As an irony for vegetarians, most Emulsifiers which are not vegetable based are produced from pig fats. So even if you avoid eating pig fat, you will absorb it from cosmetics. The only way to avoid this is to make the Creams yourself. The declaration regulations don't require manufacturers to declare the source of the emulsifiers, just their chemical names, and you can't always tell from these if they are from pig fats or not. So, if you're vegetarian or Muslim or want to avoid pig fat for other reasons, you won't know what's in the cream unless you can trust the source.
There are just a few officially qualified organic Emulsifiers in the market so to claim creams are 100% organic is misleading. There are ingredients that come close but are still not organic. The true picture is much more complex and requires a good understanding of raw materials. Some raw materials that are currently used in commercial skin care products and cosmetics need to be avoided.
To make a Cream or Lotion it is necessary to use an Emulsifier. Mixing oil with water is not possible without using Emulsifiers. They enable two usually non-mixable ingredients to mix together to produce Creams and Lotions; or in the food industry, margarine and mayonnaise. We believe an Emulsifier should be sourced from natural ingredients such as vegetable oils and other vegetable-based raw materials. Unfortunately, Nature provides us with only a few Emulsifiers such as lecithin and egg yolk and these don't always perform consistently enough for commercially available cosmetics products.
The best ones for natural skin care products have up to now been derived from coconut oil and palm oil. More recently, rapeseed has been used as a lot of this crop is grown in Europe. They are safe to work with and are even used in the food industry. VE and MF emulsifiers are used as emulsifiers in the production of vegan ice cream in Scandinavia. Aromantic's VE Emulisfier is produced from palm oil and our MF Emulsifier is now produced from rapeseed and palm oil. MF was formerly produced from coconut and palm oil. They can be eaten and are very safe to use. The palm oil is from a sustainable source approved by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil - see Aromantic's Earth and Community Care article in the Skin Care Library at the bottom of the page.
We are also very excited about our Organic Cold Emulsifier, which we introduced in 2009 - probably the first in the world for cosmetics - which is approved by the Soil Association. Please see the product description in the list of products below and for comprehensive information, see our Natural Skin Care Library (under 'Raw Materials'), which can be found by scrolling to the bottom of the page.
For more information, recipes and methods of how to use Emulsifiers, please see our 'Publications' category to order the appropriate Recipe Brochure or look in our Natural Skin Care Library at the bottom of this page to read our articles on 'Creams and Peelers' and 'Cold Emulisfiers' for recipes and methods.
There are two Emulsifiers used in popular products, which can be harmful. The first is Borax (INCI name Sodium Borate). Research in Denmark and Sweden has shown this substance to be carcinogenic. It is forbidden to use these ingredients on children in Scandinavia, as it is known to cause anaemia. Borax is easy to use and helps to bond fats with water - but extended use of products containing Borax will dry out the skin, making it brittle. According to Danish medical reports, Borax can penetrate the skin, cause powerful irritation and can even cause cancer! Studies of Swedish steelworkers who handle large quantities of Borax would seem to corroborate this fact. It should not be used in Skin Care products.
Another Emulsifier to avoid is Triethanolamine. It is produced within the petroleum industry and has been used for several decades (and continues to be used) within the cosmetics industry to support emulsification. This chemical is severely irritating for the eyes and skin. It penetrates the skin and can cause liver damage. In addition to this, when combined with nitrate ions - normally found in drinking water and many meat products - it produces a carcinogenic substance, Nitrosamine. It should never be used in Skin Care products but is regrettably, common in the UK.
Note: All prices exclude VAT. VAT will be added near the end of the checkout process when you place your order.
IMPORTANT: The product photographs displayed on this web site may not accurately represent the product. In some cases the photographs are an artistic representation designed to evoke the product's qualities. Please enquire if you require clarification of any product or its ingredients.
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