Spotlight on….Oil Cleansing balms

Written By Laurie Nash

So how do you get the idea of creating a product? I think the creative process is different depending on your personal ethos. I like to create products that are - 1. Something that I myself would like to use. 2. Have totally functional but not overly expensive ingredients that make your skin feel glowing.

Each product I create I want to let you know a bit more about it, where the idea came from and a bit about the ingredients used in it. This post is about a oil cleansing whip which will have different types of infused oils in it.

WHY AN OIL CLEANSER? Many skin types don’t deal well with surfactant based cleansers that can have the potential to strip skin of natural oils. Oil cleansers are typically gentler on the skin, reducing irritation and inflammation.

WHY MAKE IT INTO A BALM? A very good question - glad you asked! As someone who loves to go on mini weekend getaways and the occasional airplane travel I find that a balm travels well, less likely to cause spillage and easy to take on a plane. It’s also beautifully creamy!

Lime & Lemon cleansing whip

A beautifully fragrant cleansing whip to make you skin silky smooth after use.

The use of oils in a cleansing balm makes all the difference in its afterfeel and use. I have chosen to use infused oils containing botanical extracts as the major part of the balm rather than fragrance them with essential oils. Why? While I love essential oils, any product that has the potential to get in your eyes I leave essential oils out of. Botanicals are packed with a myriad of naturally occurring chemical components to nourish your skin and make it glow! Different botanicals can address specific skin concerns - licorice root to help brighten your skin, chamomile to use etc. Sometimes botanicals can just add a refreshing aroma such as in the lime and lemon cleansing whip.


WHAT MAKES IT EASY TO USE? I love the feel of oils on my skin but most definitely don’t want to be left with an oil slick on my face. To make a cleansing balm easy to use you will often find some type of emulsifying wax. Emulsifying waxes contain both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and lipophilic (oil-attracting) properties. It acts as a bridge between the oil and water, enabling them to mix and create a smooth, stable emulsion. In the cleansing balm when the water mixes with the balm applied to your face it creates an instant emulsion allowing all the dirt and oil to rinse away leaving you with fresh, clean skin that feels smooth and soft without stripping moisture. In this formula the emulsifying wax used is Olivem 1000 INCI - Cetearyl Olivate (and) Sorbitan Olivate, a. natural olive based emulsifying wax that has anti-aging and anti-redness properties.

SO WHATS THE FULL INGREDIENT LIST AND WHAT DOES EVERYTHING DO? Another very good question!

  • Lemon peel extract (and) lime peel extract (and) Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot Kernel Oil) - Emollient

  • Cetearyl Olivate (and) Sorbitan Olivate (Olivem 1000) -  Emulsifier

  • Stearic Acid - Thickener - You don’t want it running everywhere!

  • Cetyl Alcohol - Thickener - as above

  • Tridecane/Undecane - Natural emollient, gives the cleansing balm a nice slip on your skin

  • Tocopherol (Vitamin E) - Antioxidant

  • Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil (Sea Buckthorn Fruit Oil) - Emollient, colour

EXTRA TIP:

For a mini skin detox - mix a small amount of facial clay to a blog of cleansing balm either in your palm or in a shallow dish and apply to your face. Leave on for 5 minutes and rinse off as usual.


Any other questions? - Comment below!



Laurie Nash
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The Jess Range of Tallow Balms