Researching ingredients and a green tea cleansing oil recipe

[Carolyne Thrasher]

Apologies in advance, this is a long post.

Normally there is more info on the web than I want or need about ingredients. I like to do research before I add an ingredient to a product I plan to sell because I want to make sure it is in line with my personal values. I am not a "natural" maker and I don't get my information from amateur bloggers. I consider SwiftCraftMonkey and HumbleBee to be professionals and if they made a recommendation not to use something I would follow it but if they recommended something that several "amateur" bloggers were freaking out about I would probably use it. I'm only sharing this to lay the groundwork on where I'm going and what I need.

So I have tried cromollient sce in a oil face cleanser and I LOVE it! I have used polysorbate 80 and olivem 300 and was "meh, these are ok but not great." So now that I know I want to use cromollient sce and take it to market, I am finding it difficult to find information about it. Specifically does it have a negative environmental impact (also important is what kind of impact) and is it vegan? Usually you can find out what the source of an ingredient is (like palm or coconut for several surfactants or olivem 300 is olive oil based) but I cannot find this with the cromollient. I have a really loyal following of people who like to know what's in their products but they aren't necessarily scared off by "chemicals." I have searched the Environmental Working Group page and come up with nothing. As far as I can tell this ingredient has been around since 2016. I have emailed Lotioncrafter where I bought it to see what they can tell me.

In the meantime, I live in the US and I know many of you are in countries that have far higher standards (especially environmentally) than the US. Maybe there is a database you really like to use and could share with me. If anyone knows anything about cromollient SCE would you share? Also what would take an ingredient off your okay to use list? If you want to share your thoughts on where you "draw the line" so to speak. I don't want to have a debate but I find it helpful to see other perspectives.

My recipe since you stayed this long is a riff on a Humble Bee recipe with the addition of green tea wax which was an idea from the blogger A Life Adjacent. The green tea wax adds a really nice touch. I'm thinking about infusing the safflower with green tea. Might try with olive oil. This is almost exactly like DHC's deep cleansing oil as far as consistency.

By percent:

74.5 organic high oleic safflower oil
10 organic castor oil
10 cromollient sce
5 cetyl alcohol
0.5 green tea wax

I have neither super dry nor super oily skin. If anything it leans just a tad dry. Next time I might increase the safflower and decrease the cromollient and castor.

 

[KimW]

Didn't take time to do a thorough search and didn't see anything that could be reviewed quickly on nih.gov or pubmed.gov, but maybe using the INCI name would help you find the info you seek?
Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate

Taken from this page:
https://www.crodapersonalcare.com/e.../product-finder/product/218/Cromollient_1_SCE

 

[AliOop]

Good job, Kim! It does show up under INCI name on EWG.org, but they have no info about environmental impacts. So it is rated as a 1, but only because there are no studies upon which to base any other score.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Without context – judging from the chemical name alone:

• Myreth means myristic acid (C14:0), usually derived from palm kernel or coconut oil (with all the environmental implications)
• PPG-2 Myreth means that it is a propylene and/or ethylene glycol co-polymer. For PPG, vegetabe (or animal) glycerol is a possible source, yet it is likely fossil based (petroleum or natural gas) – choose your poison. PEG comes most probably from natural gas. Also note that some concerns about PEG and friends and dioxane contamination are circulating.
• Adipate (adipic acid) is a base chemical that's mostly used in Nylon production, most probably sourced from petroleum. Any critique to the sources of this constituent thus equally applies to anything Nylon (fabric, technical plastics, automotive, chopping boards, thermos flask lids, guitar picks…).

Chemical companies usually don't give a **** about the sustainability of their sourcing. Excuses usually rhyme to “many well established supply chains”, and unfortunately it is more the rule than the exception that they spend a fortune into greenwashing PR rather than credibly taking part into a fundamental rethinking of chemistry. There is econimical incentive to be better than the competitor (when there is none, thanks to patents etc.).
But note that this applies to any product of chemical industry, including supposedly innocent NaOH for “natural soapmaking”.

Companies usually also do not disclose sources, as they don't know about them (i. e. don't want to guarantee anything) – because they take whatever is cheapest, and it's irrelevant from the molecular point of view anyway. Keep in mind that no small-scale cosmetics business will magically break the vicious cycle of profit maximisation. But also consider that you will only need small amounts of these specialty chemicals, and the majority of your ingredients is much less processed. It's complicated, and customers who cannot accept that, are hopefully just as consequential with most other globalised commodity goods, and live in constant danger of dying from sepsis.

 

[Carolyne Thrasher]

Without context – judging from the chemical name alone:

• Myreth means myristic acid (C14:0), usually derived from palm kernel or coconut oil (with all the environmental implications)
• PPG-2 Myreth means that it is a propylene and/or ethylene glycol co-polymer. For PPG, vegetabe (or animal) glycerol is a possible source, yet it is likely fossil based (petroleum or natural gas) – choose your poison. PEG comes most probably from natural gas. Also note that some concerns about PEG and friends and dioxane contamination are circulating.
• Adipate (adipic acid) is a base chemical that's mostly used in Nylon production, most probably sourced from petroleum. Any critique to the sources of this constituent thus equally applies to anything Nylon (fabric, technical plastics, automotive, chopping boards, thermos flask lids, guitar picks…).

Chemical companies usually don't give a **** about the sustainability of their sourcing. Excuses usually rhyme to “many well established supply chains”, and unfortunately it is more the rule than the exception that they spend a fortune into greenwashing PR rather than credibly taking part into a fundamental rethinking of chemistry. There is econimical incentive to be better than the competitor (when there is none, thanks to patents etc.).
But note that this applies to any product of chemical industry, including supposedly innocent NaOH for “natural soapmaking”.

Companies usually also do not disclose sources, as they don't know about them (i. e. don't want to guarantee anything) – because they take whatever is cheapest, and it's irrelevant from the molecular point of view anyway. Keep in mind that no small-scale cosmetics business will magically break the vicious cycle of profit maximisation. But also consider that you will only need small amounts of these specialty chemicals, and the majority of your ingredients is much less processed. It's complicated, and customers who cannot accept that, are hopefully just as consequential with most other globalised commodity goods, and live in constant danger of dying from sepsis.

Wow! Thank you so much for this information! Next time I will know how to break down the parts of the inci and get a deeper look. \Wish I had paid more attention in chemistry. I'm kinda disappointed from a personal point of view. It's a lovely ingredient.

 

[Carolyne Thrasher]

Update: Here is what Lotioncrafter sent back to my email inquiry. I have to give them 5 stars once again on customer service.


Hi Carolyne,

Cromollient SCE by Croda is manufactured from raw material feed stocks of vegetable (coconut, palm) and petrochemical origin. There are no animal derived ingredients used, including those of bovine, porcine, ovine or caprine origin and thus BSE / TSE is not relevant to this product.

Concerning environmental and hazards identification, the ingredient is not regulated nor identified as hazardous and there are no remarks noted on the SDS Section 12: Ecological Information.

With regards to Flammability: 1, as noted per HIMS and NFPA, the material has a Flash Point: > 100 °C ( > 212 °F).

Regards,
Tyler
Lotioncrafter

 

[Juggsy]

INCI: Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate

Croda’s Ethics Policy
They also have a supply chain policy and a sustainability policy
They are a Korean company from the looks of things and I cannot see any bad news articles or concerns. Cannot see them on Ethical Consumer unfortunately (most likely because is Asian company)

And according to Paula Begoun's Ingredient Dictionary: (link) slightly different however still in same group.

di-PPG-3 myristyl ether adipate

• Rating: GOOD
• Categories: Texture Enhancer

Derivative of myristyl alcohol (a fatty alcohol) and adipic acid (a buffering and neutralizing ingredient). It is used as a skin-conditioning agent and solvent in cosmetics.

Paula's Choice ingredient dictionary is a wonderful resource in my opinion. I have two of Paula Begoun's books and have used her ingredient dictionary for a number of years.

Another good resource with formulas and company information (get more if you pay for their services) is UL Prospector

Cromollient™ SCE is a novel, patented chemistry representing part of Croda’s class of multifunctional emollients. Mildness and suitability for sensitive skin are important claims for cleansers and baby products, but often the surfactants used in these products can damage delicate skin. Cromollient SCE has been specially developed to mitigate irritation from surfactants and enhance sensory benefits in a wide range of applications such as creams, lotions and surfactant based systems

From UL Prospector

Only few scholar articles. Only one you may be interested in:
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2018&context=theses
In Vitro Effects of Emollient Substances on Release of Ketorolac Tromethamine
B Alioglu - 2008 - digitalcommons.uri.edu

Page 1. University of Rhode Island DigitalCommons@URI Open Access Master's
Theses 2008 In Vitro Effects of Emollient Substances on Release of Ketorolac
Tromethamine Burcak Alioglu University of Rhode Island Follow

It is difficult getting a full picture, if after you've read their sustainability and ethics policies you can email them (link on their website) and ask them about their supply chain. If they are (as they claim) an ethical company they will be willing to answer your concerns (usually anyway).
They do have a Code of Conduct for their suppliers (I've attached the pdf for you). I've just skimmed it briefly however thought this was interesting:

As an international business with suppliers and representatives throughout the world, Croda International Plc and its subsidiaries accept that we have an important role to play in trading responsibly with honesty and integrity at all times.
We therefore want to ensure that those organisations with whom we interact, our suppliers and their representatives, live up to our values and standards and share this responsibility.

They definitely seem quite ethical and they aren't on the blacklist