Why we made changes to the body lotion

We just restocked our new reformulated body lotion! Wait, did you say “Reformulated”? Why yes, we did. Want to hear all the details? Let’s dive in shall we.

I am sure many of you know that we are always looking for ways to improve.  When I formulate there are several things I keep in mind. How is the product used, what is the purpose, how is it stored, who is the end user? For me the sensory aspects of application are important. How does it feel during application? Does it drag or feel grainy, or does it glide and feel smooth? Does it soap on the skin-this happens easily with moisturizers. If you have ever had a lotion turn white on your skin while you are trying to rub it in, you have experienced soaping. It does not affect anything, but it is annoying. Absorption, how long it lasts, and effectiveness are others that are top of the list. The best lotions have a silky texture that glides during application, no soaping effect, reasonable absorption, non-greasy, long lasting, and effective.

Storage for bath and skincare item’s can really affect the shelf life of your products. If you are like me, you likely store these products in the bathroom. But most of our bathrooms are higher temperatures and high humidity, both of which can shorten the shelf life and affect the quality. Some products have higher shelf life than others depending on the ingredients. For example, sunflower oil has a much shorter shelf life than coconut oil. Due to the high amount of linoleic acid, sunflower oil can go rancid quickly, especially if left in direct sunlight or high heat. To remedy this, we have changed the sunflower oil to Caprylic triglyceride. This oily product is made by combining coconut oil with glycerol (100% pure glycerin) which changes the chemical structure resulting in a lightweight ester. This ester is more moisturizing, smoothing, and faster absorbing and has a long shelf life.

I wanted to make sure it absorbed properly and boost the moisture a bit more. To aid in the this I added Isopropyl Myristate (also known as IPM). This is an ester produced with isopropyl alcohol and myristic acid. Myristic acid is a fatty acid derived from coconuts or palm. The result is a lightweight ester that is very effective at improving the absorption and increasing the glide. But Heather, you said you do not use alcohol! Never fear, the final product contains no alcohol!

Next, I considered the effectiveness of the overall product. To improve this, I added some avocado oil for additional nourishment. Avocado oil is high in vitamins A,D, E and potassium along with some minerals and lecithin. All of which make it very nourishing for your skin and helps it repair.

Another new addition is Chamomile extract. Most of us are familiar with this flower. Chamomile has had numerous studies proving the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant affects it has on the skin. It helps calm irritation while protecting the skin from free radicals.

I kept the jojoba and oat oil which are incredible on their own.  The final changes in the lotion reduced soaping and improved the sensory during application adding silkiness and glide. The combination of esters and natural oils really help reduce water loss from the skin (TEWL-trans epidermal water loss) but not leaving you greasy.

I am really happy with the final result and hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Heather