More on CO2 Totals

[Guest guest]

The first contact of mine has kindly sent me a load of pages from the

technical book he wrote on CO2 extraction. He is a manager at one of

the worlds biggest flavour and fragrance companies so I won't name

him for fear of causing him problems. These big companies do not

like their staff giving information away! There is another

individual I know who works in a CO2 extraction facility, will keep

you posted when I get his reply.

 

His response is below:

-----------

Dear Martin,

 

CO2 Totals: What are they?

 

As far as I am concerned, CO2 totals are like oleoresins, so are best

suited to foods, not skin care products.

 

The selective CO2 extracts work well in toothpaste and in fragrances

so long as known skin irritants are avoided, eg Pepper CO2 needs to

be fractionated to remove any piperine.

 

Regards D

-----------

The extensive technical information in his book is all about how

these extracts are used by the food trade. Only minute volumes are

used as food flavours, hundreds of times less than are used in

cosmetics. I know these CO2 extracts are used by the fine perfumes

trade, but again only minute volumes are used.

 

" The compounds responsible for aroma, flavour and taste, are soluble

in liquid CO2. CO2 also extracts some unwanted compounds. "

My note: Please read the last part carefully!

 

" Commercial CO2 is obtained as a by-product of fermentation

processes, so this solvent does not add to the ozone layer. "

 

So in conclusion, I am still none the wiser as to what this term

means in the USA and I even wonder if the wholesalers know. Perhaps

someone could ask them exactly what they are selling to aromatherapy

suppliers.

 

I personally love CO2 extracts, but I would never use them on the

skin unless they are ones that have been tested for safety and there

are very few of those.

 

Martin Watt

http://www.aromamedical.com

[Guest guest]

, " aromamedical2003 "

<aromamedical-2@l...> wrote:

>

> His response is below:

 

> As far as I am concerned, CO2 totals are like oleoresins, so are

best suited to foods, not skin care products.

>

> The selective CO2 extracts work well in toothpaste and in fragrances

> so long as known skin irritants are avoided, eg Pepper CO2 needs to

> be fractionated to remove any piperine.

 

Hi Martin:

Thanks for sharing this, and thank your friend for being so sneakily

helpful ;-)

 

I just checked Plant Aromatics -- you don't include pepper EO. I have

used tiny amounts (less than 0.5% in some blends), and thought it was

so widely touted in AT that it was " safe " . I make pain relief oils

with herbal oils and EOs, but I have never reached for the " warming "

oils, so pepper was never in the blend. What is your opinion on pepper

(glad your friend used this as an example, since it sparked another

discussion.)

 

Still clapping my hands a bit he rec's fragrance -- albeith with

safety warnings.

 

> " The compounds responsible for aroma, flavour and taste, are soluble

> in liquid CO2. CO2 also extracts some unwanted compounds. "

> My note: Please read the last part carefully!

>

> " Commercial CO2 is obtained as a by-product of fermentation

> processes, so this solvent does not add to the ozone layer. "

 

You also mention that the select CO2s are preferable, since they know

what stage of the process to manipulate to eliminate the unwanted

compounds. So why are people producing totals? Soley for the perfumery

trade?

 

> So in conclusion, I am still none the wiser as to what this term

> means in the USA and I even wonder if the wholesalers know. Perhaps

> someone could ask them exactly what they are selling to aromatherapy

> suppliers.

 

Yes

 

>

> I personally love CO2 extracts, but I would never use them on the

> skin unless they are ones that have been tested for safety and there

> are very few of those.

 

Can you share which ones? Also, you know I'm more into perfumery now

than AT. Which means tiny amounts of aromatics are applied on a tiny

part of the body (not speaking of lotions, balms, etc., just liquid of

little dabs of solid perfume.) Is IFRA looking into CO2s for this

purpose, or can you share your ideas on the extremely limited

perfumery applications? you know I'm hoping for a positive response ;-)

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