Cosmetic Raw Material

Active ingredients in sunscreen are responsible for providing protection against harmful UV radiation. These ingredients work by either absorbing, reflecting, or scattering UV rays. There are two primary types of active ingredients in sunscreen: chemical (organic) and physical (inorganic) filters.

7 Popular Sunscreen Ingredients

• Avobenzone: An oil-soluble ingredient that absorbs different wavelengths of UV rays. This ingredient is controversial and not always considered safe.
• Mexoryl SX: Also known as escamule, this compound filters UVA rays. Mexoryl SX is water soluble.
• Octinoxate: A chemical that blocks UV-B rays. For safety reasons, octinoxate can only be used in certain concentrations.
• Oxybenzone: An organic compound that absorbs UV-A rays.
• Titanium dioxide: This chemical filters UV rays and is commonly included in “baby” sunscreen.
• PABA (Para-aminobenzoic Acid): This chemical naturally occurs in the body and blocks the sun’s rays.
• Zinc oxide: Zinc oxide can be found in sunscreens in safe concentrations up to 25 percent. It can be harmful to the environment. This ingredient is also often found in sunscreens for babies.

• SPF 15+: Sun Protection Factor (SPF) rating designates the degree of protection sunscreen offers from powerful UVB rays. These are rays known to burn the surface of the skin. SPF allows you to be in the sun for a longer period of time without having to worry about burning. For example, if someone burns in 10 minutes and they use SPF 15 lotion, they can actually go 150 minutes (10 x 15 = 150) without burning. A higher SPF gives you more protection, letting you have even more fun in the sun.
• Ecamsule: This ingredient helps protect against UVA rays, which are the rays that penetrate the skin’s thickest layer. Ecamsule is one of the most recent ingredients to be used in sunscreen in the U.S. Although this type of sunscreen can be on the higher end of the price spectrum, it’s worth the cost to protect your skin against these powerful rays.
• Avobenzone: Avobenzone is a common active-chemical ingredient that helps reflect harmful UVA rays. Also look for octocrylene and octisalate in products that contain avobenzone. These two ingredients help avobenzone remain effective, keeping you safer longer.
• Titanium Dioxide or Zinc Oxide: Another active ingredient you’ll want in your sunscreen is either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Both reflect sun rays instead of absorbing them. People with sensitive skin should opt for a sunscreen with one of these ingredients to better protect themselves.
• Water Resistance: According to the FDA, a product is considered water-resistant when it can maintain its SPF protection for a minimum of 40 minutes while swimming or sweating. It’s important to remember that, even though you may have a water-resistant product, you need to reapply the sunscreen throughout the day to stay protected.
• Regular Sunscreen Application is Important: Finding the right sunscreen is a crucial step in maintaining good skin health but even the best sunscreens are not 100% effective against harmful UV rays. It is also important to remember that the mere use of sunscreen does not give you the ability to spend an uninterrupted day in direct sunlight without reapplying it often and seeking shelter when necessary.

The choice between chemical and physical sunscreen filters often depends on personal preference, skin type, and specific needs. Here are some factors to consider:

• Skin Type: Individuals with sensitive or acne-prone skin may prefer physical filters, like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, as they are less likely to cause irritation.
• Activities: If you plan to engage in water activities or heavy sweating, look for a sunscreen with water-resistant properties, which often includes chemical filters like octocrylene.
• Cosmetic Appearance: Physical filters are used to leave a white cast, but modern formulations have reduced this effect. If appearance is crucial, test different products to find the one that suits your skin tone.
• Reef Safety: If you're swimming in coral-rich areas, consider reef-safe sunscreens, which exclude harmful chemicals like oxybenzone and octinoxate.
• Broad-Spectrum Protection: Ensure the sunscreen provides protection against both UVA and UVB rays for comprehensive coverage.

An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the oil of the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An essential oil is essential in the sense that it contains the essence of the plant's fragrance-the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived. The term "essential" used here does not mean indispensable or usable by the human body, as with the terms essential amino acid or essential fatty acid, which are so called because they are nutritionally required by a living organism.

Health Benefits of Essential Oils

• Stress Reduction: Many essential oils are used in aromatherapy to manage stress and anxiety. For example, scientists found that orange oil had an anxiety-reducing effect on male volunteers who inhaled 2.5, 5, or 10 drops. More research is needed, but initial results were promising.
• Fungal Infections: Early tea tree oil studies have had promising results regarding antimicrobial qualities long touted in traditional medicine. The oil has been used for athlete’s foot, oral thrush, and fungal infections like candida. Again more research is needed.
• Sleep Aid: Lavender oil’s relaxing fragrance is thought to improve sleep quality. Scientists tested this claim on older adults living with dementia. They found that sprinkling the essential oil on towels around their pillows significantly increased their sleep time, helping them slumber longer in the mornings.

• Lavender: Lavender essential oil is a popular remedy for stress and sleep issues. According to several studies, lavender can soothe anxiety symptoms. What’s more, diffusing lavender essential oil has been found to help people with sleep trouble finally catch some Z’s. If you like lavender, you might want to try our Eucalyptus + Lavender essential oil blend-it’s like spa-time in a bottle! Be aware that lavender has been reported to induce side effects in some people, such as nausea, headaches, and chills. It can also irritate the skin for people with an intolerance.
• Peppermint: Peppermint essential oil is best known for its cooling sensation. Inhaling peppermint immediately gives a fresh, clean feeling to your airways. It can also be used (in small, diluted doses) topically if you’re feeling discomfort from headaches or congestion.
• Rose: Rose essential oil is sweet and floral. It’s a great scent to use to freshen up a room or a load of laundry. It’s also known for its anti-anxiety effects. Make sure to dilute rose oil well if you apply it topically. It can irritate the skin otherwise.
• Ylang ylang: The spicy, sweet aroma of ylang ylang essential oil has been used to ward off insects and aid in relaxation.
• Frankincense: Frankincense is one of my favorite essential oils. The aroma is reminiscent of the holidays and is great to brighten up the scent of a room. Another plus: there are no known side effects to frankincense!
• Grapefruit: Fresh and slightly bitter, the scent of this citrusy essential oil is invigorating and refreshing. Grapefruit essential oil is best known for its antimicrobial properties.
• Pine: The scent of pine essential oil is grounding and refreshing. If you feel like you’ve had your head in the clouds recently, this will bring you right back down to Earth.
• Patchouli: Patchouli possesses a warm, earthy scent that is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also known to curb microbe growth.

• Deodorising, perfuming, antiseptic, protective: Diffused into the air or diluted in cleaning products, essential oils disinfect, deodorise and pleasantly and naturally perfume the air you breathe. They rid the air of pathogenic germs, and this regular practice prevents microbial illnesses by boosting the immune system. Citrus fruits are remarkable antiseptics. Geranium repels mosquitoes.
• Antibacterial: The aromatic molecules with the highest antibacterial coefficient are the phenols: carvacrol, thymol, eugenol. A molecule that does not belong to this group, but is similar in the presence of a benzene ring, is cinnamic aldehyde (cinnamon). Used properly, these four molecules can control most common infections. Just behind the phenols are the monoterpenols (10-carbon alcohols): geraniol, linalool, thujanol, myrcenol, terpineol and menthol. Less powerful but also useful as an antibacterial agent is the group of aldehydes: neral, geranial, citronellal and cuminal. The ketones are useful in the treatment of infectious conditions: verbenone, thujone, cryptone, menthone, D. carvone, borneone, fenchone, but their neurotoxic and abortifacient properties make them difficult to use. To a lesser extent, ethers (estragole and anethole), oxides, phthalides and terpenes are used as antibacterial agents. Terpenes are mainly used for diffusion as an atmospheric antiseptic.
• Antivirals: In the fight against viruses, as with antibacterial agents, the hydroxyl group (phenol and monoterpenol) comes first, although phenols are more powerful and should be used with caution. For long-term use, monoterpenolic oils are preferable to phenolic oils, which are much more "aggressive". Essential oils stop viral progression. A blend of certain oils applied as a rub has a remarkable “immunostimulant” action on deep respiratory infections, combined with eucalyptus radiata, for example, when diffused into the air.
• Pain relief: The sharp pain of a migraine is anaesthetised by topical application of Peppermint. Tooth pain is eliminated by applying Clove to the gums. Cypress calms muscle cramps and rheumatism. Niaouli calms pain by numbing the nerves.
• Respiratory: Inhalation of niaouli will have a powerful expectorant effect on the respiratory tract. Eucalyptus applied to the skin is a powerful immunostimulant and mucolytic (expectorant). EOs rich in 1.8 cineols (oxide) have long been used and are very active (Eucalyptus globulus, Ravintsara, Rosemary), as they stimulate the bronchial glands and mobilise the cilia of the bronchial mucosa.
• Circulatory: Cypress stimulates the circulatory system, warming hands and feet. Lemongrass promotes blood circulation and the elimination of lactic acid. It will relieve muscular pains and aching feet.
• Anti-fungal: Essential oils have a strong anti-fungal effect on the air and skin. Fungal infections are extremely topical, as over-prescribed antibiotics encourage their spread. Here, we'll be using the same groups as those mentioned for combating bacteria. Sesquiterpene alcohols and sesquiterpene lactones are added. Antifungal essential oils include clove, lavender, rose geranium, palmarosa and rosemary cineole.
• Digestive: Peppermint is the essential oil for digestive problems. It is effective for soothing colic, constipation, heartburn, indigestion and flatulence.

• Topically: Essential oils have a very small size and a chemical weight of less than 1,000m (m = weight of molecule). According to scientific testing, any substance with a molecular weight below 1,000m should be absorbed by the skin. This means that they are able to penetrate the skin and pass into the bloodstream and into different areas for internal therapeutic benefits.
• Aromatically: There is great evidence that essential oils are absorbed into the bloodstream when inhaled. The large amount of blood vessels in the lungs absorb the oils and then circulate them throughout the body.
• Diffuser:Using a diffuser can help you experience the perks of these plant extractions. You can diffuse bergamot to reduce stress, melaleuca to cleanse the air, wild orange to improve mood, frankincense for spiritual enlightenment, and spearmint to improve focus and energy.
• Ingestion: Essential oils can be used as a powerful form of medicine, but remember, essential oils are powerful. Most essential oils are safe for internal use, but a little bit goes a long way. Usually one to three drops are plenty mixed with water. Oils like lemon and frankincense have great internal benefits and can be taken with water. Other essential oils like clove and oregano need to be diluted and shouldn’t be taken internally for more than a week.
• Personal Care: Today, essential oils are used often to make homemade DIY personal care products. This is an excellent away to take advantage of essential oils to improve your beauty, home and long-term health.

Add some drops to your bath: this can help boost their therapeutic and relaxing qualities because they affect the limbic system or the emotional brain.

• Pop some into a diffuser: This is a great way for you to feel the therapeutic benefits of essential oils in the environment around you. What’s more, you only need to use two to three drops at a time. The best essential oils for diffusers include: Eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, tea tree and patchouli.
• Inhale them: To do this, put a few drops of your chosen essential oil on a muslin cloth and take three deep breaths. Alternatively, mix your essential oil with a carrier oil, such as coconut or evening primrose oil, and then apply a few drops on your palms and breathe in deeply.
• Put them on your skin: It’s really important to remember that you shouldn’t dab essential oils directly on your skin, as they may be too strong for your skin and cause some sort of reaction, which is far from ideal. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t put them on your skin, you just need to blend them with a carrier/base oil before you do. Once combined, you can apply essential oils to your face and the rest of your body. It is important to seek professional advice and to follow instructions on label carefully prior to use.
• Dab them on your feet: Now this may sound a little unusual, but it’s a common practice when using essential oils. Just pop some on the soles of your feet and massage it in-our feet actually contain key absorption points for essential oils. (don’t forget to blend them with a carrier oil first though).

Many people think that because essential oils are natural products, they will not cause side effects. This is not true. The potential side effects of essential oils include:

• Irritation and burning: Always dilute oils with a carrier oil before applying it to the skin. Apply a small amount to a small area of skin first to test for any reactions.
• Asthma attacks: While essential oils may be safe for most people to inhale, some people with asthma may react to breathing in the fumes.
• Headaches: Inhaling essential oils may help some people with their headaches, but inhaling too much may lead to a headache in others.