This article is co-authored by Priscilla Taylor (Personal Care & Cosmetics Contributor) and Jill Frank (Food & Beverage Contributor).
Innovators get inspiration from different sources and sometimes even look to other industries for ideas. For food and personal care, doing so is a natural fit. The two industries have a long history of sharing ingredients – often delivering similar benefits. For example, tocopherols and ascorbic acids are well known for their antioxidant effect – ingested and topically applied. And colorants is yet another class of ingredients that is commonly shared between the two categories.
There are, however, ingredients that serve entirely different functions in the food and personal care industries. And it’s not uncommon, for example, for one personal care formulator’s abrasive to be used in another formulator’s functional food. Here, we’ll give you our perspectives on how seven ingredients are used for applications in our respective industries.
Olive Oil
Priscilla says: As an effective skin-conditioning agent, Olive Oil (EU) is used in a variety of cosmetics, toiletries and soap making applications. It has an emollient effect and adds moisturizing attributes to creams, lotions and bar soaps.
Jill says: Olive Oil (EU) is commonly used as a salad oil. If used for sautéing, the heat level must be monitored to stay beneath the smoke point of the oil. It’s most commonly used in conjunction with the Mediterranean diet for a decreased risk of heart disease.
Glycerin/Glycerol
Priscilla says: Glycerin (EU) is yet another example of a multi-functional ingredient in the personal care category. This is most commonly used as a humectant and hair and skin conditioner, and it is also FDA approved as a skin protectant when used in over-the-counter drugs at levels between 20 and 45 percent.
Jill says: As in personal care, Glycerin (EU) is a good humectant. It keeps baked goods, like fruit-filled bars, soft over an extended shelf life and keeps some candies soft. It also functions as a thickener helps to maintain viscosity. It can be used in semi-moist pet foods to improve the chewy texture and maintain that texture over the shelf life.
Spirulina
Priscilla says: Spirulina (EU) is a skin conditioning agent with a marine heritage. It is rich in minerals, proteins and vitamins and is used in an assortment of personal care applications, including creams, lotions, soaps and skin treatments.
Jill says: Spirulina (EU) is a good protein source (containing around 60% protein), and it’s frequently is used as a supplement or as an ingredient in smoothies. In the last year, spirulina extract was approved by the FDA as a natural blue food coloring for a large range of food applications.
Beeswax
Priscilla says: Beeswax (EU) is used in a diverse array of personal care products such as lip balms, lipsticks, creams, lotions and hair pomades. It is a multi-functional ingredient that can be used as a structuring agent in lipsticks. It also delivers skin-conditioning benefits, functions as an epilating agent in depilatories (EU) and provides emulsifying benefits when combined with borax.
Jill says: Beeswax (EU) is most often used in food as a glazing agent, which can be used to give a protective coating and shiny appearance to some fruits, like apples. It may also be used as a coating for hard cheeses to prevent mold growth while it ages.
Cocoa Butter
Priscilla says: In addition to its widely known reputation as a skin-conditioning agent, Cocoa butter (EU) is also FDA approved as a skin protectant, when used at levels between 50 to 100 percent in over-the-counter drugs.
Jill says: Cocoa butter (EU) is the base for all the mouth-watering chocolate products that you would expect. Cocoa butter’s temperature sensitivity makes it a challenge to use as an alternate fat when baking. However, that same sensitivity can change the heat-set profile for some products, which may make them more unique. Some suggest using cocoa butter as a substitute for gelatin.
Zinc Oxide:
Priscilla says: Zinc Oxide (EU) is used in a wide range of cosmetics and personal care products as a colorant. It is also FDA approved for use both as a Sunscreen Active and as a Skin Protectant in over-the-counter drugs, up to a 25 percent use level.
Jill says: Zinc Oxide’s (EU) primary function as a food ingredient is as a dietary supplement. It provides vital zinc fortification for humans and animals. When used as a supplement, it can aid in metabolic functions, supporting immunity and normal cognitive function as well as maintain growth and healing when consumed at normal levels. You will find it used in dairy products, baked goods and cereals, but it can also be added to powdered supplement blends and capsules.
Oatmeal:
Priscilla says: Oatmeal (EU) is a popular abrasive in facial care products, most notably in facial scrubs and cleansers. It is also frequently used as an absorbent in cosmetics and body/facial powders for its oil absorbing benefits.
Jill says: Oatmeal (EU) is a functional food that offers soluble fiber to help lower cholesterol, thus helping to reduce cardiovascular disease. Oats have absorptive and pasting properties from their water binding capacity and are excellent bulking agents.
Use these examples of cross-category ingredients as a reminder that the same ingredient can deliver a completely different benefit specific to the industry using it. It’s important to be inspired to venture outside of your industry as you consider raw materials for your innovative applications!
Food Product Resources – North America
CONNOils Olive Oils
Dutch Organic International Trade Olive Oils
Foodchem International Corporation – Distilled Glycerin Monostearate
A.M. Todd Botanical Therapeutics Spirulina Extract, Natural (Organic Compliant)
Jost Chemical Co. – Jostcote® Microencapsulated Zinc Oxide 50%
American International Chemical – Zinc Oxide USP FCC
Dutch Organic International Trade Oat Product Line
Food Product Resources – Europe
A.M. Todd Botanical Therapeutics – Spirulina Extract, Natural (Organic Compliant)
Dutch Organic International Trade Oat Product Line
Personal Care Product Resources – North America
Koster Keunen, Inc – 100% Organic Certified Beeswax (#436P)
Elementis Specialities – FANCOL® CB
Charkit – Colloidal Oatmeal
Croda, Inc – Cropure™ Olive
Active organics – Actiphyte® of Spirulina
Personal Care Product Resources – Europe
Koster Keunen, Inc – Organic Certified Beeswax #401P
Elementis Specialities – FANCOL® CB
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