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Vegetable Emulsifying Wax NF
What is Vegetable Emulsifying Wax NF?Vegetable Emulsifying Wax NF is a blend of chemicals, namely cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, and polysorbate 60. It is used to easily combine water and oil to make emulsion-based moisturizers. "NF" stands for National Formulary. When something is "NF" it means that it adheres to the national formulary standards for that particular ingredient. (Percentages of components used, purity standards, etc.) Other ingredients listed as "vegetable emulsifying wax" witho
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16th Aug 2024
Tocopherol vs. Tocopheryl Acetate: What's the Difference?
Let's look at the differences between tocopherol vs tocopheryl acetateThere are two forms of vitamin E: tocopherol and tocopheryl acetate. Tocopherol is naturally-occurring, while tocopheryl acetate is synthetic. Both are used in cosmetics as antioxidants, keeping oils from turning rancid, and for their reported benefits on skin (healing, anti-aging). The term "vitamin E" actually refers not just to one molecule, but a family of molecules that are chemically similar. That's why sometimes y
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16th Jul 2024
Are Essential Oils Toxic?
The following comment was made in a Facebook group for which I'm an admin. It was a lot to unpack in a reply, so I'm taking to my blog to answer in long form. The group member purports that anything with essential oils is toxic. So let's break this down and answer the question: are essential oils toxic? Her comment: I used to think [essential oils] were safe to use, too, until my body repeatedly taught me differently and began reacting to the highest quality, organic, pure brands that
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16th Jul 2024
Is Magnesium Hydroxide Safe in Deodorant?
Magnesium Hydroxide has somehow become the "it" ingredient when it comes to formulating "sensitive skin" deodorants. Companies have taken out the baking soda and replaced with magnesium hydroxide in an attempt to make a deodorant with a reputation of being more gentle on skin. However, this decision is based purely on marketing and not in any scientific reality.
One marketer of magnesium hydroxide (they sell magnesium hydroxide to the deodorant industry) says this:
"Although i
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12th Jul 2024
Is Grapefruit Seed Extract Safe?
Grapefruit Seed Extract's initial controversy many years ago lie in its potential to be contaminated with benzalkonium chloride, parabens, and triclosan. Numerous studies have tested samples of commercially produced GSE and found these contaminants to be present. (See here, here, here and here.) The biggest contaminant found is benzalkonium chloride, a chemical that rates a 5 in the cosmetics database that's a known immune system toxin, skin toxin, a
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12th Jul 2024