Banana for Stunning Skin & Hair
Growing up my parents always kept our kitchen stocked with staples like carrots, celery, apples, and bananas. All of the kids in the neighborhood knew that they could grab a snack at our house, and we usually chose banana. What’s not to love, they come in their own wrapper, they are delicious, and they give […]
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Skin Soothing Oatmeal
Oatmeal comes from a simple grain and yet this unsung hero of the grain world is bursting with vital nutrients such as manganese, phosphorus, copper, biotin, vitamin B1, magnesium, dietary fiber, chromium, and zinc. Oatmeal is amazingly one of the only foods to retain most of its nutrients through processing. Virtually all oatmeal that is […]
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Bentonite Clay – Ingredient Highlight
Centuries ago, ancient cultures of people around the world discovered the multitude of benefits natural clays provide skin and hair. Each type of clay has different properties–exploring the different types of clay and their effects on your hair and skin can be a fun adventure. One such clay is bentonite clay, a staple in Native […]
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Tagged with:Clay
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate – Foaming Face Wash!
Surfactants have a reputation as being harsh and irritating to the skin, but sodium cocoyl isethionate is a completely different type of surfactant! Derived from coconut, this extremely gentle ingredient is fast replacing traditional surfactants in natural hair and skincare formulations. Biodegradable and Gentle Naturally derived from coconut, sodium cocoyl isethionate is readily biodegradable and […]
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Behentrimonium Methosulfate BTMS
Behentrimonium Methosulfate is an excellent emulsifier. Derived from Colza Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate or BTMS is key when looking to create amazing hair care conditioning products, which is why it is often referred to as the “Conditioning Emulsifier”. Gentle and effective, BTMS helps hair retain a springy bounce, volume, and silky smoothness. Because it’s so mild, it’s […]
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Carrier Oils – Overview and Substitution Guide
What Are Carrier Oils? We hear the term “carrier oil” a lot, but what exactly is a carrier oil? Carrier oil is a term used to describe a base or vegetable oil that is being used to dilute essential oils and absolutes before they are applied to the skin. They get this name because they […]
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Tagged with:Carrier Oils, dilution, viscosity
Xanthan Gum – Natural or Not?
Xanthan Gum is a common ingredient found in both cosmetics and food products. It’s a thickening agent used to create gels. Essential Wholesale uses xanthan gum derived from the bacterial fermentation of wood pulp polysaccharides, not corn, and is certified non-GMO as per NOP rules of the USDA. It is manufactured using ethanol, not isopropyl alcohol. […]
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Emulsifying Wax – Ingredient Highlight
It is common knowledge that oil and water don’t mix under normal circumstances. In cosmetic chemistry the solution to blending two immiscible (unblendable) liquids are emulsions. Simply put, an emulsion is the suspension of one liquid in another liquid. There are more technical definitions, but for now, let’s stick with this simple definition. If you […]
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Tagged with:emulsifying wax, recipe
Dimethicone in Cosmetics
If you read the ingredient list on some of the most popular cosmetic brands, one ingredient you’ll see often is dimethicone. But what is dimethicone and why is it used in cosmetics? Dimethicone Dimethicone, also known as polydimethylsiloxane, is a silicone-based organic polymer. It’s essentially a lab-produced silicone oil considered generally inert and non-toxic. Dimethicone […]
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Kalahari Melon Seed Oil
The Kalahari Desert isn’t exactly the place you’d picture watermelons growing, but surprisingly, Kalahari melons grow all across the desert. Also referred to as wild watermelon the African Citrullus lanatus species is an ancestor of the watermelon that most of us are familiar with. However the fruit of the Kalahari Melon is bitter and not at all like […]
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