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The Truth that the Cosmetics Industry Does Not Want You to Know

by Kolbjørn Borseth of Aromantic

For thousands of years, people have used cosmetics to enhance their appearance and to protect and nourish the body. Before the use of oil by-products and chemical processes only natural ingredients were available, mostly from plants. There are increasing revelations on the damaging long term effects of many non natural products. Borax for example, is extracted from the mineral Boron atrocacite and is still extensively used in skin creams as an emulsifier. According to Danish medical reports, prolonged use has been shown to cause cancer especially in small children. Although banned in some European countries it is still used commercially in the USA and UK.

Many people are now choosing and discovering the benefits of alternative traditional therapies instead of the science-based medicines used throughout the last century. More and more people are rediscovering the benefits of homeopathic remedies and the use of organic, plant derived materials - not just as food or medicines but increasingly in the production of cosmetics.

My mission is to teach people how to make their own natural products using simple ingredients in their own kitchens. The philosophy is simple but effective - “Everything we put on the skin must be also edible”. For example, the emulsifiers we use for making creams were originally used to make vegan ice cream in Denmark!

One heavily used component in the cosmetics industry is mineral oils such as Vaseline or Paraffin. These may appear to moisturise the skin but actually suppress its normal healthy functioning. The skin can quickly become dependent on its application, resulting in deterioration and loss of the ability for the skin to remain healthy. Many pharmaceutical products for skin conditions may suppress the visible symptoms of eczema and psoriasis in the short term but they do not heal the cause. Vegetable fats and oils by comparison are readily absorbed by the skin, providing nourishment in the form of Vitamins A, D and E as well as providing essential fatty acids.

As well as revealing the secret and often dangerous ingredients used by the conventional cosmetics industry, I also aim to reveal the excessive profits that are made. Typically, the cost of raw materials accounts for just 10% of the retail prices charged. My courses are now being an effective catalyst for thousands of people who now make their own products in their own homes. With the right information and ingredients it can be surprisingly easy.

Lip balms for example, are very popular in winter to prevent dry and chapped lips. However the commercial products use Vaseline which actually dries the lips over long term use. Here are a few seasonal recipes to make your own oils and lip balms using natural vegetable based raw materials.

Make Your Own Skin Oils

Skin Oil for Dry Skin 1

40 ml Sweet Almond Oil
40 ml Macadamia Oil
10 ml Borage Oil
6 ml Thistle Oil
4 ml E-Vitamin Oil
10-25 drops Essential Oils

Skin Oil for Dry Skin 2

40 ml Apricot Oil
30 ml Peach Kernel Oil
15 ml Shea Butter Oil
7 ml Thistle Oil
5 ml Sesame Seed Oil
3 ml E Vitamin Oil
10-25 drops essential oils

Skin Oil for Sensitive Oil

40 ml Apricot Oil
20 ml Sesame Seed Oil
10 ml Shea Butter Oil
10 ml Peach kernel Oil
10 ml Rosehip Oil
7 ml Evening primrose Oil
3 ml E Vitamin Oil
10 – 25 drops Essential Oils

Skin Oil for Oily Skin 1

75 ml Thistle Oil
10 ml Sweet Almond Oil
10 ml Borage Oil
4 ml E Vitamin Oil
10-25 drops Essential Oils

Skin Oil for Oily Skin 2

80 ml Hempseed Oil
5 ml Jojoba Oil
10 ml Sesame Seed Oil
4 ml E Vitamin Oil
10-25 drops Essential Oils

Acne Skin Oil

75 ml Thistle Oil
10 ml Borage Oil
5 ml Squalane
5 ml E-Vitamin Oil
2 ml A Vitamin palmitate
10 – 25 drops Essential Oils

Face Oils for Mature Skin

40 ml Apricot Oil
20 ml Borage Oil
20 ml Shea Butter Oil
15 ml Macadamia nut Oil
4 ml E Vitamin Oil
1 ml A Vitamin palmitate Oil
10 – 25 drops Essential Oils

Make your Own Natural Lip Balms

Base Lip Balm Recipe

Ingredients:

28g Beeswax
20g Cocoa Butter
50 ml/gr Vegetable Oil
50 drops of Essential Oil* (to taste good)

* Orange Lemon, Mandarin, Lime, Grapefruit, Anise, Fennel or a small amount of Peppermint.

Method

Heat all the ingredients except essential oils in a glass tumbler or stainless steel cup immersed in a pan of hot water (double boiler). When everything has melted, add essential oil(s), pour into cases or jars up to æ full, allow to cool, top up (contents will have contracted slightly) and leave for a few minutes before putting on the lids.

Here are some examples of what you can add to the Base Lip Balm to make the type of Lip Balm you need:

Lip Balm for Sun Protection - Add Tiosol (10ml for Sun Factor 12, or 5ml for Sun Factor 5-6)

Lip Balm with Zinc - Add 5ml Zinc Oxide (do not reduce the amount of Vegetable Oil)

Tea Tree Lip Balm (for Sore Lips) - Add I -8ml Tea Tree Oil and 1-2ml Lavender Oil as your Essential Oils

Vitamin Lip Balm - Add 2ml Vitamin E and 5 drops of Carotene.

Massage Oils

Massage Oils For Deep working

30 ml Arnica Oil ( Arnica flowers in Olive Oil)
50 ml Sweet Almond Oil or Apricot Oil
5 ml Shea butter Oil
14 ml Thistle Oil
1 ml E Vitamin Oil
Warming Essential Oils

Massage Oil for Aromatherapy

20 ml Avocado Oil
40 ml Jojoba Oil
35 ml Thistle Oil
5 ml E Vitamin Oil

Massage Oil for Daily Use

30 ml Sweet Almond Oil
20 ml Sesame seed Oil
47 ml Thistle Oil
3 ml E Vitamin Oil

It is beneficial to use mega-doses of vitamins on the skin. The following information will clarify some of the benefits of using E-Vitamin.

Vitamin E is the name given to several tocopherols of which alpha-tocopherol is the most active. Alpha-tocopherol can be produced chemically (dl-alpha-tocopherol) or be extracted from e.g. sunflower oil and wheat germ oil (d-alpha-tocopherol). Natural vitamin E is 1.36 gr is more reactive than its chemically produced counterpart with the same vitamin content.

Vitamin E's most important task is to counteract oxidation (rancidity) in fats and oils, as well as prevent the occurrence of free radicals. It can also prevent oxidation in essential oils. The vitamin is used therefore as an anti-oxidant at a strength of 0.5-1% in fats and oils, as well as in skin care products containing fats and oils. The anti-oxidation process occurs in such a way that the tocopherols bond with the oxygen and thus prevent the oxidation of the easily oxidised polyunsaturated fatty acids. The tocopherols are themselves destroyed but do not leave behind any 'dangerous' residues.

The tocopherols operate and are active both in the product and on the person's skin and inner organs. The need for tocopherols in products or in the human body will depend on the amount of compounds prone to oxidisation such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are present. The more polyunsaturated fat one eats, the more tocopherol one will need. Similarly the more polyunsaturated fat in a product, the more tocopherol it will need to contain.

Tocopherols protect against the side effects of radiotherapy and cytotoxins. Cells deficient in vitamin E and selenium are much more prone to oxidation and the formation of free radicals. Free radicals are formed during exposure to sunlight, during the breaking down of environmental pollutants and during the oxidation of oils when exposed to heat or sunlight. Vitamin E applied to the skin will penetrate it and take care of the free radicals. The vitamin will absorb the sun's dangerous ultra-violet rays, which are responsible for the reddening of the skin, sunburn and more serious burns. Ultra-violet rays and the free radicals age the skin more quickly reducing its elasticity and creating wrinkles. Vitamin E therefore works to prevent wrinkles, stimulates the blood circulation and regulates the skin's elasticity.

In ointments and creams vitamin E will help to heal cracks and sores in the skin and will remove scars with regular use over a longer period of time. Taken internally, high doses are not dangerous but can raise blood pressure.

RECIPES WITH MEGA-DOSES OF VITAMINS ON THE SKIN

Age Spots 1

50% E-Vitamin Oil
25% Borage Oil
25% Thistle Oil

Age Spots 2

40% E-Vitamin Oil
10% Natural E-Vit Oil
25% Borage Oil
20% Thistle Oil
5% A-Vitamin Palmitate

Face Oil (prevent wrinkles)

30% E-Vitamin Oil
34% Evening Primrose Oil
34% Thistle Oil
2% A-Vitamin Palmitate