In natural cosmetics, the ingredients do not work the same way as they do in mass-manufactured products. Unlike large-scale cosmetics that are manufactured with an emphasis on making them look and feel the same for the longest time, with natural cosmetics, the ingredients’ attributes impact on the product. Whether it is an oil, wax, hydrosol, or botanical extract, each of these ingredients have attributes that affect the texture, how it sinks in and how it acts. And because natural products won’t keep your mistakes under wraps; they will simply separate, show grain or won’t work as well as you hope. You need to understand how they work.
There are roles for each of the ingredients in your product. Oils give the skin feel and absorbency, butters give structure and protection, waxes help control texture and melting point, liquids add water content which then need to be balanced and botanical extracts add actives but also add a level of complication. You need to understand their roles, rather than using ingredients simply because they’re popular.
In addition, working with natural ingredients requires a level of humility. Ingredients can change from batch to batch, sometimes with seasonal variations. This means that you can’t always work on an expectation. Sometimes you need to adjust based on what you see. And as you work with ingredients over and over again, you begin to develop a sensitivity to touch and temperature and behaviour. Mistakes become useful indicators rather than disasters. You learn to trust your hands and eyes, and your formulations become stronger.
Another important factor to consider is preservation. Any water containing product can harbor microbial growth. You need to consider preservation to ensure your product is safe. You can’t use harsh chemicals like you would in commercial manufacturing, so you need to ensure the water content is low, manufacturing is clean and responsible usage periods are adhered to. This puts the onus on the maker to be responsible for how they make and recommend the use of the product, rather than just the product itself.
Finally, we think the most important thing we’ve learned is restraint. Every ingredient has a function, but it can also have a negative impact. When you make natural cosmetics, you need to consider the strength of the ingredients you use. In commercial manufacturing, the tendency is to formulate products to be as strong as possible, but in natural products, sometimes less is more. You need to balance the need for a strong product with the need to keep it simple. And the more you formulate, the stronger your formulations become, and the more confident you become in your abilities. Natural cosmetic formulation is a skill, but it’s also a way of working. It’s about paying attention to the ingredients and the products you make. It’s about being responsible. And it’s about being mindful of the little things that can make or break a formulation.
