Word Rant Wednesday: Isolates

So far for Word Rant Wednesday I've gone over the challenge with terms like natural/botanical and bee keeper. The word we are going to take a closer look at today is one used in the food and flavoring industries that spills into perfume and body care: isolates.

There are two types of isolate molecules, the first one has been "isolated" from the source material like geraniol from geranium, usually utilizing some type of fractional distillation.  The second, and most prevalent, are isolated molecules which have been recreated in a lab, "patented" and then sold as natural and organic, even if the source material is not from nature and contains GMO's.

As I've shared in the history portion of my classes on aromatherapy and botanical perfume how modern medicine, in its current format, was created by men with an agenda to promote their patented pharmaceutical drugs instead of the wise woman path of plants. For example aspirin instead of white willow bark or the removal of an organ from the body instead of working with the patient to change on dietary and lifestyle changes are two excellent examples.

By using isolates in perfume and body care companies and niche, natural & botanical perfumers, are able to pump up certain types of scents in the products easily and cheaply. Thus the company creating the components and the user are mutually benefitting. The planet and sensitive human beings are the ones who lose because these lab created chemicals are not harmonious with creating the terrain of healthy microbes we ideally need to be cultivating.

Why not just use the first type of isolates, those derived via fractional distillation? Good question, the challenge is two fold, first of all isolates are not whole and thus do not contain the entire spectrum of nature in all her wisdom. Secondly when sourcing these isolated molecules it is know if the component is actually derived exclusively from an essential oil or one of the second type, which is being sold under the guise of natural & organic.

How do you know if your using essential oils that contain isolates? Avoid conglomerates, many located in New Jersey, that sell both synthetic and natural aroma chemicals. Ask your essential oil supplier lots of questions and demand clear and concise answers.

Many companies we normally associate with green beauty like Weleda use isolates to fragrance their products, mainly because of industry requirements. In the field of natural perfume the secondary group of lab created isolates have become somewhat "in" to easily boost a note by using a single molecule. Recently I was about to order Citron essential oil that I had assumed was whole since it was listed as an essential oil with a country of origin. To my surprise, the supplier warned me against it since he knew I was very specific about not wanting any essences that contain isolates. Citron is a yellow, lumpy skinned fruit with a sweet, tangy green and floral notes. For now I'll be sticking with Bergamot instead of Citron or a chord with Lemon, Bergamot and a few others to continue on the path of formulating complex, authentic, botanical perfumes without compromising on ingredients.

If I wanted to get really fringe science with you, sorta Phillip K. Dick / sci-fi realm, we could contemplate the idea of the conglomerates mimicking nature and then wiping her out so that they would hold the patent on all life forms, but that would be a little over the top, right? Let's instead smell some heirloom roses and pretend I never implied such a crazy idea.

Read more about what is happening with isolates in this article from Cosmetics Design.

Text, imagery and photos © Roxana Villa

Word Rant Wednesday: Natural

This weeks word rant spotted in the media and elsewhere includes linguistic associated with perfume brands that DO NOT use whole, plant material in their formulations even though the descriptives make it sound like they do. It makes my job oh soooo very difficult, you have no idea.

The other big reveal, which I complain about often, is that almost in every case, labs create their products and perfume labs don't use whole essential oils, they use isolates which sometimes are synthetic, natural or a mix. One needs to be part detective and wordsmith to see beyond the (veil) marketing.

For example these are the ingredients on one "botanical" perfume being sold as "... exclusively crafted with an abundance of 100% natural .... known to be the purest and most precious in the world." You be the judge....

Jojoba oil: Simmondsia chinensis oil

Proprietary blend: citrus limon (lemon) fruit extract, juniperus mexicana oil, cupressus sempervirens leaf/nut/stem oil, citrus nobilis (mandarin orange) fruit extract, cananga odorata flower oil, dipteryx odorata (cumaru) bean extract, rosa centifolia flower extract, iris florentina root extract, carum carvi (caraway) seed oil, pogostemon cablin oil

(FYI: juniperus mexicana oil is Juniper, cupressus sempervirens leaf/nut/stem oil is a Mediterranean Cypress, cananga odorata flower oil is Ylang Ylang, rosa centifolia flower extract is Rose, iris florentina root extract is Orris and pogostemon cablin oil is Patchouli)

Cera bellina: Polyglycerol-3 beeswax
Hydrogenated jojoba oil (jojoba esters)
Beeswax: Cera alba
Shea butter: Butyrospermum parkii butter
Candelilla wax: Euphorbia cerifera,
Carnauba wax: Copernicia prunifera
Dimethicone, Magnesium stearate

It seems to me if you want to use the most precious materials in the world one would use organic, local beeswax, instead of bulking up with additives like:

Cera bellina: Polyglycerol-3 beeswax
Candelilla wax: Euphorbia cerifera
Carnauba wax: Copernicia prunifera (a palm which only occurs in the northeastern states of Brazil)
Dimethicone: Magnesium stearate

More words being used by big brands touting "natural perfume"...

True Nature
Organic formulator
Biodegradable
Certified organic perfume
Spiritual and agricultural sensitivity
Naturally....Natural fragrance
Botanical Essence
Health conscious
Sustainably sourced natural ingredients

and a few of the latest (2020):

100% Natural Derived
Plant Based Perfume Made From 100% Plant and Flower Materials
Beyond Clean

Conclusion, words mean nothing. In some cases only a small amount (2-10%) of synthetic aroma chemicals are added to formulations to increase longevity or ramp up the volume on a perfume, thus giving the company the ability to use the words above.

Edited: July 2020