Ingredient overhaul
Oct. 27th, 2019 09:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
callunavI just purged my aging, sticky collection of well-past-their-time-and-getting-rancid vegetable oils and butters and have placed an order with Camden-Grey for lots of wonderful things in very small quantities so that I'm likely to finish them before they go off, this time.
I got, in fact, rosehip oil, pomegranate seed oil, murumuru butter, meadowfoam seed oil, macadamia nut oil, kukui nut oil, jojoba, horsetail butter, foraha/tamanu, cranberry seed oil, camelina oil, argan oil, and andiroba oil.
They're mostly chosen for long/stable shelf-life, nourishing and restorative properties for dry or fragile skin, rapid absorption and non-greasy feel, treating eczema, and/or helping to reduce the formation of scars or to soften and reduce scars that have already formed. Camelina oil I wanted for 'lubricity', which is pretty much the opposite of rapid absorption, and is exactly what I want for lip balms, though not for hand/face moisturizer. Andiroba oil has amazing antibacterial/antifungal/antiseptic/antieverything properties, and, unlike most other things that are effective that way, is actually gentle and nourishing to the skin, and, unlike neem oil which is at least as amazing and also (no, I'm not making this up) good for dandruff, it doesn't smell like toxic peanut butter. I respect neem no end, but I can't stand actually having it on me in any quantity.
Most of the things that are good for skin are also - in small quantities - good for hair, so that works out well.
I also got shea butter and cocoa butter in slightly larger quantities. I already own beeswax, which I didn't need to purge, and coconut oil which - despite its nice qualities and overwhelming popularity - I don't use very much in part because the overwhelming popularity is having a regrettable environmental impact. I do use it for my home-made deodorant, though, because it has some antibacterial properties (used topically).
I also still own rosemary oleoresin (not essential oil), which is a natural antioxidant that will significantly extend the shelf-life of other oils.
I am feeling mildly defensive about the money this cost, but extremely happy at the prospect of being able to make some really good hand-and-body butters - both general and specific - and lip balms again. Fortunately, my store of essential oils is still good, so I can play with blending scents without having to spend any more money on that aspect.
(But oh, if I had money to burn, I would dash right off to buy uncut sandalwood essential oil - very mild scent, not much like sandalwood beads or incense, but it blends well with almost everything and stabilizes other oils so that they don't evaporate off so fast - and chamomile essential oil. They're appallingly expensive and I want them even more than I want attar of roses. Ah, well. It's good to have some things left to long for.)
I got, in fact, rosehip oil, pomegranate seed oil, murumuru butter, meadowfoam seed oil, macadamia nut oil, kukui nut oil, jojoba, horsetail butter, foraha/tamanu, cranberry seed oil, camelina oil, argan oil, and andiroba oil.
They're mostly chosen for long/stable shelf-life, nourishing and restorative properties for dry or fragile skin, rapid absorption and non-greasy feel, treating eczema, and/or helping to reduce the formation of scars or to soften and reduce scars that have already formed. Camelina oil I wanted for 'lubricity', which is pretty much the opposite of rapid absorption, and is exactly what I want for lip balms, though not for hand/face moisturizer. Andiroba oil has amazing antibacterial/antifungal/antiseptic/antieverything properties, and, unlike most other things that are effective that way, is actually gentle and nourishing to the skin, and, unlike neem oil which is at least as amazing and also (no, I'm not making this up) good for dandruff, it doesn't smell like toxic peanut butter. I respect neem no end, but I can't stand actually having it on me in any quantity.
Most of the things that are good for skin are also - in small quantities - good for hair, so that works out well.
I also got shea butter and cocoa butter in slightly larger quantities. I already own beeswax, which I didn't need to purge, and coconut oil which - despite its nice qualities and overwhelming popularity - I don't use very much in part because the overwhelming popularity is having a regrettable environmental impact. I do use it for my home-made deodorant, though, because it has some antibacterial properties (used topically).
I also still own rosemary oleoresin (not essential oil), which is a natural antioxidant that will significantly extend the shelf-life of other oils.
I am feeling mildly defensive about the money this cost, but extremely happy at the prospect of being able to make some really good hand-and-body butters - both general and specific - and lip balms again. Fortunately, my store of essential oils is still good, so I can play with blending scents without having to spend any more money on that aspect.
(But oh, if I had money to burn, I would dash right off to buy uncut sandalwood essential oil - very mild scent, not much like sandalwood beads or incense, but it blends well with almost everything and stabilizes other oils so that they don't evaporate off so fast - and chamomile essential oil. They're appallingly expensive and I want them even more than I want attar of roses. Ah, well. It's good to have some things left to long for.)