A couple of weeks ago I wrote about some of the basic ingredients that you will need to get started on your aromatherapy/skincare project.  However, if you are learning to make your own aromatherapy and skincare products, you will not only need to know which basic ingredients to use, but you also need to know what to look for in the quality and type of ingredients that you will be using.  Here’s a few tips that I have picked up along the way!

Quality of Aromatherapy Ingredients to Use in Cosmetic Making

Quality is a word that comes up frequently with regard to aromatherapy products, partly because aromatherapy is an unregulated industry.  Quality of essential oils is a much wider subject area than the scope of this post and is a subject that I have touched upon in other blog posts, such as this one.  Put simply, establish a good relationship with a quality provider of essential oils and know your essential oils (and what questions to ask your supplier to establish their authenticity) before you buy.  Even better, get a recommendation from someone you trust!  Apply the same theory to vegetable oils that you use in aromatherapy and cosmetic product making.

As for some of the other basic ingredients used in making aromatherapy and cosmetic products, you have to look at the type of ingredient that you are choosing first.

Type of Ingredients for Aromatherapy and Cosmetic Product Making

These are some of the basic ingredients that I mentioned in my post a few weeks ago:

• cocoa butter – for the best finished product, choose an unrefined cocoa butter over an unrefined cocoa butter; unrefined means that the product has not undergo a series of procedures that may have removed some of its therapeutic properties.  In addition, choose organic (where possible) over unorganic as, again, this means the product has not been subjected to some outside influences/factors such as pesticides and other chemicals.  You might also want to look for Fair Trade cocoa butter; to learn more about Fair Trade products, read this article.
• beeswax- beeswax is a natural product that comes from bees.  The color of beeswax varies, depending on the geographical area in which it is produced, but in general it is a yellow, waxy substance. Some suppliers “whiten” beeswax to make it more aesthetically appealing in cosmetic products, so if you are after a “pure” product, bear this in mind. You also might want to look for organic beeswax, although it is priced a little higher than regular beeswax.
• sugars and salts – although, in theory, you can use salts and sugars that you find in your kitchen cupboard to make aromatherapy sugar scrubs and bath salts, you might want to buy specific salts and sugars for your cosmetic products.  These include Epsom salts, Himalayan salts and turbinado sugar.  Again, educate yourself on your product before choosing a supplier.

Suppliers for Aromatherapy and Cosmetic Making Ingredients

There are many, many suppliers out there who supply ingredients for aromatherapy and cosmetic making products.  I have tried several suppliers for my own aromatherapy products and sometimes the only way to figure out what works for you is to actually try the product.  However, I have found that suppliers who supply you with a great description, photo and information on their products (along with the legal nomenclature) usually offer quality products.  In addition, asking a question about a  particular product (either by phone or e-mail) can give you some indication of their service, experience and quality of product.  Some suppliers have not only got back to me in record time but supplied me with additional helpful information (even if they didn’t have exactly what I was looking for) which indicated to me that they had both experience and professionalism in their area.

You might also want to take into account the type of packaging that you are going to put your cosmetic products into; for example, is recyclable/Earth friendly important to you?  If so, there are suppliers out there who can fulfil your needs.

Good luck with your search for quality aromatherapy and cosmetic making ingredients from reputable suppliers!  And if you have a tip, please leave it in the comment box below! 🙂

The Sedona Aromatherapie Make-Your-Own Products Kits

If you are interested in making your own aromatherapy products but are not sure where to start, you might be interested in the Sedona Aromatherapie Make-Your-Own Products Kits which include all of the basic ingredients (plus comprehensive instructions) for making your own body butters, lip balms, sugar scrubs, bath salts and candles.

The Make-Your-Own Products Kits are available in the Sedona Aromatherapie webstore priced at $24.95 each (plus shipping).