Blackberry Seed Oil

by | May 13, 2021

What is it? Blackberry seed oil is a liquid carrier oil pressed from the seeds of the blackberry, a super tasty fruit! It is primarily comprised of linoleic and oleic fatty acids.
INCI Rubus Fruticosus Seed Oil
Appearance Dark green oil (this can vary as it’s a natural product, so be sure to read the description from your supplier)
Usage rate Up to 100%
Texture Rich, smooth
Scent Subtle, fresh, a bit oily
Absorbency Speed Average to slow
Approximate Melting Point Blackberry seed oil is liquid at room temperature.
Solubility Blackberry seed oil is oil soluble.
Why do we use it in formulations? Blackberry seed oil is a beautiful emollient and moisturizing ingredient.
Do you need it? No, but it’s a lovely luxury oil.
Refined or unrefined? I’ve only worked with unrefined blackberry seed oil, and I really like it.
Strengths Blackberry seed oil is rich in antioxidants and has fabulous label appeal.
Weaknesses Blackberry seed oil is harder to find and more expensive than many carrier oils.
Alternatives & Substitutions I’d look at other berry oils, like cranberry seed oil. Raspberry seed oil has a somewhat similar fatty acid composition, but I find it is much lighter/faster absorbing than blackberry seed oil, so if you find blackberry seed oil on the heavy side you may prefer raspberry seed oil.
How to Work with It Include blackberry seed oil in the oil phase of your formulations; it can be hot or cold processed.
Storage & Shelf Life Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, blackberry seed oil should last at least one to two years. I store mine in the fridge for the longest possible shelf life.
Tips, Tricks, and Quirks Even at low concentrations blackberry seed oil will colour your product green.
Recommended starter amount 100mL (3.3fl oz)
Where to Buy it  Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier or Amazon. Mine is from Plant’s Power (gifted).

Some Formulations that Use Blackberry Seed Oil

Chia Seed Oil

by | Feb 5, 2020

What is it? Chia Seed Oil is a liquid oil pressed from chia seeds, a popular health food. Chia seeds are a very important part of the traditional Mexican diet.
INCI Salvia hispanica oil
Appearance Yellow liquid
Usage rate Up to 100%
Texture Rich, smooth oil
Scent Noticeably tangy; it’s really quite unique. If you’ve ever smelled andiroba oil, that’s the closest thing I can think of.
Absorbency Speed Fast side of average
Approximate Melting Point Liquid at room temperature.
Solubility Oil
Why do we use it in formulations? Chia seed oil is a lovely emollient, excellent moisturizer, and is incredibly rich in omega-3 fatty acid (Linolenic Acid). It is recommended for use in skincare and hair care products. It is said to have anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties and is good for sensitive skin (Source: Modern Cosmetics).
Do you need it? No
Refined or unrefined? I have virgin Chia Seed Oil and I like it, but the smell isn’t my favourite.
Strengths Great label appeal and skin feel,
Weaknesses It can be harder to find, depending on where you live.
Alternatives & Substitutions The fatty acid composition of Chia Seed Oil is similar to that of kiwi oil, flaxseed (linseed) oil, and perilla oil, as per Modern Cosmetics, so those oils would be good places to start. From a luxury ingredient point of view, you could also choose a different luxurious liquid oil like argan or prickly pear.
How to Work with It Include Chia Seed Oil in the oil phase of your formulations; it can be hot or cold processed.
Storage & Shelf Life Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, Chia Seed Oil should last up to one year. I keep mine in the fridge.
Tips, Tricks, and Quirks Apparently chia seed oil is popular in food products as well as cosmetics and can be found in things like salad dressings! Make sure yours is food grade before you try to eat it.
Recommended starter amount 100mL (3.3fl oz)
Where to Buy it  Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier or Amazon.

Some Formulations that Use Chia Seed Oil

Açai Berry Oil

by | Jan 30, 2020

What is it? Açai Berry Oil is the liquid oil from the pericarp of the Açai berry.
INCI Euterpe Oleracea Oil
Appearance Yellow liquid (though I’ve read it can also be green)
Usage rate Up to 100%
Texture Rich, smooth oil
Scent Subtle; soft woody notes
Absorbency Speed Fast side of average
Approximate Melting Point Liquid at room temperature & straight out of the fridge.
Solubility Oil
Why do we use it in formulations? Açai berry oil is a lovely luxury emollient. It is said to have anti-ageing and regenerative properties and has great label appeal thanks to acai berry’s fame as a “superfood”. It is also rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, and is said to have strong anti-inflammatory properties.
Do you need it? No
Refined or unrefined? I have virgin acai berry oil and I like it.
Strengths Great label appeal and skin feel, antioxidant content.
Weaknesses It can be harder to find, depending on where you live.
Alternatives & Substitutions The fatty acid composition of Açai Berry Oil is pretty unique. Modern Cosmetics recommends avocado, macadamia nut, and sea buckthorn as possible alternatives. I would probably choose a different luxurious liquid oil, like argan or prickly pear.
How to Work with It Include Açai Berry Oil in the oil phase of your formulations; it can be hot or cold processed.
Storage & Shelf Life Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, Açai Berry Oil should last up to two years. I keep mine in the fridge.
Tips, Tricks, and Quirks Açai is pronounced “ah-sigh-ee“.
Recommended starter amount 100mL (3.3fl oz)
Where to Buy it  Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier or Amazon.

Some Formulations that Use Açai Berry Oil

Passionfruit Oil

by | Jan 29, 2020

What is it? Passionfruit Oil (also known as Maracuja oil) is the liquid oil from the seeds of the passionfruit. In terms of fatty acid composition, it’s very simple: 73% linoleic acid, 13% oleic acid, and 14% palmitic acid (according to Modern Cosmetics)
INCI Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Appearance Pale yellow transparent liquid
Usage rate Up to 100%
Texture Ultralightweight oil, smooth
Scent Nothing strong; slightly fresh/fruity
Absorbency Speed Very fast
Approximate Melting Point Liquid at room temperature & straight out of the fridge
Solubility Oil
Why do we use it in formulations? Passionfruit Oil is a lovely, lightweight emollient—brilliant for applications where you don’t want something to be greasy, but still want to use lots of oils. It also has wonderful label appeal, sounding very exotic and expensive.
Do you need it? No; I’d call it a nice-to-have luxury oil.
Refined or unrefined? I have virgin passionfruit oil and I like it.
Strengths Lightweight, fast-absorbing, great skin feel, very market-able.
Weaknesses Passionfruit oil can be a bit tricky to find, depending on where you live.
Alternatives & Substitutions Another lightweight carrier oil would be a good choice—perhaps a blend of rosehip oil and argan oil? Safflower and grapeseed oil would also be good options. Poppyseed oil is very close to passionfruit oil in terms of fatty acid makeup, and would also be a good choice.
How to Work with It Include Passionfruit Oil in the oil phase of your formulations; it can be hot or cold processed.
Storage & Shelf Life Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, passionfruit oil should last about one year.
Tips, Tricks, and Quirks You can buy ~50mL (1.69fl oz) of passionfruit oil for $63CAD at Sephora… or get 125mL from a DIY supplier for ~10CAD.
Recommended starter amount 100mL (3.3fl oz)
Where to Buy it  Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier or Amazon.

Some Formulations that Use Passionfruit Oil

Cherry Kernel Oil

by | Jan 28, 2020

What is it? Cherry Kernel Oil is the liquid oil pressed from the kernels/pits of the cherry fruit.
INCI Prunus Avium Seed Oil
Appearance Pale yellow liquid
Usage rate Up to 100%
Texture Silky smooth with an almost powdery dry-down on the skin
Scent Typical of carrier oils; low scent
Absorbency Speed Fast
Approximate Melting Point Liquid at room temperature and straight out of the fridge.
Solubility Oil
Why do we use it in formulations? Cherry kernel oil is a lovely, lightweight emollient with lovely skin feel. It is rich in vitamins A & E
Do you need it? No, but it’s a nice, unique lightweight carrier oil.
Refined or unrefined? I’ve only found cherry kernel oil as a refined product.
Strengths Cherry Kernel Oil is a lovely, lightweight oil with a beautiful skin feel.
Weaknesses I can’t think of any weaknesses specific to the oil, but it is a harder-to-find oil that is quite similar in skin feel to other easier-to-find oils, so I can see many people choosing one of those instead.
Alternatives & Substitutions I’d choose another lightweight, fast-absorbing oil. Other stone fruit oils, like apricot kernel and sweet almond, would be good options.
How to Work with It Include Cherry Kernel Oil in the oil phase of your formulations. It can be hot or cold processed.
Storage & Shelf Life Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, Cherry Kernel Oil can last up to two years. I store mine in the fridge.
Tips, Tricks, and Quirks Cherry Kernel Oil contains some rather unique fatty acids, like arachidic acid, gadoleic acid, and eicosenoic acid (all at 1%).
Recommended starter amount 100mL (3.3fl oz)
Where to Buy it  Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier or Amazon.

Some Formulations that Use Cherry Kernel Oil

Watermelon Oil

by | Jan 27, 2020

What is it? Watermelon oil (or watermelon seed oil) is the liquid oil pressed from the seeds of the sweet watermelon (Citrullus Vulgaris).
INCI Citrullus vulgaris seed oil
Appearance Pale yellow transparent liquid
Usage rate Up to 100%
Texture Silky smooth with an almost powdery dry-down on the skin
Scent Typical of most oils with a slight fruity note
Absorbency Speed Fast
Approximate Melting Point Liquid at room temperature, becomes cloudy in the fridge.
Solubility Oil
Why do we use it in formulations? Watermelon oil is a beautiful, lightweight emollient. It is mostly comprised of linoleic acid, with smaller amounts of oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid. It can be used to create light products that don’t feel heavy or oily on the skin.
Do you need it? No, but it’s a nice, unique lightweight carrier oil.
Refined or unrefined? I’ve only found watermelon oil as a refined product.
Strengths Watermelon oil is a lovely, lightweight oil with a beautiful skin feel.
Weaknesses Watermelon oil is not as readily available as many other similar carrier oils.
Alternatives & Substitutions I’d choose another lightweight, fast-absorbing oil. Camellia seed oil, walnut oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil would be good choices.
How to Work with It Include watermelon oil in the oil phase of your formulations; it can be hot or cold processed.
Storage & Shelf Life Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, watermelon oil can last up to two years.
Tips, Tricks, and Quirks The phytosterols found in watermelon oil are rarely found in vegetable oils.
Recommended starter amount 100mL (3.3fl oz)
Where to Buy it  Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier or Amazon.

Some Formulations that Use Watermelon Oil