HEMP SEED OIL
Hemp seed oil has been crowned nature's most perfectly balanced oil. The many health benefits of hemp seed oil come from its high content of antioxidants (vitamin E), amino acids, and these three polyunsaturated fatty acids: linoleic acid (LA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and gamma-linoleic acid (GLA). Its fatty acids closely mimic our skin’s natural oils, which can make it a well tolerated and particularly effective as an emollient in skin care products, moisturizers, and conditioners. It’s also known to able to balance out our skin while reducing oiliness, dryness, and irritation.
There is a good amount of scientific data indicating hemp seed oil can have a powerful effect when treating acne, and can even be held as a near-universal treatment for different forms of acne. It has also been proven to have significant health benefits in regards to a variety of skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis.
The seeds that give us hemp seed oil contains no cannabinoids such as CBD, CBN, CBG, or CBDA.
TALLOW
Tallow's organic makeup shares a similar biology to our own making it more compatible with the oil that our skin naturally produces allowing our skin to absorb tallow very effectively. It contains traces of vitamins A, D, K, E, B12, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) with natural anti-inflammatory properties, oleic acid (omega 9) which aids other components in penetrating deeply into skin, palmitic acid which helps improve the protective barrier function of skin, stearic acid which helps to repair damaged skin while improving skin’s flexibility and suppleness, and palmitoleic acid (omega 7) which is one of our skin’s basic building blocks. All of these acids are extremely beneficial for our skin and all of these are ONLY found together in animal products.
Tallow can also help to prevent skin’s loss of moisture, is antibacterial & antimicrobial, and can aid in skin regeneration helping create skin that appears healthier and more youthful.
Tallow can essentially provide skin exactly what it needs to repair itself. Its palmitic and stearic acid can also prolong the longevity of your product by making a hard, long lasting soap bar that doesn’t melt away quickly when wet. Tallow is essentially an absolutely amazing skin moisturizer, soother, rejuvenator, and basically an long time favorite for skin.
SHEA BUTTER
Shea butter is rich in vitamins A, E and F. This fatty oil is often used in skin care, body and hair care products designed to soothe dryness, promote collagen production, hydrate skin and even minimize the risk of stretch marks during pregnancy.
Shea butter is used as an emollient in cosmetics and has smoothing properties for dry skin. But it doesn’t just have a rich texture; it’s also a rich source of antioxidants, including quercetin, epicatechin gallate, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, as well as skin-replenishing linoleic (LA) and stearic fatty acids. It is an excellent ingredient to see in products designed to improve dry skin.
COCONUT OIL
Coconut oil's high saturated fat content has emollient properties for our skin. Used by itself as a moisturizer, coconut oil’s effectiveness is similar to that of mineral oil. Coconut oil is a rich source of medium-chain fatty acids (aka medium-chain triglycerides), lauric acid, vitamin E and proteins. It is the most abundant source of lauric acid, a fatty acid known for its antimicrobial, moisturizing and hormone-balancing characteristics. This can help strengthen the skin’s protective barrier and improve moisture retention assisting in healing dry and irritating skin conditions such as eczema. In addition to its fatty acids, coconut oil is also packed with antioxidants which can help prevent signs of aging and repair damaged skin and hair by increasing surface level lipids.
OLIVE OIL
Olive oil has a long history of being used as a home remedy for skin care. Aside from its natural anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, Olive oil contains essential fatty acids dry skin needs, including oleic, palmitic, and linoleic fatty acids while it is also rich in phenolic compounds that provide antioxidant benefit, squalene (an emollient), and vitamins A & E.
Olive oil is often found in cleansers, makeup removers, moisturizers and frizz-fighting hair treatments. Olive oil is suitable for all skin types and can assist in warding off free radicals and other environmental aggressors to help you can maintain a more youthful appearance.
CASTOR OIL
Castor oil is a one of a kind oil. It is, simply put, one of the most popular oils used in skin care formulas. It’s an emollient, meaning it traps moisture into the skin and hair to minimize dryness and boost hydration within it. Castor oil is analgesic (pain reliever), anti-inflammatory, a disinfectant, and also acts as a humectant in soaps and cosmetics as it draws moisture to itself. It is also rich in fatty acids (90% ricinoleic acid) and
antioxidants. It can create a protective barrier on the skin, moisturizes skin and can promote healing and pain relief while it soothes.
It may also help improve the absorption of other active ingredients into skin’s layers, where they can work better and more efficiently while it has also been shown to help with redness and irritation of the skin. It can be very helpful for people suffering from psoriasis because it removes the flaky skin and supports the healing process of the new skin.
AVOCADO OIL
Avocado Oil contains high levels of vitamins A and E, protein, lecithin and fatty acids, all of which can be especially beneficial for those with dry skin, eczema, mature, or sensitive skin.
The beta carotene, protein, lecithin, fatty acids, and vitamins A, D, and E found in avocado oil can help moisturize and protect your skin from damaging UV rays and also increase collagen metabolism. In hair care products avocado oil can be used
to condition and add shine to hair. It can also help protect against the sun’s UV rays.
A study found that the linoleic acid, oleic acid, and other monosaturated fatty acids in avocado oil can help speed up wound healing making it optimal for use in lip products. The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents in avocado oil can help your skin stay smooth, strong, hydrated, and elastic.
COCOA BUTTER
Cocoa butter is used as an emollient and consists of a combination of approximately 60% saturated fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, lauric, and myristic acids), 35% monounsaturated fatty acid (oleic acid), and 1% polyunsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acid). Cocoa butter is high in vitamin D2, a precursor to the active form of vitamin D in the body. It’s also rich in minerals, such as potassium, phosphorus, iron, copper, and magnesium.
Cocoa butter can replenish skin’s moisture and create a barrier to protect your skin from moisture loss. It tends to be absorbed well without leaving skin greasy and will help skin maintain its elasticity and tone. Parts of the cocoa plant have also been used to help treat acne, psoriasis, skin cancer, and wounds.
CITRIC ACID
Citric acid is an alpha hydroxy acid naturally found in citrus. In skin care, citric acid is often used in products designed to exfoliate dead skin cells and support cell turnover, which can help improve the appearance of photo aged skin and restore skin elasticity.
When citric acid is added to to natural cold process soap recipes with sodium hydroxide it produces sodium citrate. If you have hard water (water containing higher levels of minerals such as magnesium and calcium) those minerals are likely to join with soap producing a hard white film you know and detest called soap scum. To assist in maintaining a soap scum free bath, sodium citrate acts as a chelating agent (bonding of ions and molecules to metal ions) which works to round up these minerals in water forcing them down the drain instead of forming soap scum in your bath.
If you’ve been forced to become accustomed to low lathering soaps and shampoos because of hard water, citric acid can change that by helping build a richer lather, creamy or bubbly, than before. This is because the sodium citrate created
through saponification can work similarly to a water softener, diminishing the effects of metal ions which reduce lather.
Citric acid can also prevent oxidation of natural oils in soap, promoting a longer lasting soap bar.
