makes them go off or rancid. You will usually notice this by smelling it; it tends to have a sour or pungent odor, but this isn’t always the case. To prolong the shelf-life of oil soluble ingredients, e.g waxes, essential oils, butters and carrier oils, you’ll need to add an antioxidant, such as Vitamin E.

To find out more about antioxidants read our article here. And to find out the difference between antioxidants and preservatives, we recommend you read this article.

What can you do to help prolong the shelf-life of your natural skincare products?

Of course, you’ll need to follow the advice we provide about preservatives, antioxidants and emulsifiers! These ingredients and systems are essential if you want to make sure your products are safe, stable and effective.

Other things you can do are:

• Learn the professional way to formulate natural skincare products for yourself; whether you want to make them for yourself, or to sell.
• Have a thorough understanding of natural skincare ingredients, their safety data, recommended usage rates and particular characteristics.
• Know the correct natural preservative system and natural emulsification system to follow for your hydrous products.
• Know the correct antioxidants to use in natural skincare products.
• Understand skin anatomy and biology.
• Use the right equipment and keep it separate from your kitchen equipment (there’s a handy article for beginners about this here).
• Follow proper lab skills and good manufacturing practices (read our article What is GMP and why is it important?).
• Know your packaging. Understand how different packaging affects the use of different products and the impact that can have on cosmetic product safety.

None of these things are a replacement for the right preservatives, antioxidants and emulsifiers as well as the right systems to use for each (it is more than just adding an ingredient!), but they will help you ensure your products are safe, stable and effective – whilst also ensuring that they are the very best they can be… Which is what you want!

How can you get started in formulating natural skincare?

The good news for you is that our accredited Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation covers everything you need to know about natural preservatives and more! 

There are 14 modules packed with up-to-date, scientifically referenced information, templates and example formulations, beautifully designed workbooks and professionally created demonstration videos.

The course has been created by industry professionals, passionate about natural and organic beauty, in combination with our professional designers, videographers, writers and editors. 

This online course has been designed for those passionate about natural and organic beauty who want to infuse their DIY masterpieces with professional methods to create top quality, handmade natural skincare products.

To find out more, just click here.

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(INCI: Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate)

What is hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid (often shortened to HA) is one of the most powerful humectants available; it can hold up to 1,000 times its own weight in water! 

What is really interesting about hyaluronic acid is that it is actually produced by our body and is a key part of connective tissue and joints, helping to lubricate and soften. 

In the skin it is present in the dermis layer, where, combined with collagen and elastin fibers (which are responsible for the structure of our skin in the dermis), it makes sure our skin is plump, hydrated and smooth.

So, great news!

If you want to find out more about the structure and function of the skin, you can read our article Understanding How Your Skin Works.

The downside is that as we age, things change. 

As we enter our 30s the amount we produce starts to diminish, especially with exposure to the sun. We can notice this when our skin starts to lose its elasticity, it starts to get drier, and lines and wrinkles begin to show.

This means that we then need to look to the outside world to replenish our resources and that’s where using hyaluronic acid in skincare products comes into play.

How does hyaluronic acid work in skincare?

There is something that is widely misunderstood in skincare, especially DIY circles, that relates to what hyaluronic acid in cosmetics can and can’t do.

The first thing we need to mention here is that whilst hyaluronic acid can be obtained from the external environment and can be harnessed in cosmetics, it is not the same quality as that produced by our own body. 

This is mainly due to the fact that the hyaluronic acid produced by our body is located in the dermis layer, whereas the hyaluronic acid we get from cosmetics cannot penetrate deep enough to actually reach the dermis layer and replace the body’s own hyaluronic acid that has been lost due to the natural aging process. 

Hyaluronic acid is made of rather large molecules that can only penetrate the epidermis layers of skin cells. It therefore remains in the upper layers of the epidermis, where it actively hydrates the skin.

However, that does not mean it is not a hugely valuable ingredient to use in our cosmetics. 

Hyaluronic acid is a wonderful humectant that hydrates the epidermis wonderfully, plus it has strong moisturizing qualities both of which help to give the skin a more hydrated, moisturized and consequently plumper, smoother, softer and younger complexion.

With this winning combination, hyaluronic acid is a hugely valuable ingredient to use in our skincare products.

Those with dry skin will perhaps benefit the most because of its moisturizing and hydrating qualities, but given that the majority of people have dehydrated skin, at least to a certain degree (including people with oily skin types), hyaluronic acid can work wonders.

The hydrating properties of hyaluronic acid, as with other humectants, means that it smoothes and softens the skin, and can give the skin a more plump look, improving the appearance of wrinkles1. It also helps wound healing processes2.

As you can see, hyaluronic acid has huge value when used in anti-aging preparations and, if this is of interest to you, you’ll enjoy our article, 13 Natural Anti-aging Skincare Secrets Formulators Swear By. 

You’ll find hyaluronic acid used in all sorts of skincare products from toners to moisturizers and high end serums. 

Because it is a rather expensive ingredient, we usually prefer to use it in high-performance products, like deeply hydrating serums.

To get an idea of what a serum that uses hyaluronic acid looks like, check out our free recipe in our article, DIY hyaluronic acid serum.

What are the different types of hyaluronic acid that we use in skincare?

This is an important piece of information because you can’t just go and buy any form of hyaluronic acid and use it in your products. 

Firstly, there are different molecular weights that offer different benefits and uses in skincare and, secondly, the sizes, measured in something called Daltons (Da) or kilo Daltons (1kDa = 1,000 Da), vary from one supplier to another. 

So you need to know what you are doing and, fortunately, this is something we cover in our Advanced Certificate in High-Performance Serum Formulation.

To begin with there is high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMW HA) and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (LMW HA). 

High molecular weight hyaluronic acid is a larger molecule than low molecular weight hyaluronic acid and this means that it (HMW HA) cannot penetrate as deep into the skin as LMW HA does; it stays in the upper layers of the skin and moisturizes it. LMW HA penetrates deeper into the skin, where it has a stronger plumping effect. 

Apart from LMW penetrating deeper into the skin (while still remaining in the epidermis layer), and thus hydrating deeper levels of skin, there are no other “rules” when choosing which one.

In addition to that, it isn’t necessarily the case that one is better than the other because it depends on the outcome you are looking for. 

Sometimes you’ll want to use HMW HA. For example, it also functions as a thickener/gelling agent, so you would use it if/when you also want to increase the product’s viscosity. 

Other times you’ll want to choose LMW HA, for example when you need to keep the viscosity low or water-like, or when you want to offer a deeper hydration quality.

Occasionally, it might be more suitable to use them both in combination with each other. 

For example, when using hyaluronic acid for facial care we recommend using a lower weight and a higher weight combined. The higher weight will increase the viscosity and create a thicker gel. 

As we mentioned earlier, the size ranges of hyaluronic acid will vary from one supplier to the next, so the following will be a useful guideline for your search. If you are ever in doubt about what you are buying, you can always compare one supplier to another and make contact to inquire about the differences.

Size ranges of HA:

HMW HA (high molecular weight HA): 1,000-1,500kDa (= 1-1.5 million Da)

LMW HA (low molecular weight HA): 60-800kDa (= 0.06-0.8 million Da)

SLMW HA (super low molecular weight HA): below 50kDa

ULMW HA (ultra low molecular weight HA): below 6kDa

What is the best way to get started using hyaluronic acid in your skincare products?

Hyaluronic acid is hugely beneficial in skincare and whilst it is not as simple to incorporate in your skincare products as carrier oils, butters, waxes and essential oils, when you know what you are doing, it can really transform your products and offer significant benefits.

One thing you need to know is that it can only be added to products that contain water (or water-based ingredients, such as hydrosols or aloe vera juice). It is not soluble in oils, so it will not function in anhydrous products, like balms or facial oils. 

Further advice would be to use it at 1% max in your formula because it is a very effective humectant.

And finally, we’d suggest that when starting out you first experiment with the higher weight, then when you want a more complex product, use both for maximum benefits. HMW HA will gel, LMW HA (below 800 kDa) will not gel.

If you’re keen to learn more about hyaluronic acid and how to incorporate it into your skincare products, the good news is you don’t need to be a scientist. You do need access to accurate information that is explained in a way that non-scientists can understand and apply. 

Hyaluronic acid is quite a complex ingredient to work with and even if you are already formulating your own products from scratch, it might still be a challenge to get right. 

To really learn more about hyaluronic acid, its uses and benefits and how to incorporate it into your skincare products, you’ll want to join our Advanced Certificate in High-Performance Serum Formulation.

This is the course where you will create your own unique range of high-performance eye, lip and facial serums and discover new cutting edge ingredients. You’ll then understand how you can use hyaluronic acid as the “hero ingredient” in your cosmetic products, like we describe in our article, Formulating Serums with a Hero Ingredient.

To get a little insight into formulating with high-performance ingredients, you can also check out our free guide to formulating with Vitamin C.

References

1. Pavicic, T., Gauglitz, G. G., Lersch, P., Schwach-Abdellaoui, K., Malle, B., Korting, H. C., & Farwick, M. (2011). Efficacy of cream-based novel formulations of hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights in anti-wrinkle treatment. Journal of drugs in dermatology: JDD, 10(9), 990-1000
2. Liguori, V., Guillemin, C., Pesce, G. F., Mirimanoff, R. O., & Bernier, J. (1997). Double-blind, randomized clinical study comparing hyaluronic acid cream to placebo in patients treated with radiotherapy. Radiotherapy and Oncology, 42(2), 155-161.

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