Plastic/Rubber & Essential Oils ** Cosmetic usage

[Guest guest]

Hi Kat, Vicki, Baz .. other good folks ..

 

> For essential oils, dark glass is usually best as the oils can break

> down the plastic (and therefore wreck the oil as well); also, light

> exposure can break down the oils' properties.

 

Correct on both counts. What is happening when essential oils come into

contact with plastic/rubber is the molecules of the plastic/rubber begin

to leach into the EO. And light does cause photochemical changes in any

substance composed of chemicals .. come to think on it there are not

many things out there that aren't chemical based. The third problem is

oxygen .. chemical oxidation is a potential problem when essential oils.

are exposed to oxygen.

 

We are chemicals and two of the things we need to sustain life makes us

age .. light and oxygen. Light and oxygen have a similar affect on

other chemicals but they don't need light and oxygen to survive.

 

Its been like 250 years or so since patented or commercial medications

came on the scene .. but glass has been produced since around 3,500 BC

to protect whatever they used as healing remedies in those days .. and

the preferred colors then were dark VIOLET/PURPLE and GOLD .. leastways

that's the way its stated in some history texts. There's a good chance

the ancients knew their potions needed protection .. maybe didn't know

exactly why but they knew they did.

 

UV rays are potent and stopped by few things, including clothing and

clouds. The worst sunburns can occur on cloudy days when UV rays

reflect off the clouds and sunbathers get a double dose. Another issue

is electro-magnetic radiation or pulse .. electromagnetic radiation in

many areas of the spectrum will cause molecules to ionize and that

results in fragmentation .. a breakdown or change of their identity.

This will occur faster if the oil is colored to begin with .. the color

itself is an indication that there are molecular electronic transitions

taking place in the visible range of our eyes .. i.e. blue oils.

 

The degree of protection from the various types of UV light runs in a

pattern of the colors of the spectrum .. the least protection is clear.

Then it runs through red, orange, yellow, blue and indigo with the most

protection coming from violet .. the end of the spectrum.

 

This is a commercial site but it includes the data Miron has put out on

the subject http://www.luminanti.com/mironvioletglass.html I have no

financial interests in that site .. though I do use Miron Violet but I

buy them direct from the manufacturer by the pallet load..

 

> Now, whether all of this applies to things like lotions with EO's in

> them...I don't know.

 

I'm gonna guess. I think that IF the container used to hold any potion

containing a volatile oil CAN leach molecules then it will .. and the

degree or speed of that leaching will depend on the essential oil. If

one tries to bottle Backhousia citriodora (Lemon Myrtle) in a bottle

with the normal caps used by most folks, in a short period of time the

cap will start to get mushy .. like its melting. We must use phenolic

caps with this one. Its actually best to use them with all EO.

 

If you purchase some of the ready-made Oregano/Olive Oil mixes sold by

some folks today you'll find a rubber squeeze dropper in it. Many of

the folks selling this know that the rubber dropper will become gummy in

a short time (at least one does .. he's a medical doctor) so I wonder

about their motives. Oregano will begin to soften rubber in a matter of

hours .. not days.

 

> Another sort of related question I was just reminded...is ALL plastic

> bad with EO's, or is PET type plastic okay? I figured all plastic was

> bad, but someone else I know thought PET wouldn't be so bad for them.

> -Kat

 

Good question and one that I haven't decided on. As far as I know, the

jury is still out on this. But I won't use PET for essential oils. I

know that cosmetic makers have their own unique requirements so I reckon

they just have to do more research or take their chances .. and I reckon

that the essential oils used in cosmetics will not be as harsh as many

of those we use for other purposes. Still .. I suspect there has to be

some leaching.

 

While we're on this lemme touch on Hydrosols. I would not use anything

except glass for long-term storage .. but when folks buy gallons we are

forced to provide them in Food Industry Approved plastic jugs. The cost

of glass gallon jugs is just TOOOOO high and TOOOO heavy to ship. Smart

folks I've discussed this with (including professors of chemistry and

food engineers) swear that these jugs are safe for Hydrosols. Still, I

would not use them for long term storage.

 

Y'all keep smiling, Butch http://www.AV-AT.com