with marking "natural", is in invariable demand for the consumers caring about the health, not accepting nothing chemical and synthetic. Thanks to the thought-over marketing company and advertizing stamps many people stay in full confidence that cosmetics on natural basis should not contain artificial components.
Actually it far not so, absolute natural cosmetic it is possible to meet only in advanced beauty shops now. Here natural cosmetics is made in very small amounts for immediate application. As in it there are no preservatives, it is stored not for long, and it there are definitely no shops, off-the-shelf on counters.
The cosmetics on the basis of natural components having long period of storage which are off-the-shelf are produced with use of preservatives. From them the most natural are means in which as preservatives plant extracts of essential oil or alcohol are used. The period of storage of such cosmetics, as a rule, does not exceed 6 months, is stored they have to at strict observance of certain rules.
Emulsion and emulsifiers
The water-in-oil emulsion of various consistences is basis of the majority of cosmetics. Owing to natural properties, interaction of water with fat, any cosmetic cannot be used without emulsifier. In usual cosmetics add the substances giving to cosmetic color, smell, density and stability to emulsifier. In absolutely natural cosmetics all these components have to have natural origin. But natural emulsifiers, as well as preservatives, have no sufficient efficiency and are the salutary environment for reproduction of various bacteria. Therefore for possibility of use of natural emulsion reliable preservatives besides are required. Now the most natural cosmetic emulsifier are phospholipids on the basis of which receive so-called lamellar emulsion.
Oils and other components
One more irreplaceable component of cosmetic products are various oils which can be, both vegetable, and synthetic. Here advantage, certainly, remains behind biologically active natural vegetable oils that is confirmed by both laboratory researches, and long experience of traditional medicine. But cosmetics produced on the basis of the vegetable fats which have not undergone processing without use of additional components has no necessary consistence and structure, leaves greasy luster and is quite badly absorbed. Besides as a result of oxidation to which vegetable oils easily give in they can turn into peroxide of oil hazardous to health. The vegetable polymers produced by microorganisms are used in natural cosmetics as thickeners. Natural essential oils are used as fragrances. From all aforesaid it is possible to draw conclusion that all components can be really natural. However, owing to technical complexity of process and big financial expenses, cosmetics which is completely consisting only of natural components is not done by any producer. Natural emulsifiers are very expensive and have no sufficient stability, the natural emulsion is too fat and is badly absorbed, other components also demand additional processing. Therefore technologists should combine natural components with synthetic that allows to make safe, qualitative and externally attractive cosmetic product. Completely natural component in this type of cosmetics is only the extracts of nutrients received from plants. But also here in the course of extraction, solvents – alcohols or propylene glycol are used. Summing up the result, one may say, that completely natural cosmetics does not exist. It is necessary to understand the technological process allowing to combine most qualitatively natural natural components with artificial as this phrase.