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In the third and final part of a three part series on cosmetic essentials, we will outline the basic ingredients used in making cosmetics. It is important that you grasp these fundamentals as many if not all of these ingredients must be handled with extreme care.
There are some basic rules to be followed when handling these ingredients. For example a key rule to be followed is to ensure that you or the person for whom you are making the cosmetic product doesnt have an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients. The best way to ensure that you dont have an allergic reaction is to do a pap test on the inside of your forearm, cover it with either gauze or a band-aid, leave it on overnight and if the next day there are no signs of irritation or redness, you can consider it safe to use. Of course if you are making cosmetics for someone else, the only thing you can do is provide a clear label with the ingredients of the cosmetics so that the individual can decide whether it is safe for them to use.
Some other key rules are to ensure that while making the cosmetics that your hands are clean and dry. There is nothing worse than to get high quality ingredients for making cosmetics and to have it spoiled because of foreign material that you might have on your hands. Other key rules are to store your ingredients and cosmetics in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight and to ensure that your containers mentioned in the the second of the series on cosmetic essentials are also clean and dry before you use them. Finally and I think this is rather obvious is to never attempt to eat or drink your cosmetic products.
The ingredients that you use to make your cosmetic products can be broken down into several types. Of course the ingredients that you need to use depends on the type of cosmetic product that you are looking to produce. In general to produce any cosmetic product, you will need to use several types to get both the benefits to your skin and the aroma that you desire. The types of ingredients you require for making homemade cosmetics is listed below.
Plant Oils - These are liquid fats extracted from a variety of plants. Always use cold- pressed oils as heat causes many oils to change their structure. Examples of plant oils are almond oil, sunflower oil and avocado oil.
Macerated Oils - These are plant oils infused with scented flowers or medicinal herbs. Examples of macerated oils are calendula oils, rose oils and carrot oils.
Essential Oils - These are concentrated aromatic essences distilled from some plants. Many of these plants also have medicinal qualities. Examples of the type of plants are are Chamomile oil which has both healing and soothing qualities especially for sensitive skin; Rosemary which is good for hair care; and Lavendar which has cleansing and healing properties.
Plant Fats/Butters - These are solid fats extracted directly from tropical plants that are used primarily in soap bars, moisturisers and creams. Examples of plant fats and butters are cocoa butter, shea butter and mango butter.
Flower Waters/Distillates - These are also called hydrosols or hydrolats. They are generally the by product of the distillation process to produce essential oils, but are now used more widely and many are purpose produced. They are used for moisturisers, deodorants, facial toners and also to freshen up on a hot day or in hot climates. Examples of hydrosols or hydrolats are rosewater, orange flower water and lavendar water.
Herbs/Flowers -These provide the active ingredients in cosmetic products. They are used in skin products, bath products and in tea infusions. Examples are; rose petals which are used for soothing herbs for all skins; vanilla which is used for perfume; and soapwart which is used as a natural shampoo plant.
Edibles - These are ingredients that are used primarily in cooking but also for making cosmetics. Examples are oats which are used for washing and soothing skin, sea salt which are used in bath salts, dental care and body care and citrus peels which are used for skin scrubs and scenting oils.
Miscellaneous - These are various items that are difficult to classify that are also useful for making cosmetics. Examples are green clay that is used for face masks, beeswax which is used to thicken and emulsify creams and salves, and glycerine which is a by product of saponifying plant oils that can be used for moisturisers and as a natural preservative.
So now that we have reviewed all the equipment and ingredients that are needed for making cosmetics, we are ready to get started making toxic free natural and organic products. In our next entries we will start going through recipes that you can use for skin, face and hair as well as products that you can make for your loved ones including your kids.
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