Which oils should you use to make macerations, infusions or lipophilic extracts? We share our 8 best oils.

1. 8 Best Botanical Oils for Oil Infusions
JUNE 2016 ACCREDITED ORGANIC COSMETIC SCIENCE SCHOOL

2. Macerating Oils
• Some of the most important ingredients in
organic cosmetics are plant extracts and
infusions
• Lipophilic plant extracts for cosmetics are
often prepared through maceration – the
process of infusing plant components in oil
• Plant macerates are then applied in a range of
different skincare and cosmetics
• Which oils should you use to make botanical
macerates and lipophilic extracts?

3. 1. Soybean Oil
• Available at reasonable prices, but
difficult to find the non-GMO
variety
• Pleasant skin feel, neutral colour,
decent scent
• Good thermal and oxidative
stability
• Relatively short shelf life

4. Soybean Oil: Key Data
• INCI name: Glycine soja oil
• Iodine value: 120–141
• Saponification value (mg KOH/g) : 189-200
• Lecithin content : up to 3%
• Tocopherols: up to 800-1670 ppm, (mainly
gamma- and delta-tocopherol)
• Phytosterols: 1800- 4000 ppm (mainly beta-
sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol)
• Other ingredients: isoflavone, carotenoids,
Vitamin A, Vitamin B

5. Soybean Oil: Fatty Acid Composition

6. 2. Sunflower Oil
• Used in 90% of all commercial
macerations and lipophilic
extracts
• Reasonable price, good
availability
• Decent scent and colour which
hardly affect the maceration
• Light skin feel with good thermal
stability

7. Sunflower Oil: Key Data
• INCI name: Helianthus annuus seed oil
• Iodine value: 118-145
• Saponification value (mg KOH/g) : 186–194
• Lecithin content: ca. 1%
• Tocopherols: up to 1100 ppm, (mainly alpha-
tocopherol)
• Phytosterols: up to 4500 ppm (mainly beta-
sitosterol, campesterol, beta-stigmasterol, Δ7-
Stigmasterol)

8. Sunflower Oil: Fatty Acid Composition
This is the profile of the non-
modified version of the oil

9. 3. Almond Oil
• Classic oil for macerations
• Faint inherent colour and decent
nutty fragrance
• Thermal stability is superior to
soybean oil and sunflower oil
• More expensive than soybean and
sunflower oils and more suitable for
luxury products
• Consider potential nut allergies
• Extreme tolerance for low
temperatures

10. Almond Oil: Key Data
• INCI name: Prunus amygdalus dulcis oil
• Iodine value: 85-106
• Saponification value (mg KOH/g) : 183-207
• Tocopherols: up to 500 ppm alpha-tocopherol
and up to 100 ppm gamma-tocopherol
• Phytosterols: up to 2600 ppm (mainly beta-
sitosterol)
• Other components:
• Squalene, Vitamin A, Vitamin B

11. Almond Oil: Fatty Acid Composition

12. 4. Rice Bran Oil
• Light oil with very nice skin feel
• Faint colour and decent inherent
scent
• Reasonable thermal stability
• Difficult to find the native
unrefined version of the oil
• Contains gamma-oryzanol, a very
effective antioxidant

13. Rice Bran Oil: Key Data
• INCI name: Oryza sativa oil
• Iodine value: 89-108
• Saponification value (mg KOH/g) : 181-194
• Tocopherols: up to 300 ppm
• Phytosterols (10000 ppm): β-Sitosterol,
Campesterol, Stigmasterol, Δ5-Avenasterol
• Other components: gamma-oryzanol (1-2%),
tocotrienols, polyphenols, lecithin (ca. 1%),
squalene

14. Rice Bran Oil: Fatty Acid Composition

15. 5. Jojoba Oil
• Unique oil as it is actually a liquid
wax and not an oil
• Outstanding stability and long
shelf life
• Light skin feel, decent colour,
almost no inherent scent
• Provides long-lasting emolliency
and less greasiness than other
oils

16. Jojoba Oil: Key Data
• INCI name: Simmondsia chinensis seed oil
• Iodine value: 80-89
• Saponification value (mg KOH/g) : 90-98
• Tocopherols 660 ppm (Mainly alpha-
tocopherol)
• Phytosterols: 3400 ppm (mainly Δ5-
Campesterol, beta-Sitosterol, Δ5-Stigmasterol)
• Other ingredients: Provitamin A, Squalene

17. Jojoba Oil: Fatty Acid Composition

18. 6. Macadamia seed Oil
• Not common as a carrier oil but
has a unique fatty acid spectrum
• Relatively good thermal stability
• Reasonable shelf life
• Decent inherent scent and colour
• High concentrations of
palmitoleic acid (around 20%)
impart a very light silky skin feel
and rapid absorption
• Consider potential nut allergies

19. Macadamia seed Oil: Key Data
• INCI name: Macadamia ternifolia seed oil
• Iodine value: 74-76
• Saponification value (mg KOH/g) : 193-196
• Tocopherols: 190 ppm gamma-tocopherol
• Phytosterols: ca. 1600 ppm (mainly beta-
sitosterol)

20. Macadamia seed Oil:
Fatty Acid Composition

21. 7. Baobab Oil
• Unconventional oil for maceration
• Higher price point and limited
availability
• Relatively long shelf life
• Decent colour and scent
• Good thermal and oxidative
stability

22. Baobab Oil: Key Data
• INCI name: Adansonia digitata seed oil
• Iodine value: 76-78
• Saponification value (mg KOH/g) : 190-192
• Phytosterols: β-Sitosterol, Δ7-Avenasterol,
Campesterol, Cholesterol, Stigmasterol)
• Vitamin A, D, E

23. Baobab Oil: Fatty Acid Composition

24. 8. Castor Oil
• Heavy skin feel, more common in
soap making than skin and
haircare
• Very good thermal and oxidative
stability
• Effective oil in cleansing products
• Outstanding for dispersing
pigments and adding gloss
• Good for incorporating
macerations into skin cleansing
products, haircare and make-up

25. Castor Oil: Key Data
• INCI name: Rizinus communis seed oil
• Iodine value: 140-150
• Saponification value (mg KOH/g): 186-203
• Phytosterols: ca. 700 ppm (mainly beta-
sitosterol, Stigmasterol, Campseterol, Δ5-
Avenasterol)
• Tocopherol: 370 ppm gamma-tocopherol, 320
ppm delta-tocopherol

26. Castor Oil: Fatty Acid Composition

27. Where is Olive Oil?
We haven’t included Olive Oil even
though it is very commonlyused
for maceration. Why?
1. It is often highly adulterated.
2. You won’t know if your oil is
virgin olive oil or olive pomace
oil.
3. Unrefined olive oil has an
intense colour and inherent
scent which might affect your
infusion.

28. General Tips for Macerating
• Boost the oxidative stability of macerations by
adding 0.1% – 0.5% tocopherol or 0.05% -
0.1% rosemary CO2 extract.
• Decant your oils to allow as little contact with
air as possible.
• Prepare your macerations in small volumes so
you always have access to fresh product.
• Store your macerations in a cool and dry
place, protect from sunlight, heat and
humidity.

29. How to label your macerations
Label your macerations with lots
of detail:
• Plant name + plant parts used
• Maceration + filtration date
• Exact formulation process –
including temperature, duration
of heating/soaking
• Carrier oil
• Exact weights (plants + carrier
oils) before and after filtration
• Additives (e.g. antioxidants)
• Dedicated serial / batch number

30. Read more?
Visit the Formula Botanica blog at:
http://www.formulabotanica.com/blog

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