Natural Plant Oils & Butters

Castor Oil

Unique amongst oils, castor oil is composed primarily (90%) of ricinoleic fatty acids. It is a viscous, emollient oil that makes skin feel smooth and moisturized. When used in soap, castor oil adds fluffiness and conditioning to the lather. When used in lip balms, it adds a glossy sheen that makes your lips look slightly fuller.

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter is the pure vegetable fat that is extracted from the cocoa bean. It is primarily used in the making of chocolate, but brings many unique and luscious qualities to the production of skin care. It is high in antioxidants and has a melting point right at skin temperature, although the butter itself is very brittle. Creamy and emollient, cocoa butter is added to our lip balms and sugar scrubs for its creamy texture and skin-softening capabilities.

Coconut Oil

Extracted from the meat or kernel of coconut fruits, coconut oil is a versatile oil in skin care. When used in the making of our soaps, coconut oil not only hardens the bars over time to make them longer-lasting, but it also increases the lather substantially so that our bars produce big, cleansing bubbles. As a creamy addiction to our lip balms and scrubs, it adds firmness and smoothes out the texture while softening your skin.

Coconut Oil- Fractionated

Fractionated coconut oil is created by removing the long-chain fatty acids from regular coconut oil, making it liquid at room temperature instead of solid. Often referred to as "FCO," this oil is extremely light weight and a favorite of massage therapists. It is very mild and conditioning, and sinks into the skin easily without leaving a greasy barrier behind. At Blushie, we use this wonderful oil as the main carrier for our carefully blended perfumes, and also as an additional moisturizer in both our lip balms and scrubs.

Olive Oil

A classical skincare oil that needs no introduction, olive oil is high in oleic acid and antioxidants such as vitamin E and carotenoids. When used in soap, olive oil is one of the most conditioning oils available. It increases the moisturizing properties of the bar while adding and underlying texture of creaminess and smaller, gentler bubbles to the lather. As an ingredient in Blushie's scrubs and lip balms, olive oil dramatically ups the moisturizing quality of both products while adding a smooth, silky feel.

Palm Oil

A complex, creamy vegetable oil, palm is indispensable in soap-making. It is produced from oil palm trees (different than the coconut palms) and has a very high content of saturated fatty acids. Recently, it is being used in the production of biodiesel fuel, increasing the demand. As the need for the oil grows, some unscrupulous producers have undergone slash and burn style harvesting tactics that endanger the orangutan's natural habitat. Fortunately, there are still many fair-trade farms producing ethically grown and harvested palm oil, and Blushie makes certain to only purchase from these fair and honest growers. In soap, palm oil is essential as it both hardens the bar to make it longer-lasting, and stabilizes the lather by providing medium sized, creamy bubbles. In scrubs palm oil adds a decadent, creamy feel and staying power to lip balms.

Safflower Oil

Produced from the gorgeous, sunny yellow blooms of the safflower plant, it is a pale, soothing oil high in oleic fatty acids, though not quite so high as olive oil. When used in soap-making, safflower oil adds a smooth, glassy feel to the soap bar, making it feel comfortable in your hand and able to slide over your skin without any drag.

Shea Butter

Similar to palm oil with its creamy texture, shea butter is produced from the seeds of the African Karite Tree. It melts at about skin temperature, and has high levels of vitamins E, A and D. Shea penetrates the skin easily and is a renown skin protectant, a perfect addition to lip balms.