Environmental responsibility and sustainability in the cosmetics industry is changing product formulations significantly, necessitating innovative ingredients and preservation techniques that meet consumer expectations while adhering to regulatory requirements.
Natural substances come from plants, minerals, animals or microbes with minimal processing to preserve their original forms. As with all products however, natural ones undergo stringent safety evaluations in order to ensure efficacy and quality.
Plant Extracts
Plant extracts are highly concentrated liquid or solid preparations made by extracting whole or part of a plant without altering its chemical structure. Extracts may be made through maceration (extensive percolation with water or alcohol) followed by adsorption onto silica gel; alternatively they may also be produced via boiling, distillation, evaporation or other methods.
Plants provide natural ingredients with proven health benefits, from the anti-malaria drug Artemisinin to cancer-fighting Paclitaxel made from Pacific Yew trees. Some plant extracts such as those from Echinacea daisy genus daisies have even been shown to strengthen immune systems, helping people fight off infections more effectively and avoid illnesses more readily.
Rosemary Extract and Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE), used as natural preservatives to maintain food freshness and extend shelf life, are popular choices as natural alternatives to synthetic preservatives. Their botanical source makes them ideal alternatives to synthetic additives; their strength often depends on factors like starting crude material quality, extraction solvent choice and temperature during extraction.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are volatile liquids containing aromatic compounds derived from natural sources, typically plants. Manufacturers utilize essential oils as fragrance enhancers in cosmetic products like perfume and hair care products, or as natural soaps and household cleaning solutions.
Essential oils are typically extracted through distillation, cold pressing or solvent extraction from various parts of a plant such as flowers, leaves, seeds and bark. Essential oils should not be confused with perfume oils which combine essential oil components with carrier oil in an artificial fragrance; or absolutes which have been separated from water by chemical extraction.
Essential oils are generally safe to inhale or apply topically (when mixed with a base oil), although swallowing them should be avoided. Some individuals may experience respiratory irritation from certain oils containing phenols like cinnamon oil or ylang-ylang; those suffering from chronic respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD should avoid their use while pregnant or breastfeeding women are also advised against doing so.
Flavors
Flavoring agents are widely used in processed food and beverages to recreate the taste of whole foods, spices or herbs. Eugenol (an aromatic oil extracted from cloves) and acetoin (an antifungal compound produced through yeast fermentation) are two popular flavoring ingredients derived from natural sources but with no nutritional benefit to our bodies.
Food processors employ various techniques to extract and standardize chemical flavor compounds, using both natural and artificial flavors as needed for desired results.
Though natural and synthetic are often contrasted, all ingredients and substances contain molecules with chemical names; table salt is sodium chloride; ascorbic acid provides vitamin C; vinegar contains water and acetic acid for example.
These molecules can help create flavor profiles that feel both familiar and emotionally engaging, such as madeleine cake or wild strawberry. But it’s important to keep in mind that an item’s overall sensory experience depends on both its original raw materials as well as any additional substances such as sweeteners, acidulants or salt substitutes that might be added during processing.
Preservatives
All ingredients, even those considered natural, contain chemicals. Although it’s easy to assume that anything with chemical components poses health and environmental hazards, this isn’t always true: chemical processes enable more precise control over a substance and less impurity; additionally nature itself produces poisonous substances like animal venom or Foxglove or Hemlock plants that could produce deadly substances.
As a cosmetic formulator, it’s your duty to safeguard the products you formulate. Otherwise, microorganisms could wreak havoc with them, leading to infections or irritations which may be extremely unpleasant, not to mention potentially life-threatening for people with compromised immune systems or those undergoing certain treatments and therapies.
The FDA does not have an official definition for natural food products, but they do adhere to an established policy regarding their labeling: natural means no artificial or synthetic substances (including color additives of any source) have been included in them; instead this policy emphasizes ingredients over production methods.
