Essential oils are fragrant oils that exist in the flowers, leaves, stems, bark, peel and other parts of plants. Essential oils are also called volatile oils because they evaporate when exposed to air. Many different types of plants have an essential oil.  Examples of these are flowers like rose, gardenia, carnation, and jasmine. Citrus fruits, like orange, lemon and lime, also have essential oils.  Other plants that have an essential oil are nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Whenever you peel an orange, some of the essential oil in the peel squirts out and this is what you smell as you are peeling the orange.

About Essential Oils
Essential oils are removed from flowers and plants by three basic methods: steam distillation, expression, and extraction.

Steam Distillation:
Using this method, the fragrant parts of the plant are put in a device called a “still.” Steam is allowed to permeate the plant material. As the steam rises it loosens the essential oils in the plant parts and carries it to a separate container.  The steam is condensed into water in this separate container and the essential oils are removed from it there.

Expression:
This method is used for removing essential oils from the peels of citrus fruits like orange, lemon, and lime.  In expression the peels are squeezed, or punctured, to remove the essential oils.

Extraction:
This method is used for removing the oils from delicate flowers such as jasmine, carnation and gardenia.  It is also used for removing the oils from resins such as frankincense and myrrh.  In this method the essential oils are removed from the plant or resin by soaking it in fat, oil, or a chemical solvent.  When the solvent has been removed, the fragrant oil that remains is called an “absolute.”  When the solvent has been removed from a resin, what remains is called a resinoid.

Essential Oil Shopping Links:

Click here to shop for essential oils at the Personal Formulator

Click here to shop for essential oils at Amazon.com

Looking for a conditioner base? This Conditioner Base from the Personal Formulator is paraben-free, and contains olive oil, sesame seed oil, and pantothenol for hair conditioning. For more information click here.

An antioxidant is an ingredient that keeps oils and fats from turning rancid. Three natural antioxidants are Vitamin E oil, lecithin, and wheatgerm oil (a natural source of vitamin E ). A preservative is an ingredient that kills, or inhibits, the growth of bacteria, mold, and/or fungi. Certain essential oils, such as tea tree oil, thyme, eucalyptus, rosemary, and peppermint, are effective at killing some types of microorganisms, and can be used as natural preservatives to some extent. Glycerine can also be used as a natural preservative in some water-based products.

Adding an antioxidant or a preservative to a cosmetic product doesn’t guarantee that it will last forever. (This is true for handmade cosmetics as well as mass-marketed department store cosmetics.) Antioxidants and preservatives are added to cosmetics to help them stay fresh until they are used up. The effectiveness of your chosen preservative, or preservation system, depends on many factors including the ingredients used in the cosmetic product, how much preservative is being used, how the cosmetic product was prepared, and how the cosmetic product is being stored (length of storage time, type of container, temperature, etc.). If a cosmetic recipe you like is having problems staying fresh, try adding a small amount of a preservative or antioxidant to it to see if that helps it to last longer. It may take some experimentation to get exactly what you want. With essential oils, tiny amounts (1%-2% of your recipe) should be used. With glycerine, much larger amounts (15% of the water phase of your recipe or more) are needed.

Shopping Links:
Antioxidants:
Vitamin E Acetate
Natural Vitamin E /Dl-Alpha Tocopherol
Wheat Germ Oil
Essential Oils:
Eucalyptus Oil
Peppermint Oil
Rosemary Oil
Tea Tree Oil

The aloe vera plant (also called Aloe barbadensis) is unique among plants for it’s importance to the cosmetics industry. Cosmetic products made with aloe vera are used to treat everything from dry and scaly skin to chapped lips and dermatitis. Aloe vera is most noted for its gel and juice which is widely used in creams, lotions, shampoos and a variety of other cosmetic preparations. Aloe vera gel and juice are available commercially in liquid and in dehydrated form. An oil-soluble extract is also produced from the aloe vera plant. It is sold under the names aloe vera oil and aloe vera extract.

Aloe vera pulp is the clear, thick substance inside of the aloe vera leaf. (It is often called aloe vera gel, but it is usually treated before it is used in cosmetics). Aloe vera juice is made by liquifying aloe vera pulp. Aloe vera gel is made by adding a thickener such as irish moss to aloe vera juice. Aloe vera oil is made by extracting oil-soluble portions of the aloe vera plant into a light vegetable oil, such as safflower oil. Aloe vera juice, gel and oil can be used in cosmetics.

Using Aloe Vera In Your Cosmetics.
Here are some ideas for incorporating aloe vera into your cosmetic formulas.

Aloe Vera Bath Salts:
Add a small amount of aloe vera oil or dehydrated aloe vera gel to Epsom salt or sea salt to make “Aloe Vera Bath Salts.”

Aloe Vera Bath and Body Oils:
Add a small amount of aloe vera oil and your favorite essential oil or fragrance oil to a blend of light vegetable oils (such as corn oil, jojoba oil or sunflower oil) to make aloe vera bath oils, aloe vera body oils, and aloe vera hair oils.

Aloe Vera Soaps:
To make aloe vera liquid soaps add some aloe vera gel or aloe vera oil to liquid castile soap. To make aloe vera bar soaps from scratch replace some of the water in your recipe with aloe vera gel or juice or replace some of the oils in your recipe with aloe vera oil. To make aloe vera soap from premade soap you can melt down soap flakes, add some aloe vera oil or gel to the melted solution, stir well and pour into soap molds.

Precautions When Using Aloe Vera In Your Cosmetics
Aloe vera gel and juice are highly perishable, and should only be used in cosmetics that are self-preserving (such as cosmetics that contain a high percentage of soap, alcohol, glycerin or other preservative) or in cosmetics that will be used up quickly. Also, some people may be allergic to aloe vera, or the preservatives that are used in commercially available aloe vera gel and aloe vera extract. If in doubt, perform a patch test on yourself before using aloe vera in your cosmetics.

Aloe Vera Shopping Links:
Aloe Vera Extract -Oil Soluble
Aloe Vera Freeze Dried 200x