Lipids Decoded

Botanical Oil Chemistry for

Skincare & Formulating

With botanical oils taking over the skincare and beauty industry, new opportunities are everywhere!

And, while botanical oils might be the current darling, pushing essential oils off too the sidelines, this is far more than an trend. 

It is a movement. 

Skincare professionals, formulators, and individuals are looking for a natural, nourishing and healing approach to skincare. 

Botanical oils, or lipids as we call them in our world, give us all of this and more. 

What are they? 

Rich, nourishing, healing fatty compounds cold pressed from plant seeds and fatty fruits. 

Nature is abundant and varied and any study in the lipid oils will be just as varied and abundant.

Every plant that produces seeds can, in theory, produce a unique skincare oil. 

And people around the world are turning theory into reality by sourcing, harvesting and pressing a growing variety of seeds. 

A few new ones that have come across our research table...

Pineapple seed oil (it smells ever so slightly of pineapples!), kiwi seed oil (BENEFIT), prickly pear seed oil from the tuna fruit of the prickly pear cactus (brightening, high in vitamin E), pracaxi oil (protective and helps minimize hyperpigmentation. 

There is an increasing demand for oil only, or waterless skincare.

And that creates a rich opportunity for innovation and a chance to stand out in the skincare space. 

Whether you are building a skincare line around a single oil like argan, plum kernel or marula, or you are developing a face or body care line, working closely with botanical lipid oils is the key to creating exceptional formulas and standing apart. 

There is a growing market for thoughtfully created skincare centered around botanical lipid oils

Oil-only skincare, anhydrous skincare the name varies but the purpose is the same.

To create high-quality skincare by tapping the rich plant compounds in lipid oils.

For a long time the lipid oils were pushed into a dusty corner under the misused term ‘carrier’ oil.

And for a long time, these oils were simply used as carriers for sexy-sounding ingredients like essential oils. 

But that is changing and fast!

As people increasingly develop sensitivities to the overuse of essential oils more and more we are seeing brands advertising ‘clean’ formulas free of preservatives and essential oils.

The oils that once simply ‘carried’ other ingredients are taking their rightful place in the spotlight!

As people increasingly develop sensitivities essential oils we are seeing more brands advertising ‘clean’ formulas free essential oils.

 Rich in fatty acids and antioxidants, pure botanical lipid oils don’t need to be carried.

They stand on their own, effective, nourishing, healing, protective and restorative.

And when asked, they will hold up the other ingredients in your formula with ease and grace.

Creating a base for facial and body creams, lotions, cream cleansers and masks, and carrying essential oils by creating a safe, nourishing foundation.

These are the botanical or lipid oils, formally known as ‘carrier’.

170 and counting

More and more oils are becoming available.

From the very rare and still hard to find like pineapple seed oil (it actually smells faintly of pineapples!), basil seed oil, strawberry seed oil and pine nut oil.

To the oils that shape our lives in the kitchen and in skincare, oils like olive, grapeseed, rosehip, argan, sesame and almond oils.

Lipids Decoded is your guide to unlocking the potential in lipid oils so that you can develop effective formulas and guide your customers and clients in their skincare journey.

This program was developed for formulators, skincare professionals and people who want to work with and understand the lipid oils on a deeper level than simply as ‘carriers’.

The Program is comprised of five main parts: 

Fatty acid chemistry - so that you can confidently combine oils for specific skin results

Botanical families - to create a framework for experimenting, substituting and finding new oils to work with

Geography - where we find patterns in climate, growing regions and the structure of fatty acids that you can use as a guide for your next project

Unsaponifiables - the small but potent non-fatty acid part of all botanical oils made up of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and other plant compounds

Science of Oils & Skin - each fatty acid affects the skin differently depending on the results you want and the skin condition you are working with.

Lipids Decoded guides you through the core lessons in chemistry to help you work confidently and effectively with botanical lipid oils.

Lipids Decoded guides you through the core lessons in chemistry to help you work confidently and effectively with botanical lipid oils

 But the chemistry lessons are not dry and boring like they were in high school (oops was that just me?…)

Each lesson in the chemistry section is designed to build your skills so that you can progress from no chemistry to lipid oil expert in just a few short weeks.

Visual props, graphics and Susan's unique way of teaching the chemistry of fatty acids has helped hundreds of students who didn’t think they could ‘get’ the chemistry part find understanding and confidence.

And if you have chemistry in your toolbox already, these lessons will give you visual aids and a new way of looking at fatty acids.