Essential oils and other Plant Materials:
Essential oils are natural oils that are made by distilling plant material, which involves heat. It takes a large amount of plant material to make a small quantity of essential oils. The oil generally will smell like the plant material, for example, orange essential oils smell like oranges. Not all plant material can be used to create an essential oil that smells like the plant. For example, material from the strawberry plant will not make an essential oil that smells like strawberries. Not all plant materials will retain their fragrance in the distillation process, because the heat changes the chemical structure of the plant material.
People assume that because essential oils are natural, they are always safe and healthy for everyone, but that is not the case. Certain essential oils are contraindicated for people with certain health conditions or can be harmful to pregnant women or young children. Some people are allergic to essential oils. Some essential oils can cause irritation, particularly if they are not properly diluted. In the case of cancer patients, some essential oils need to be avoided during a period of time leading up to and after chemotherapy. Certain essential oils cause something called phototoxicity, which causes increased sensitivity to sun exposure, causing sunburn and a rash. Sun exposure should be avoided for several hours after using these oils. It is true that soap is a wash-off product, so the concern about things like drug interaction and photosensitivity not as high, because most of the essential oils go down the drain with the dirt. However, it can be difficult to determine how much exposure is "safe."
Some essential oils are extremely expensive, such as rose, jasmine, and sandalwood, and it might seem a waste to put expensive oils in a soap that will just be lathered up and rinsed down the drain. Some wild plants are at risk of becoming endangered due to over-harvesting for essential oils. To me, this means that sometimes we can love nature and love ourselves when we use synthetic materials safely and prudently. While fragrance oils are not therapeutic, there are advantages to the proper use of fragrance oils.
Here is an excellent comment on essential oils and chemotherapy, by one of the leading essential oil experts: Frankincense essential oil and cancer: Why EOs and chemotherapy don't always mix
Here's a pretty comprehensive article on essentials oils for cancer patients:
Aromatherapy With Essential OIls
Here is a pretty good description of some reasons to use fragrance oils:
and another:
A Complete Guide To Natural, Organic & Synthetic Fragrances
Chanel is famous for growing their own flower fields to make their perfume. Take a look at how much Chanel sells a bar of soap for - $26.00!
Chanel N5
Distillation is only one form of fragrance extraction from plants. Others are solvent extraction, expression, sieving, or enfleurage.
Solvent extraction is often used when a plant material cannot withstand distillation. The fragrance is extracted using a solvent such as hexane, ethanol, or carbon dioxide. After the fragrance is extracted from the plant material, the solvent is removed from the material, leaving behind an ingredient called concretes, absolutes, or tinctures. People have told me that they avoid concretes because they are made using hexane, which is toxic and carcinogenic. This is true. Hexane is toxic and carcinogenic - it's very harmful to inhale pure hexane. However, in the concrete material, the amount of hexane left behind is minute - in parts per million - and the real risk of exposure is to the people who are using the hexane to make concretes. Would I use a perfume that contains concretes? Yes, probably, even when avoiding carcinogenic substances, because the amount of hexane left behind is too small to cause concern in day-to-day perfume use. Would I accept a job working with hexane to make concretes? Yes, as long as I am confident that the safety equipment that I am using and the procedures I am following are sufficient to protect my health
"Expression" simply means that the material is squeezed to release the oils. This is most common with citrus oils.
Enfleurage and maceration involve blending the plant material with fats or grease. With maceration, the fragrance is extracted from the fat using alcohol.
Usually, most of these methods are used in perfume blends but can be cost-prohibitive in soap.
Fragrance Oils
Fragrance oils are materials that contain both synthetics natural compounds. They are popular in soaps and other bath and body products for several reasons. One is that fragrance oils can be found in fragrances that cannot be obtained from distillation, expression, or enfleurage, such as strawberry scent, or "ocean breeze." This creates a wider range of possibilities for fragrance, like having more colors in the crayon box. Another reason that fragrance oils are popular is that can tend to be far more affordable than essential oils, concretes, plant waxes, and absolutes. They can be blended with natural compounds, creating endless possibilities. If a person wishes to avoid an essential oil for health reasons such as chemotherapy, they can enjoy still enjoy scents in their bath and body products.
Fragrance oils are materials that contain both synthetics natural compounds. They are popular in soaps and other bath and body products for several reasons. One is that fragrance oils can be found in fragrances that cannot be obtained from distillation, expression, or enfleurage, such as strawberry scent, or "ocean breeze." This creates a wider range of possibilities for fragrance, like having more colors in the crayon box. Another reason that fragrance oils are popular is that can tend to be far more affordable than essential oils, concretes, plant waxes, and absolutes. They can be blended with natural compounds, creating endless possibilities. If a person wishes to avoid an essential oil for health reasons such as chemotherapy, they can enjoy still enjoy scents in their bath and body products.
Phthalates:
Fragrance oils are also controversial because they may contain phthalates. Phthalates are a large group of chemicals that are used to soften plastic, (they are even used to soften plastic baby toys,) and are used as solvents. They are often used to improve fragrance oils. They are pervasive and found in everything from car upholstery to sneakers. They have found to be linked to obesity, male infertility, and asthma. They are regulated to be used within levels that are determined to be safe, but my issue with them is that while they may be in safe levels in each individual product, I don't know the cumulative impact they have when they are in almost everything. More research is needed to understand the impact of phthalates.
Fragrance oils are also controversial because they may contain phthalates. Phthalates are a large group of chemicals that are used to soften plastic, (they are even used to soften plastic baby toys,) and are used as solvents. They are often used to improve fragrance oils. They are pervasive and found in everything from car upholstery to sneakers. They have found to be linked to obesity, male infertility, and asthma. They are regulated to be used within levels that are determined to be safe, but my issue with them is that while they may be in safe levels in each individual product, I don't know the cumulative impact they have when they are in almost everything. More research is needed to understand the impact of phthalates.
Several years ago in the online communities, soap makers began to discuss phthalates in the fragrance ingredients they were using to make soap. As a result of the discussions, the fragrance vendors began to list their phthalate free fragrances on their websites. Later, some of these companies began offering only phthalate free fragrances. I only purchase phthalate free fragrance, but if someone wanted me to make them a soap using a fragrance that contains phthalate, I would be comfortable purchasing the fragrance and making soap with it, as long as we have a conversation about it. On the other hand, if I can make soap without it, why wouldn't I?
Here's a great article about phthalates:
Phthalates are everywhere, and the health risks are worrying. How bad are they really?
Here's a great article about phthalates:
Phthalates are everywhere, and the health risks are worrying. How bad are they really?
Parabens:
Preservatives are another potentially controversial ingredient. Preservatives are not used in bar soaps, but they must be added to any personal care product that contains water. Whenever a bath, skin, or hair product contains any water, there is a danger of toxic bacteria growing in the product, and this can lead to serious health problems. Unfortunately, the most common preservative, paraben, has been linked to cancer. Currently, the amount of paraben which is added to products is deemed safe, but the cumulative effect of using products containing paraben is not understood. It is possible to find paraben-free products that simply contain a different type of preservative, but these may have a shorter shelf life, so after six months to a year, it's best to discard these products. Parabens are said to increase shelf life for up to two years. When I make bath and body products that need to contain a preservative, I use paraben-free preservatives.
Here is my personal view on parabens: If someone I loved had a history of cancer, I would probably encourage them to avoid parabens as much as possible. They can't be completely avoided though. If your family member had a history of skin cancer, and you were stranded in the middle of the desert without sunblock, and the only store that sold sunblock within 100 miles had one brand of sunblock with parabens in it, would you risk another sunburn, or use the sunblock? I know what I would do. I think that for me, if there were two otherwise equal products, but one was paraben-free, I would choose the paraben-free product, as long as it wasn't expired. Otherwise, I would use the product that contains parabens. As a woman, sometimes I want to wear makeup, and it can be a challenge to find a product that works for me that is also free of parabens.
Detergents and Surfactants:
Here is my personal view on parabens: If someone I loved had a history of cancer, I would probably encourage them to avoid parabens as much as possible. They can't be completely avoided though. If your family member had a history of skin cancer, and you were stranded in the middle of the desert without sunblock, and the only store that sold sunblock within 100 miles had one brand of sunblock with parabens in it, would you risk another sunburn, or use the sunblock? I know what I would do. I think that for me, if there were two otherwise equal products, but one was paraben-free, I would choose the paraben-free product, as long as it wasn't expired. Otherwise, I would use the product that contains parabens. As a woman, sometimes I want to wear makeup, and it can be a challenge to find a product that works for me that is also free of parabens.
Detergents and Surfactants:
Many soap makers will tell you that one of the many advantages of homemade soap is that generally, most handcrafted soap makers do not add detergents, surfactants, or foaming and lathering agents to their soap, unlike the commercially manufactured bar and liquid soaps that can be found in most drug stores. They will say that detergents and surfactants are chemicals that are often made from petroleum and are bad for your skin and for the environment. I used to be one of those soap makers, but over time my opinions have softened a bit. Like many other things, the subject isn't so black and white.
While it's true that many detergents and surfactants are made from petroleum, these days there are many gentle, sustainable, and biodegradable alternatives that are made from coconut oil. They are safe when used correctly.
I have recently begun making shampoo bars using gentle, biodegradable coconut oil-based detergents. This is after many years of trying unsuccessfully, to formulate a good soap shampoo bar that works well on hair. It's just not possible to get the ph of soap low enough for it to work well on hair. Some people consider these surfactants and similar ingredients to be natural because they are made from coconut, while others consider them to be synthetic because they have "chemical-sounding" names and are made in a lab. After doing my research, I have found that they are superior ingredients for certain applications.
Note: Cocomide diethanolamine has been added to the California Proposition 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer. I do not use Cocamide DEA. I use Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, and Cocamidopropyl Betaine, neither of which causes cancer.
Palm Oil
Palm oil has been a staple product for humans for over 5,000 years. Palm oil is used in foods and in bath and body ingredients. It is used to make biofuel. It's used in packaged snack foods and baked goods, and soap makers use it for making hand-crafted soap. It’s native to West Africa but is now also grown in Southeast Asia. About 90% of the world's palm oil is grown in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, although it is also produced in Africa and in some Latin American countries. The palm oil controversy stems from deforestation and the destruction of the orangutan habitat. Orangutans are native to southeast Asia. The palm oil industry in Indonesia and Malaysia has led to rainforest deforestation and monoculture, which in turn has endangered orangutans and other wildlife. For this reason, many people are boycotting goods made with palm oil.
For many years, I stopped using palm oil in my soaps due to the controversy, replacing palm oil with shea butter in all my formulations. Eventually, I learned about sustainable palm oil, which does not threaten wildlife. Sustainable palm oil provides a source of income to hardworking palm oil producers who have been working their family plantations for generations without participating in the deforestation in Southeast Asia. The fact is, it is far more practical to find ways to produce palm oil sustainably and without harming biodiversity or wildlife than it is to stop all global production and use of palm oil We should be doing all we can to make sure that all of the products that we use are coming from sustainable sources that do not harm the environment or wildlife - not just palm oil. These days I boycott unsustainable palm oil. However, I do use sustainable palm oil.
The Effects of Palm Oil:
While I still think of myself as a "crunchy granola earth mama," enjoying the natural aesthetic and making all-natural lye soap that is scented and colored only with herbs, clays, and essential oils, I also like having plenty of options. These days, as long as I am comfortable with the safety of the ingredients, I like making all the things!
These are personal choices. If you have to choose between the hand soap provided in a public restroom and not using soap, what would you choose? If you had to choose between sunscreen with parabens and phthalates or sunburn, what would you choose?
