Coconut Everything Body Wash

Description

INGREDIENTS: distilled water, decyl glucoside (and) cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine (and) sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, cocamidopropyl betaine, cocamidopropylamine oxide, glyceryl stearate, coconut milk powder, coconut oil, shea butter, sunflower seed oil, meadowfoam oil, MSM, cetearyl alcohol (and) ceteareth-20, cetyl esters, cornstarch, tocopherol, gluconolactone (and) sodium benzoate, fragrance, EDTA

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED: 

Decyl glucoside (and) cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine (and) sodium lauroyl sarcosinate: This is a blend of three different surfactants (cleansing agents). Surfactants are the ingredients in cleansers that clean your skin.

Cocamidopropyl betaine: This is another type of surfactant or cleansing agent. It works well with other surfactants in a formula, and it has great foaming capability.

Cocamidopropylamine oxide: This is a foam-boosting surfactant or cleansing agent.

Glyceryl stearate: This is the formula’s primary emulsifier, which is the compound that holds the oil and water phases together in a homogenous mixture.

Coconut Milk Powder: Coconut milk is great for skin! It hydrates, cleanses, and soothes.

Coconut Oil: Coconut oil, like coconut milk, moisturizes, cleanses, and soothes skin. It also has antibacterial activity. Regular coconut oil can be a bit heavy on skin and hair, but the MCT version is okay for all skin types. MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides, and it is coconut oil that has been fractionated and does not contain the cream anymore.

Shea butter: One of my all-time favorite skincare ingredients! This butter is obtained from the karite tree, and it’s also a great source of antioxidants like quercetin, epicatechin gallate, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, as well as skin-nourishing fatty acids (stearic and linoleic). It also penetrates skin readily. This is just such a wonderful ingredient for skin.

Sunflower oil: I love, love, LOVE sunflower seed oil! It’s really great for dry, dehydrated, or otherwise compromised skin because its linoleic acid content helps skin to make its own lipids, including ceramides, which are critical for proper barrier function. Sunflower seed oil also has a natural soothing effect on skin, making it great for reducing skin irritation.

Meadowfoam oil: This oil is super stable, largely because it is primarily composed of long-chain fatty acids, which are the most resistant to rancidity when exposed to oxygen. It also contains compounds which help the skin’s ability to prevent collagen degradation and to protect skin from UVB damage. In this formula, it is present as a stabilizing emollient.

MSM (methylsulfonylmethane): MSM is a sulfur compound that speeds up wound remodeling, reduces inflammation, and also acts as a penetration enhancer. Penetration enhancers allow ingredients access to deeper skin layers. I use MSM in this formula for its penetration enhancing abilities. Since cleansers are only on your skin for a short time, using a penetration enhancer in cleanser formulas allows for greater contact between skin and ingredients.

Cetearyl alcohol (and) ceteareth-20: This is the emulsifier in the formula. An emulsifier is a compound that is able to bind to both polar and nonpolar molecules in a solution. In skincare, an emulsifier is what holds the oil and water phases of the formula together. There are lots of different types of emulsifiers, with different properties. This particular emulsifier is what is known as an ‘oil in water’ emulsifier, because it emulsifies a small oil phase in a larger water phase.

Cetyl esters: This ingredient provides ‘slip’ to the formula, allowing the product to slide more easily across skin. It also acts as a thickener.

Cornstarch: This ingredient acts as a thickener in this formula.

Tocopherol: Tocopherol is Vitamin E, and acts as a preservative in this formula, preventing the oxidation of the oils in the product and increasing the shelf life.

Gluconolactone (and) sodium benzoate: This is the main preservative in this formula. It prevents the growth of bacteria, mold, fungus, yeast, etc.

Fragrance: This is the scent that is added to the product. Fragrance oil manufacturers are not required by law to disclose what compounds are in their fragrance oils. However, some will tell you what is NOT in their fragrance oils, and I base my fragrance oil purchases on this information. I make sure my fragrance oils are free of phthalates and known carcinogens. Because fragrance may be a source of irritation in a product formula, I offer all my products fragrance free as well as scented.

EDTA: EDTA is a metal ion chelator. This means that it scours the solution for metal ions, and once it finds them, it binds them very tightly, which makes them no longer a danger. Metal ions are highly reactive molecules that can cause oxidative damage to proteins, lipids, and DNA in cells. They are known to cause allergic reactions in skin, and generate inflammation.