Ingredients that May or May Not Seem Natural

As we have grown our business, we have expanded the ingredients that we use.  Raindrop Remedies prides itself on creating products to soothe, comfort and nourish by using ingredients that are organic, ethically harvested and sourced, and by partnering with the beautiful herbs that God gifted to us. And we have always tried to keep it as natural as possible. But there are times that we need to go outside our comfort zone of "natural" and utilize ingredients that ensure safety, and/or a longer lasting product.

Let's chat about a few ingredients and why and where we use them...

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are any compound that can reduce unstable molecules (free radicals) by giving up some of their own electrons, which neutralizes the free radicals and prevents them from damaging our DNA and other cellular components. Oxidative stress can also occur from other metabolic functions inside our bodies. Our bodies create their own antioxidants (glutathione, Coenzyme Q, and more), but with the constant bombardment, its nice to help our bodies out by eating a healthy diet and using products that can provide a little boost. "Antioxidant" refers to a chemical property not a specific nutritional property. 

Why are Antioxidants important in products? They help oils from oxidizing, which prevents rancidity.

Vitamin E Oil - Vitamin E is the collective name for a group of fat-soluble compounds with antioxidant activities. Its chemical name includes the words 'tocopherol" or "tocotrienol". Vitamin E is usually made from plant sources (corn, soybean, safflower, wheat germ), nuts, seeds, or it can come from petroleum (variations start with "dl-alpha-tocopherol"). We use plant-based, non-GMO Vitamin E Oil, typically listed as Mixed Tocopherols

Rosemary Oleoresin (ROE) – ROE is a natural extract from the leaves of Rosemary plant to retard rancidity in natural oils (antioxidant). This is a 100% pure and natural ingredient, and we use it as an alternative to Vitamin E Oil since some people are sensitive to it.

Phytocide Elderberry OS – A natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agent derived from Elderberry. This oil soluble preservative was added to help protect the product from bacterial contamination and oil rancidity. So this product is both an Antioxidant and a Preservative, especially against fungal microorganisms. We currently use this product in our hair conditioner bars to help protect them in wet environments (shower!) 

Preservatives

We avoided using preservatives in our early days: we used the plants and essential oils and good lab technique instead. But it just wasn't always predictable.  When there is a water-based ingredient, there is a possibility that microbes will grow. And no, you cannot see bacteria. You can see molds, but not bacteria. So we searched for the best preservatives that we could find that were as natural  as we could get them. And there are a lot of good options out there these days, with more being developed.

Geogard ECT - A naturally-derived preservative used in personal care products that is certified as non-toxic and eco-friendly. Geogard ECT is a broad-spectrum preservative; antimicrobial blend offers protection against Gram positive and negative bacteria, yeast and molds. It is comprised of (4) ingredients: Benzyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Glycerin, and Sorbic Acid.

• Benzyl Alcohol - This compound is found naturally in plants and fruits, but may be synthetically synthesized. It is used as a preservative  and solvent in many applications and is considered to be very safe.
• Salicylic Acid - Beta hydroxy acid (BHA). Natural salicylates can be found in willow bark, herbs, fruits and vegetables. It has been used for decades to treat skin disorders like acne.
• Glycerin - A clear odorless, sweet-tasting sugar alcohol derived from plant oils, animal fats, or is made synthetically. It is used primarily as a humectant (water attracting) but in this formula it helps to solubilize and blend the other ingredients. It also has mild antibacterial by holding onto water.
• Sorbic Acid - Naturally occurring compound found naturally in some berries. It is used world-wide as a food preservative. Salts of sorbic acid include Potassium and sodium sorbate. 
• Is it NATURAL? Not really. It may have components originally from plants, but they have undergone processing to get to a final product. Many cosmetic-grade ingredients are made synthetically in a lab to ensure purity, stability, and consistency. 

Phytocide Elderberry OS (see above)

Citric Acid - naturally occurring acid found in fruits. Citric acid is food safe, and works by lowering the pH to discourage microbial growth. 

Thickeners and Emulsifiers

Thickeners make things thicker and bulkier.  Emulsifiers combine components that do not normally mix together. For example: You use corn starch to thicken a gravy, but an emulsifier like an egg is needed to make the oil and water combine in a mayonnaise.  They can act as both, but they are two different tasks. These types of reagents can be very complex, so I will focus on only the ones that we use.

Xanthum Gum - Created by fermenting simple sugars with a plant bacterium called Xanthomonas campestris. Xanthum Gum is food safe and is used in our home often: we have a gluten and egg sensitive kid, and it is helpful with baking. It increases the viscosity of liquids (thickening agent), and stabilizes oils in an emulsion but it is not considered to be a true emulsifier on its own. In cosmetics, it is used to prepare water gels or oil-in-water emulsions, and is used as a carrier of citric and ascorbic acids.

Vegetable Emulsifying Wax - odorless white waxy substance used to help emulsify (combine incompatible solutions like water and oil). It both thickens and emulsifies. Contrary to popular belief, beeswax is not an emulsifier.  Vegetable Emulsifying Wax is sort-of natural from some companies, and not so much from others. Vegetable emulsifying wax is created by combining fatty alcohols (like cetearyl, cetyl, or stearyl alcohol derived from coconut, palm, or other plants) with a vegetable-derived detergent or surfactant (such as polysorbate 60, derived from corn). The label NF (National Formulary) is often used when it meets official purity and standard requirements.

• We only use Vegetable Emulsifying Wax NF and strive to find sources that are certified under Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) standards as well.  We are currently looking at more sustainable options.

Sodium Borate (Borax) - a naturally occurring mineral that dissolves into water, reducing surface tension and softening it. When used with beeswax, sodium borate will help emulsify (bind) oils and water. It also has mild antibacterial and antifungal properties. We use less than 5% in our formulas.

BTMS-50 – 50% Behentrimonium Methosulfate with Cetyl Alcohol and Butylene Glycol. This one is a mouthful!  BTMS is naturally derived from plants: Colza (Rapeseed), Coconut and Palm. It is a cationic emulsifier: it carries a positive charge, which is attracted to your negatively charged damaged hair.  It is an excellent hair detangler, providing conditioning and emollient (softening) effects that leaves hair and skin with a silky smooth feel.

• Is it NATURAL? It is derived from plants, but it does undergoes  a lot of processing, so no, it is technically not natural as a finished product. BUT it is considered to be very safe.
• Palm Oil? We don’t like to use palm either (due to deforesting of the Amazon Rainforests). But we made sure this BTMS uses RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) Certified or Mass Balance (RSPO-MB) systems sustainable palm oil to ensure that it is the most responsibly sourced.

Other Additives

We typically just use the whole plant or herb rather than adding extra ingredients, but we do add a few to talk about here.

Essential Oils - Essential oils are extremely concentrated oils from plants.  They offer many properties, but are not the same as the whole plant.  To make an essential oil you need a TON of plant material, and once the very tiny amount of essential oil is extracted, you get Hydrosols (plant waters), and wasted plant material. With the massive interest in natural products, it is increasingly more important to understand this: over-consumption is not good for Mother Earth. In skincare products, the amount of essential oil should be 1% or lower, and you should always opt for plants that are more abundant.

• We use essential oils to enhance a product's preservation, contribute a little to the health benefits, and to round out the aroma. Less than 1%
• We do not use essential oils that are from plants that are nearing endangerment / are at-risk: such as Frankincense (removed this year when the bottle was finished), Sandalwood, Palo Santo, Spikenard, Rosewood.

FSS Rice Water SF – Fermented Rice Water to promote healthy hair hydration. Fermented rice water has been shown to contain starches (repair and protect damaged hair), Vitamin E (antioxidant), Vitamin B (supports healthy hair growth), essential amino acids and organic acids (promote fiber structure).

References and Further Reading:

Understanding Antioxidants. Harvard Health. Jan 31, 2019. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/understanding-antioxidants

Vitamin E Factsheet for Professionals. National Institute for Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/

Vitamin E: Synthetic or Natural? Performance Horse Nutrition. June 20, 2016. https://www.poulingrain.com/blog/vitamin-e-synthetic-or-natural/

Is Salicylic Acid Natural? A Skincare Essential Explained. https://khanelkaser.com/blogs/news/is-salicylic-acid-natural-a-skincare-essential-explained

Sourcing Sustainable Essential Oils. Mother Earth Living. https://www.motherearthliving.com/health-and-wellness/mind-and-body/alternative-essential-oils

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthan_gum 

www.skinsort.com

www.formulatorsampleshop.com

Environmental Working Group - www.ewg.org