[Dr Catherine Pratt]

@David08848 I believe you got peppermint oil. I would only use a small amount like 0.05% at first. Both peppermint & menthol are really strong even at low concentrations. 
Hope this helps 

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

@Perry yes this is correct. That is why you need to choose a well known supplier that also offers Analytical Chemistry Results  like GCMS & compare it to the standard for that EO from research journals you can find in Science Direct or such. Some companies are fully transparent with the Cofa’s with the batch no’s & full analytical information. 
Even so non-chemists become confused when you talk about purity & EO’s. The company may give out the information but that doesn’t mean it is any purer than the next. As you know there are hundreds of oil molecules in an EO & so are far from pure. 
To me it is the absolutes that are the pure EO’s but are not allowed to be called organic as it has been extracted with ethanol or hexane etc. Rose is a great example of this. 
This is why I am a great advocate of CO2 extraction which does not use solvents like ethanol,  or distillation/cold pressing where microbiological organisms may end up in the resultant juice. 
However, the organic community see the EO as pure because it is looked at holistically & reducing the EO to the 2 or 3 compounds that give that EO it’s particular well known scent will not act therapeutically because there is no more synergy once the EO has been fractionated. 
I could go on all day but I hope that helps in some way.
Does anyone have more information they can extend on this, especially about organic versus non-organic, the organic community versus the chemists & how we can get around the differences & work together in synergy & harmony!!! Kindest Regards 

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

@ngarayeva001 I think that they would be less precious parts or spp of the plants or the less concentrated, left over or even adulterated plants from extraction. 

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

@ngarayeva001 the lavender you use from various suppliers will be different as there are many species of lavender. Not only that suppliers selling the same spp will offer a variety of lavender notes eg lavendin . Also they will differ depending on which part of the plant they have extracted. If you are worried about the differentiation in lavender notes, then you just have to pick one supplier & stick with them, but even then the same spp can differ depending on weather during the growth cycle & harvesting. I wouldn’t worry about variations in lavender smells, as long as they are a decent pure crop. I think that is the beauty of nature ie it is not constant & it is forever evolving…

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

@Perry I use Essential Oils all the time as I create organic formulas. Most popular EO’s seem to be citrus’s, lime, lemon, bergamot, sweet orange. Due to photo-instability & regulations I would use bergaptene free Bergamot for example, which are more expensive. Herbs like Sage, Carroway, Oregano etc. Florals like Lavender, Geranium, Palmarosa are used instead of the Rose, LOV, Jasmin because of price & the solvents like ethanol & hexane being used to extract them. 
Also CO2 extracted oils are becoming popular but some do not agree that they are EO’s because it is a relatively new form of extraction to non-chemists. I feel that the CO2 process should become the new standard for EO extraction as there is no chemical change of the molecular profile through this process. It is also environmentally cleaner & safer.
Hope this helps.

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

@dtang I highly recommend doing a perfumery course where they send you perfumery notes & as its online you can do it at your own leisure. Maybe @perry has one? 

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

Yes ??

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

No you won’t !!! Sorry

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

You need to practice at that one, you will see that the bottom notes will make the frag last longer, keep reading but I love perfumery, it’s harder than you think & fascinating at the same time. 

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

To sulphonate or sarcosinate that is the question!!

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

What % did you use? & to what type of cream?

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

Leave out poly 20 & substitute HEC for Xanthan 

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

You may be able to get samples to check out as they have big MOQ I got some sample essential oils but they were clearly substandard, sent from China CO2 extraction apparently !! 

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

Is Germall added in th beginning or the end phases? If it can be added in the end phases then you don’t have to worry about xanthan gum 

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

Concentration inputs to a lotion is only a few percent which oxidises over time, but 100% Lavender does not mix with any other compounds that increase oxidation. Also perfumes are constructed with bottom notes that fix the perfume for long periods of time & keep the volatile notes from evaporating into the air… 

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

You can get Cocoyl Proline, or  Caprylyl/ Capryl glucoside easily if it’s just for yourself but the latter is the least expensive.

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

No Vitamin E is usually used at 1% so they may have written the INCI names in the wrong order?

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

I bought the Christie Brinkley trial cream, we came out in a rash & it was so hard to send it back, the return shipped cost almost as much as the cream. It is a scam!!!!!!

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

@Marley,  Maybe use CMC as the gum instead of its derivatives? CMC is very different from those you are using. 
@MarkBroussard I didn’t realise it was so regulated? Is the name or the ingredients regulated to cost $150,000
They actually use it in the porn industry replacing condensated milk as the Vagina’s we’re getting too many yeast infections. 
Maybe you could call it something else, like lubricating body gel?? 

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

It’s all about particle size! I am formulating sunscreens right now. You can have really low concentrations of zinc oxide, as the common public like yourself do not like to see high levels of zinc, but all it means is that they are using differing particle sizes along with synthetic boosters.

If this company freely admits they are using the nano-technology to penetrate the epidermis then that is perfectly fine, they are doing it for a reason!!

Why don’t you tell us what the particle size is and maybe we can give you some more information!

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

Try cellulose gum?

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

@marytsiang you may need some heat? can you write down the ingredients list?

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

@Perry I agree with @Microformulation, and with regards to colour cosmetics, can you imagine all the shades of lipstick that you would have to make? Its a very expensive task

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

Acacia Senegal & Xanthan Gum is a popular natural thickener.

[Dr Catherine Pratt]

what are the ratios of the frag to poly 20?