Buying exotic oils and butters. January 06 2016, 1 Comment
When buying an exotic oil (or butter) our first instinct is choosing by the price. Unfortunately, even if you are on a budget, you definitely should be more careful with this choice. Most of our exotic fats come from parts of the world that have little to no regulation on this market. And the FDA knows very little and is way too busy to be really effective. As long as it says "vegetable oil" and "for external use only" chances are, the product is entering the country. The FDA isn't even regulating the whole "organic" thing for cosmetics. Anyone can slap an "organic" on the description of a product and charge you a couple more bucks.
Things that can go wrong with exotic fats:
they can be mixed with cheaper oils or butters.
they can be produced by other methods than cold pressing, losing a lot of their properties.
they can be contaminated with undesirable stuff - eww!
they can be using slave-like working conditions.
their plantations can be destroying forests and animals.
their plantations may use a BUNCH of chemicals, stuff we sell to other countries because they are illegal here.
When buying a new oil or butter contact the shop, ask questions. Make sure they sound like they know what they are talking about. It doesn't matter if you are buying 1 oz. or 10 kgs. Ask where the product comes from, how it is produced, how it is harvested, if it is cold pressed, unrefined. If not wild harvested, if it is organic. Ask questions, wait for the answers, then make your decision!
It is your body, you only get one. Be very kind to it!
This post is also on my FORUM, please check it out and share your ideas and experiences with us!
Comments
Dee on January 08 2016 at 09:01PM
Hola, Chrys!
Feliz año nuevo. Wow, I had no idea you had a blog tucked away at the back of your site! I just wanted to chime in to say yes, exotic oils & butters can be pricey, but for those who really care about using 100% natural, healthful ingredients on their skin & hair, the extra cost is well worth it. Other than make-up & shampoo, all of my skin & hair products are DIY. I’ve been researching & experimenting with plant-based oils oils for more than two decades & I KNOW that nobody does skin care better than Mother Nature! And because you deal with all the travel abroad, find legit suppliers, haggling with merchants, shipping back to the US, etc. we can come her, point & click & never worry if we’re getting genuine, high-quality oils.
I’ve spent more in terms of time than I have in terms of money, but certain ingredients I use (Bulgarian rose oil, Mysore sandalwood oil, Sea buckthorn berry oil) are quite pricey. But commercial skincare products containing the same natural oils would cost far more, IF I could even find such products in stores. Some years ago, I remember seeing one of those entertainment news show blurbs about how celebs like J-Lo were paying $300+ dollars for a tiny jar of Crème de la Mer in order to maintain their great-looking skin. So I went online to see what was in this magical product. Turned out the first 3 ingredients were Seaweed Extract, Mineral Oil & Petrolatum — all cheap stuff! My sushi comes wrapped in seaweed so I know it’s good to eat, but I’d never heard of it being good to use on your face. And mineral oil & petroleum jelly are definitely NOT good for your skin. I also know that celebs don’t pay for most of their clothes & makeup — but even if Crème de la Mer was free, it’s full of crappy ingredients that are NOT good for your skin! And it’s certainly not worth the price. That was when I realized that the facial oil I’d concocted in my kitchen was a thousand times better than anything I could buy commercially. And I had proof of how good my blend was right there in the mirror. After that, I stopped paying attention to skincare ads altogether.
Granted, not everything has a DIY hack. I could never make my own eyeliner or foundation (& thanks to Vapour Organic Beauty, I don’t have to). But anyone willing to spend a few hours online researching the benefits of various natural oils can come up with a recipe to suit their skin’s needs. Comparison shop to get the best prices (health foods stores also carry the less expensive oils), order the ingredients, then create your own formula. That’s the only way to know exactly what’s in your skincare products, plus you can tweak the formula later on if your skin changes. And despite the higher upfront costs, over time, you’ll save money. Your skin will continue to look & feel good as you age without microdermabrasion, chemical peels & all the other overpriced treatments women use to keep their skin looking young.
BTW, I am LOVING your Acai Berry & Pracaxi Face Oil — it’s so nourishing & absorbs so quickly. And what a great price for a 2 oz. bottle! I’m using it combined with a few essential oils to try & get rid of some small-but-annoying age spots on my face. I’m doing a 60-day trial, so I’ll get back to you about in it March.
Comments
Dee on January 08 2016 at 09:01PM
Hola, Chrys!
Feliz año nuevo. Wow, I had no idea you had a blog tucked away at the back of your site! I just wanted to chime in to say yes, exotic oils & butters can be pricey, but for those who really care about using 100% natural, healthful ingredients on their skin & hair, the extra cost is well worth it. Other than make-up & shampoo, all of my skin & hair products are DIY. I’ve been researching & experimenting with plant-based oils oils for more than two decades & I KNOW that nobody does skin care better than Mother Nature! And because you deal with all the travel abroad, find legit suppliers, haggling with merchants, shipping back to the US, etc. we can come her, point & click & never worry if we’re getting genuine, high-quality oils.
I’ve spent more in terms of time than I have in terms of money, but certain ingredients I use (Bulgarian rose oil, Mysore sandalwood oil, Sea buckthorn berry oil) are quite pricey. But commercial skincare products containing the same natural oils would cost far more, IF I could even find such products in stores. Some years ago, I remember seeing one of those entertainment news show blurbs about how celebs like J-Lo were paying $300+ dollars for a tiny jar of Crème de la Mer in order to maintain their great-looking skin. So I went online to see what was in this magical product. Turned out the first 3 ingredients were Seaweed Extract, Mineral Oil & Petrolatum — all cheap stuff! My sushi comes wrapped in seaweed so I know it’s good to eat, but I’d never heard of it being good to use on your face. And mineral oil & petroleum jelly are definitely NOT good for your skin. I also know that celebs don’t pay for most of their clothes & makeup — but even if Crème de la Mer was free, it’s full of crappy ingredients that are NOT good for your skin! And it’s certainly not worth the price. That was when I realized that the facial oil I’d concocted in my kitchen was a thousand times better than anything I could buy commercially. And I had proof of how good my blend was right there in the mirror. After that, I stopped paying attention to skincare ads altogether.
Granted, not everything has a DIY hack. I could never make my own eyeliner or foundation (& thanks to Vapour Organic Beauty, I don’t have to). But anyone willing to spend a few hours online researching the benefits of various natural oils can come up with a recipe to suit their skin’s needs. Comparison shop to get the best prices (health foods stores also carry the less expensive oils), order the ingredients, then create your own formula. That’s the only way to know exactly what’s in your skincare products, plus you can tweak the formula later on if your skin changes. And despite the higher upfront costs, over time, you’ll save money. Your skin will continue to look & feel good as you age without microdermabrasion, chemical peels & all the other overpriced treatments women use to keep their skin looking young.
BTW, I am LOVING your Acai Berry & Pracaxi Face Oil — it’s so nourishing & absorbs so quickly. And what a great price for a 2 oz. bottle! I’m using it combined with a few essential oils to try & get rid of some small-but-annoying age spots on my face. I’m doing a 60-day trial, so I’ll get back to you about in it March.
Peace & Blessings,
- Dee