Ingredient highlight: Aluminum

Well hello again. I've been a busy bee these past few months and have been lax on posting. But I have been thinking about topics I wanted to research and write about so here I am for a long overdue ingredient highlight on Aluminum. I have been wanting to know more about aluminum in body care ingredients for awhile. They are one of those "scary" ingredients and I wasn't completely sure why so I went on a quest. 

Let's start with the basics. What is aluminum? Aluminum (Al) is a silvery-white, soft, nonmagnetic metal. Aluminum is the third most abundant element (after oxygen and silicon), and the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust. It makes up about 8% by mass of the crust. Aluminum metal is so chemically reactive that native specimens are rare and it is usually found combined in over 270 different minerals. The chief ore of aluminum is bauxite. 

In what products is aluminum primarily found? Aluminum-containing raw materials are used safely and extensively in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter (OTC) drug products. In cosmetics, they function as pigments and thickening agents. Aluminum compounds also function as active ingredients in OTC drugs such as antacids and antiperspirants. Because aluminum is present in soil, most exposure comes from foods we eat and the water we drink.  Studies demonstrate a negligible potential for Aluminum salts to penetrate the skin. Any small amount absorbed from the use of cosmetic products, would be tiny in comparison to the amounts we consume in the foods we eat daily.
https://cosmeticsinfo.org/aluminum

Next I asked the Google "How does aluminum work in anti-perspirants?" This answer popped up: Aluminium-based antiperspirants work by blocking the sweat ducts, thereby reducing the amount of sweat that reaches the skin's surface. ... When they are applied to the skin and come in contact with sweat, the pH rises causing the aluminium salts to precipitate out and form a plug over the sweat glands.  https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/antiperspirant/

Then I navigated over to cancer.org and typed in "aluminum". Have you ever been to this site? It seems good, they present information in a very neutral way which I like. On their site they first outline the claims that are going around and then they proceed to address them with facts that are backed up by scientific studies. If the studies that they reference are weak (or later disproven as it sometimes happens) they are up front about that as well, all in all I like this site. Anyway I digress back to my findings on the site about aluminum. In a nutshell through all the solid studies that have been done there is no link between aluminum and breast cancer. The information they had there was extremely insightful and there was quite a bit of it too, instead of repeating what they have written I am adding the link and encouraging you to take a look at the information there, it's a great read > https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/antiperspirants-and-breast-cancer-risk.html

Another concern I read about was aluminum exposure and a possible link to alzheimer's or dementia. This is of particular concern and interest to me because I have older relatives that have suffered with this affliction and we really don't know what caused it. So I dug in on the site alzdiscovery.org. Their information was neat because it spoke of aluminum use in multiple capacities from being in the drinking water to being in anti-perspirants. At this time all research is pointing towards the fact that neither of these diseases are caused by aluminum. I am dropping the link to their site below for your reading pleasure as well.  
https://www.alzdiscovery.org/cognitive-vitality/blog/is-there-a-link-between-aluminum-and-alzheimers

Now I think it would be abundantly easier on society as a whole to just find that "bad" or "dangerous" ingredient that causes all the ailments what make people sick and just eliminate it but things will never be that easy. Certainly there have been recalls of products and ingredients which were believed to be safe then found later to either be unsafe or ineffective or highly allergenic or otherwise unusable to the public at large but it's not that common. Why you may ask? Well simply because before an ingredient is even available to be used in a formulation it's been tested extensively and exhaustively to know the safety data. Staple ingredients like aluminum are then placed on a list by the FDA of acceptable to use for _____ in this case I am referring to its use in antiperspirants. Aluminum is, in fact, the ONLY ingredient that the FDA has listed as approved in creating a product that acts as antiperspirants do.
You can search through product recalls here>>> https://www.fda.gov/safety/archive-recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/2018-recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts

It seems that there were more issues with food or drug items being recalled due to contamination or concerns over sterility (in the case of drug manufacturing) than over an ingredient that was going to cause cancer or some other disease.

As always I encourage those in my tribe to be informed consumers and know the relevant data backed resources in which to pull information from when trying to make a decision about the health and safety of yourself and your family. There are great resources available to us in this day and age thanks to the internet. There are also terrible resources available because every "Karen" and "Chad" with an internet connection can just write whatever pleases them and some are convincing enough to sway public opinion which I think is a real shame. When I am looking for answers I turn to science and I always will. I hope that whatever resources you trust are ones that are keeping you and yours on a safe and happy path in life.

'Til next time
~Your (science nerd) Soapsmith

Ingredient highlight - Argan Oil

Argan oil is something that has seemed to hit the mainstream over the past few years. I see it in the

Goats eating the argan nuts in Morocco

drugstore frequently in the hair care aisle. 

Argan oil comes from the Argania spinosa tree which is a slow growing tree native to Morocco and the oil itself is extracted from the seed of the plant. It is a labor intensive process which is typically done by the women who are native to that area. 

Typically referred to as "liquid gold" in europe, this oil is rich in essential fatty acids, vitamin E and other vital nutrients. In hair care products, it helps to smooth frizz and split ends as well as provide softness. In skin care products, it nourishes, protects elasticity and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It can help to nourish dry, brittle nails. I also saw recommendations to use this to help diminish scars (due to the high vitamin E content.)

Due to the cost of this oil I would not use it in a wash off product such as soap. I have used it on my hair and like it very much as a leave in oil. To give a rough example of price difference I went to one of my vendor sites and compared the cost of Argan and Extra Virgin Olive (EVOO) oils. 1lb of EVOO is $4.99 while 1lb of Argan is $21.99- WHEW! Big difference. 

So, yes, argan oil is absolutely lovely and has many fantastic benefits to the skin, hair and nails. However I think it is better utilized in leave on products where it can really work it's magic.

Ta for now
~Your Soapsmith

Ingredient Highlight- Palm Oil

I am going to write about an ingredient that has fallen out of favor

Palm tree and fruit

in the past decade or so due to not being sustainably sourced. The ingredient is, of course, palm oil. This is one of those oils that is found in pretty much EVERYTHING anymore, it is the most commonly used vegetable oil in the world at the moment. You can find it in packaged foods, cosmetic products, soaps and it is even used industrially. Other countries use it commonly for a frying oil and some even use it as an industrial lubricant. While the palm tree is native to Africa, both Malaysia and Indonesia started to clear cut their own forests in order to plant palm tree farms to capitalize on this versatile product. The problem in doing that is that they are taking away the only habitat that many animals, including the Sumatran Orangutan live in. This animal is presently critically endangered. In our lifetime this species could go extinct because of something that humans have done, that's just heartbreaking...

Sumatran Orangutan

When I initially learned about all this many years ago I thought "well that's it, no more palm oil"......right.....that's when I learned that it is in so many different products. Ok, so what next? How do I try to be a good conservationist and be good to the earth when I can't just eliminate this ingredient from my life? Enter the RSPO or Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. This group of people has come together to try to work with the palm oil growers and come to an agreement on how to make this product more sustainable. (Yahoo!). They have made great strides in the past 10 years but still have very far to go. What I have to remind myself is that the answer is not to just stop palm oil production or boycott palm oil, it is to try to work within the confines of the industry and to help educate the farmers growing it and the governments that are clear cutting their own lands. This is someone's livelihood after all, it's got to be a 2 way street if it's to be successful.

So how can you help? Spread the word about palm oil and sustainable palm oil and aim to buy products that use sustainable palm oil. Let your dollars be your voice! Be the voice for those who have none (like the Sumatran Orangutan).

Resource #1 is on the world wildlife fund page. Resource #2 is the UK based page which is put together by the Chester Zoo.  With more digging I was able to find on the RSPO site a page that lists companies which are members but it's rather cumbersome and not very helpful in a shopping scenario. They also have an app which I am downloading at the moment. (edit to add) AHA! Upon further searching there are quite a few apps which you can use to scan products to see if they are "Orangutan friendly" as the one app states. Check out this site, they have information on the apps and other great information. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo also has an app which I just used on some items in my fridge, it was pretty neat.

Take this journey with me. Let's work together to become better conservationists for a more sustainable future. Typically I feel that since I am just one little person I cannot make a difference with something that is just so big but today I am feeling plucky, today I feel that I CAN make a difference and I am going to try to. So.....palm oil challenge???

These and many more animals are affected by the palm oil industry

Stay tuned my friends
~Your Soapsmith

PS- Upon checking with my soap ingredient vendors I am ecstatic and relieved to find that the palm oil and palm kernel flakes I use in my soaps ARE sustainably sourced! It's a small step but it is my step.

The joy of avocados

Most people already know this about me but I am obsessed with everything avocado. I love eating them on sandwiches, mashing them up into a magnificent guacamole, whipping them into a wonderful dessert, and I even use the oil in one of our favorite soaps. There are whole websites dedicated to the avocado, that in itself is noteworthy.

What is it exactly that I like about this fruit so much? Maybe it's the efficiency of it as a whole. The skin doubles as a bowl once you open and scrape the meat out, the seed doubles as an awesome massage ball and the meat itself can be incorporated into a savory dish or a delicate and sweet dish with ease. It is also  packed with vitamins and healthy fats to boot.

The below information was found on www.livestrong.com.

Avocados have a long and rich history dating back to the Aztec civilization. The fruit is known to improve heart health, aid in weight loss,provide a good course of vitamins B, C and E and is safe to use in baby food and in a diabetic diet. Besides all of the internal benefits, avocados have received a well-earned reputation for keeping skin looking young, beautiful and moist. Centuries after their first discovery, avocados are making a a cosmetic comeback to fight aging and dry and acne prone skin.

History

The word for avocado comes from the Spanish word "aguacate" which comes from the Aztec word "ahuacatl." Agri Business Week reported in 2009 that the word "ahuacatl" translates to "testicle," probably a reference to the way the fruit hangs from the tree, and that for centuries the fruit was associated with being an aphrodisiac. Because of its sexual reputation, avocado purchases were nearly non-existent in the western world where buying one might lead to slanderous assaults. Despite the rumor, countries around the world have been using avocados in ice cream, milk shakes, as a side dish, as a dip, in soups, in salads and as an ingredient in face masks for optimal skin health.

Avocado's and skincare 

According to Avocado.com and livestrong.com, avocados reduce the appearance of age spots, help reduce signs of skin aging and heals dry skin and eczema. Large amounts of sterolins, a protein proven to reduce the appearance of age spots, scars and sun damage, are found in avocados. Avocado oil contains the highest amount of sterolins in the fruit, making it an ideal ingredient in skin moisturizers marketed to people with dry or damaged skin. Avocado oil also increases the amount of collagen found in the skin. Avocado.com reports that a loss of collagen in the skin occurs in the natural aging process and avocado oil helps to slow that process down. Avocados do not clog pores.

With old man winter knocking furiously at my door these days I find that my skin is feeling a bit dryer and tighter than usual. I treated my face to a little facial which ended with an avocado mask. It felt wonderful and made my skin feel great.

Avocado mask:

1/2 avocado

1tbsp avocado oil (you can substitute this for a more readily available oil)

5 drops of Clary Sage essential oil (this oil helps control oily skin problems and smells kind of nice and earthy)

Directions: (if you have a small food processor that is most helpful if not, no worries just use elbow grease.) Mash up avocado, add oil slowly and blend well, last add the drops of clary sage and then apply to your face and neck. Leave on for about 15 minutes then rinse off with warm water and soft cloth. Tone and moisturize as usual.

For an extra treat I put a little avocado oil directly on my face after my mask and my skin soaked it right up (it was very thirsty!).

Avocado's in my belly

I stumbled upon a dessert dish recently which utilizes the Avocado and wanted to share it because it's just that good!

Whipped Avocado:

Serves 4

1 Avocado

1/2 C Milk (I used my favorite, coconut milk by soy delicious)

1/4 C white sugar (could be less if you do not want this to be too sweet)

1/2 Tsp vanilla

Directions: Whip, chill, serve.....yes, it's that simple!

Well this will be my last post for 2011, I hope you have enjoyed my posts this year, I have enjoyed doing the research and writing them. Wishing all my friends/fans and wonderful customers an awesome and safe New Years Eve and a rocking new year! 

'Till next year.......

~Your Soapsmith

For additional information check out these sites:

www.avocado.com

www.livestrong.com

The Pumpkin

Ahhh, the pumpkin. A squash that is easily identified and loved throughout the world. It indicated that fall is on it's way and with it comes jack-o-lanterns, trick or treating and changing foliage. Pumpkins can actually grow in many climates and can be found on every continent except Antarctica, it is a member of the winter squash family and while it can be found in many different color variations, the most recognizable color would be a shade of orange. This squash has been cultivated for over 9,000 years and is indigenous to North America, for the people of this continent it was a mainstay in their diet. Pumpkin is packed full of nutrients such as: protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins A & C, potassium, zinc and beta carotene to name a few. It is also high in fiber and low in calories.

Pumpkin can be found in many different dishes, anything from appetizers to desserts to beverages, it is the great unsung hero of the food world, I wish I could find it on more menus. The self proclaimed capital of pumpkin festivals is  located in Half Moon Bay, CA, maybe someday I will get to visit this great festival.

Pumpkins and skincare.

Now that we have established the magic that is the pumpkin in food, let's talk about it in skincare. First let's look at the components that make up a pumpkin:

1. The meat or pulp
2. The seeds
3. The oils that can be pressed from the seeds

The meat of the pumpkin is packed full of vitamins that our skin can benefit from, vitamins A and C are great, A helps to improve the skin's texture, firmness and smoothness, this vitamin is believed to be essential for the generation and function of skin cells. Vitamin C is a well known anti-oxidant when combined with vitamin E in skincare these two are a powerhouse and can effectively fight free radicals as well as repair damage from the free radicals at skin level. Zinc is great for the skin, it is sometimes referred to as a micornutrient and is believed to accelerate wound healing as well as offer protection from some types of UV rays* (use only an FDA approved sunscreen please).  Zinc plays well with vitamin's A & E and promoted collagen synthesis in the dermis, it is also an effective when used to treat acne since it can lower sebaceous secretions. Pumpkin also contains something called AHA's or alpha hydroxyacid. This is also known as a "fruit acid." Depending on the concentration and pH of a formula containing AHA's they can help many different skin types and conditions. Some of the benefits include: reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, lightening of surface pigmentation, softer more supple skin with improved hydration. AHA's also act as a natural exfoliant and can help to regulate the top layer of the epidermis by reducing it's thickness.

When using pumpkin meat in a skin care preparation, such as a mask, focus on what it will do for the top layers of your skin, it can exfoliate dead skin cells, help with moisture retention and possibly pave the way for less acne and dryness with a regular proper skin care regiment for your skin type.

Let's talk about pumpkin seeds, the easiest use of this component would be as an exfoliant. If you are creating a home pumpkin seed exfoliant be sure to grind them up so that they are very fine, your facial skin is delicate and can get micro tears if the exfoliant is too sharp, the seeds may be better suited for other parts such as arms and legs and can be mixed with other exfoliants such as sugar, ground coffee or finely ground nuts. I will include some home recipes below for a fun home spa day.

Last but not least pumpkin seed oil. This oil is cold pressed from the seeds of the pumpkin, bringing with it most (if not all) of the nutrients found in the seeds. This oil can be included in lotions, soaps, scrubs and masks too. Only a tad is needed in a formulation in order to get the nutritious benefits it can offer. It will absorb readily into your skin and is thought to help other humectants also absorb leaving your skin super moisturized and soft. Just like most vegetable based oils it will not clog your pores.

So are you ready to get all pumpkin faced? Here are some fun recipes to make in your own kitchen.

Please note that unless you are using a proper preservative make these recipes in small batches (one use) and discard the rest as it will become prime breeding ground for bacteria, yeast and molds, even if you cannot see it, it's still there, don't take the risk!

Pumpkin mask:
2 tsp pumpkin meat (can use canned puree too)
1/2 tsp honey (a great humectant)
1/4 tsp milk (I prefer buttermilk and use buttermilk powder as it is high in AHA's and will help break down dead skin cells)
Optional: I also added about 1/4 tsp of pumpkin seed oil, this mask goes on very smooth and feels creamy. There may be slight tingling due to the fruit acids. If it's too much for you or you feel uncomfortable rinse off immediately with warm water.

(Suggestion:warm the honey slightly) Mix all together and spread on face and neck, let sit for approximately 15 minutes (watch Charlie Brown's great pumpkin) then rinse with warm water, tone and moisturize as normal.

Pumpkin seed scrub:
2 tsp finely ground pumpkin seeds
1 tsp granulated white sugar (if you have another sugar preference feel free, just make sure the granules are fairly fine)


Mix the dry ingredients together and slowly add the oil until it is the consistency you prefer, I prefer my scrubs to be very dry so I usually add very little oil.

If you want to make more to use this for a body scrub about 3-4 ounces would do it for a one time use application so use your kitchen scale for better accuracy:
2 oz finely ground pumpkin seeds
1 oz granulated white sugar
1 oz vegetable oil of choice (more if you would like a "wetter" scrub.)
If you have an essential oil or fragrance oil that you want to use, add it slowly drop by drop and try to limit it to no more than 2% of the total recipe. .08 oz or 2.2 grams max.

Directions for face or body:
Rub scrub in circular motions avoiding eyes and other sensitive parts. If using in the shower be cautious as the tub may become slippery.

Pumpkin Oil Serum:
This is a great serum to use before bed, for those that prefer the OCM (oil cleansing method) this can be adapted for use in that manner as well.

For a 2 oz bottle with lid:
Quick kitchen recipe, use your kitchen scale and convert to grams for better accuracy:
1.5 oz Pumpkin seed oil
.5 oz Almond oil
1 vitamin E capsule (pierce capsule and add the vita E oil)

A little more advanced recipe for a 2 oz bottle:
1 oz Pumpkin seed oil
.5 oz almond oil (or other light vegetable oil of choice)
.25 oz fractionated coconut oil (or other light vegetable oil of choice)
.25 oz jojoba oil
1-2 drops vitamin E oil
1-2 drops of preferred essential oil (lavender is lovely as is rosemary. Tea tree has great healing properties)

Mix all ingredients well and pour into your sanitized container. To use, first cleanse and tone your face then pour a couple of drops onto your clean finger tips and smooth gently onto your face and neck in circular motions. Leave on overnight.

Because the serum is anhydrous (without water) and you will not be dipping your fingers into it you can go without a preservative and it will last longer, store in cool, dry place.

So there it is, the pumpkin is just great for you inside and out. Have a fabulous fall and enjoy the power of the pumpkin !

Until next time
~ Your Soapsmith

Ingredient Highlight - Neem Oil

Neem Tree

In this fascinating industry there is always something new to learn about. I heard about neem oil quite some time ago and even bought some to experiment with but somehow never got around to it until recently. There was recently a fantastic article in an online magazine I subscribe to called Saponifier on neem oil. That was my inspiration to get in gear and play around with this magical ingredient.

The neem tree is described as an evergreen which is native to India, this is a vegetable oil which is extracted from the tree as opposed to a nut oil. This oil has been used for a very long time as antibacterial, antivirul, antifungal and insecticidal. It can also soothe irritated skin and I have seen it in products which are formulated to help with acne too.

An ingredient this great should really be in more products, don't you think? Well I thought so and set off on my little adventure with the elusive neem oil. I will say this, it has a VERY distinct scent, very strong and not particularly my favorite scent for sure. But like with many things that are good for you they sometimes smell or taste not so good, broccoli comes to mind (yuck!).

I made a simple soap, small batch because I am just experimenting at this point. The article in saponifier said that it is most effective when used at a rate of 20%-40% so I went with the lower end of that and used it at a rate of about 25% to start with. Since this is such a healing oil I wanted to make sure my other oils would be very complimentary so I also added some shea butter and other totally skin loving oils and to finish it off some lavender essential oil. I was hoping the lavender would help cover some of the scent but also lavender is a wonderful and healing essential oil.

This soap got very hot in the mold and hardened fairly fast too, it was interesting. The next day I unmolded and was inspecting the soaps, they smelled faintly of.....peanut butter??? It's kind of peanut butter colored too. So strange, a few days later that scent is dissipating and I swear I can smell a tad of the lavender.

All in all it was great working with such an interesting ingredient, I look forward to sampling the soap and seeing how the scent ends up working out in it too.

The lovely neem soap

Well this soap has a few weeks to go before I can really take it for a spin, I will update once I try it out.

Until then stay bubbly my friends,
~Your Soapsmith