Fractionated Coconut Oil vs Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides (CCT)

Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO) and Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides (CCT) are often confused or used interchangeably in the marketplace, but they are not exactly the same.

Here's a detailed explanation of the differences:

Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO)

• Composition: Fractionated coconut oil is derived from regular coconut oil through a process called fractionation. This process involves removing the long-chain fatty acids (such as lauric acid, C12) from the oil, leaving behind only the short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids. The resulting product is a liquid oil at room temperature that typically contains a mixture of short-chain triglycerides (C6, C8) and medium-chain triglycerides (C10, C12).

• Fatty Acid Profile: FCO retains a broader range of fatty acids compared to Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, including both short-chain and medium-chain triglycerides.

• INCI Name: The INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) name for fractionated coconut oil is often listed simply as "Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil."

• Applications: FCO is widely used in skincare, haircare, and personal care products due to its lightweight, non-greasy feel and good absorption properties. It has moisturizing and emollient benefits but may contain a broader range of fatty acids that can contribute to a different feel and functionality in formulations.

  
  

Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides (CCT)

• Composition: CCT is a more refined product derived specifically from the medium-chain triglycerides found in coconut oil. It consists of only caprylic acid (C8) and capric acid (C10) triglycerides, which are medium-chain fatty acids. During the manufacturing process, these two specific fatty acids are isolated and combined with glycerol, resulting in a pure and consistent triglyceride product.

• Fatty Acid Profile: CCT contains only the medium-chain fatty acids caprylic acid (C8) and capric acid (C10), making it a highly stable and lightweight oil.

• INCI Name: The INCI name for Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides is "Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride."

• Applications: CCT is commonly used in cosmetic formulations where a very light, non-greasy, and fast-absorbing oil is desired. It is often chosen for its stability and long shelf life, making it ideal for sensitive skin and products aimed at minimizing potential triggers for conditions like fungal acne.

  
  

Key Differences

• Composition: FCO contains a broader range of fatty acids, including short-chain, medium-chain, and possibly trace amounts of long-chain triglycerides, whereas CCT is a highly purified product containing only the medium-chain fatty acids (C8 and C10).

• Texture and Absorption: CCT is lighter and absorbs more quickly than FCO due to its more refined composition. FCO, while still light, may feel slightly heavier on the skin because of its broader fatty acid profile.

• Stability and Shelf Life: CCT is more stable and has a longer shelf life compared to FCO, which may still contain components that are prone to oxidation.

• Fungal Acne Considerations: For those concerned with fungal acne, CCT is generally a safer choice because it lacks the broader range of fatty acids that could potentially feed the fungus. FCO, with its more varied composition, might still contain components that could exacerbate fungal acne.

While Fractionated Coconut Oil and Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides are derived from coconut oil, they are not the same. FCO is a broader product with a mixture of short- and medium-chain triglycerides, while CCT is a purified form consisting solely of the medium-chain fatty acids caprylic (C8) and capric (C10). This distinction is particularly important for those formulating for sensitive skin or fungal acne, where the pure composition of CCT may be more beneficial. Despite these differences, in many formulations, the choice between the two may not significantly impact the final product, unless specific skin concerns are being addressed.

Cocoa Butter Alternatives

Let's talk about one of my all-time favorite ingredients: cocoa butter! I absolutely adore the rich, natural aroma of raw cocoa butter and the way it enhances some of my most cherished formulations. However, I've always had a bit of a challenge with fragrances—working with them often leaves me with migraines. That's why you’ll find that many of my facial products are fragrance-free. For those of us who love the scent of raw cocoa, it's a treat, but I know that not everyone feels the same. Some prefer refined cocoa butter to avoid its strong natural fragrance.

But let’s face it—cocoa butter has become incredibly expensive lately. The price has skyrocketed everywhere, and here in Canada, it's now $93.99 per pound! Yikes! For the past ten years, I’ve sourced most of my carrier oils, butters, and essential oils from New Directions Aromatics, and I’ve always been impressed with the quality of their raw materials and their fair pricing. Unfortunately, even they have had to raise prices due to market conditions.

So, why has the cost of cocoa butter increased so dramatically? The answer is multifaceted, but a significant factor is that the majority of the world’s cocoa butter supply comes from West Africa. Recently, extreme weather conditions have led to failing crops, resulting in shortages and, consequently, higher prices.

In these times, with small businesses operating on tighter profit margins, it's crucial to explore alternative options for cocoa butter. In this post, I’ll delve into some research on this issue, discuss the impact on businesses like ours, and suggest potential substitutions that can help you maintain the quality of your products without breaking the bank.

First, let's cover some details about Cocoa Butter!

Name: Cocoa ButterDescription:Cocoa butter, extracted from the seeds of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), is a rich and luxurious botanical butter, highly valued in cosmetic formulations for its moisturizing and nourishing properties. It is obtained from cocoa beans through pressing and refining processes.

Celebrated for its emollient and skin-softening qualities, cocoa butter is a natural source of healthy fats, including oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid. These fatty acids create a protective barrier on the skin, locking in moisture and preventing water loss, which helps maintain hydrated and supple skin.

Cocoa butter also contains antioxidants like flavonoids and polyphenols, which protect the skin from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. This protection can help delay the signs of aging, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and promote a more youthful complexion.

Beyond its moisturizing and antioxidant benefits, cocoa butter has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, making it effective for calming irritated or inflamed skin. It can alleviate dryness, itchiness, and redness associated with conditions such as eczema and dermatitis.

Comedogenic Rating: 4 (this isn't major, despite what a lot of misinformation online leads DIYers to believe. I will cover this in-depth in future Patreon posts)

Skin Types Best Suited For: Body Products, Mature Skin, Eczema, Psoriasis

Absorption: Medium-Slow Melting Point:  34-38cFatty Acid Profile: Palmitic Acid 25%, Stearic Acid 37%, Oleic Acid 34%, Linoleic Acid 3%

Now let's go over some Cosmetic Butter substitutes, I will then provide other forms of substitutes for everyone to consider!

Cosmetic Butter Substitutes:

Kokum Butter is a great Cocoa Butter substitute. It is a harder butter with similar properties. It can be substituted at an equal %. Melting Point: 37-40c

Illipe Butter has similar properties to Cocoa Butter but has a higher melting point. If you are making anhydrous products, higher melting point butters can help to slightly prolong the melting time of your product. Melting Point: 37-42c

Cupuacu Butter is a softer butter but is rich in stearic and oleic acids making it another substitute for Cocoa Butter. If you are making an emulsified product, you could substitute at equal % however with an anhydrous product you will notice quite a difference in the overall texture of your finished product. I will get into options you have to create firmness in your anhydrous products later in the post. Melting Point:  30-35c

Note:  While there are a few other butter options, all of them are more expensive than cocoa butter currently is which defeats the purpose of substituting.

Now let's go over ways to thicken or harden your anhydrous products:

Definition of an Anhydrous Product:  An anhydrous cosmetic product is a type of formulation that does not contain any water. These products are made up of oils, butters, waxes, and other oil soluble raw materials.

Anhydrous Product Capabilities:  Anhydrous products, while excellent for protecting the skin and locking in moisture, do not hydrate the skin on their own. This is because they lack water, which is essential for directly adding moisture to the skin. Instead, anhydrous products are composed of oils, butters, and waxes, which form a protective barrier on the skin's surface.

When used on their own, especially over an extended period, anhydrous products can actually lead to dryness. This happens because, although they seal the skin, they don't provide any water to replenish moisture levels. Without adequate hydration from water or water-based products, the skin can become dehydrated, leading to dryness and a compromised skin barrier.

However, anhydrous products are highly effective when used in combination with water-based products. When applied over a hydrating product like a toner, serum, or moisturizer, they help to lock in the moisture provided by those products. By forming a barrier on the skin, anhydrous products help prevent Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL), which is the evaporation of water from the skin's surface. This barrier effect helps to maintain the skin's hydration levels, keeping it soft, supple, and protected.

Common Uses of Cocoa Butter in Anhydrous Products: Cocoa Butter is commonly used in anhydrous products to thicken or harden a formulation, while providing fantastic skin benefits.

What You Can Use Instead: There are plenty of options available (Yay!). Many of the alternatives I’ll list are not only more affordable but also offer substantial prolonged melting times for your anhydrous products, along with some fantastic skin benefits. These options are often overlooked by homecrafters, so I’m excited to share them with you.

Substitutions Based On Product Type:

Anhydrous Body Butters:  Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Non-Ionic Emulsifiers (Emulsifying Wax NF, Polawax, OliveM1000), Cationic Emulsifer (BTMS50), Cetyl Esters, Jojoba Esters, Oliwax, Montanov L.

Emulsifiers in Anhydrous Body Butters:

When making an anhydrous butter you can opt to use a softer more affordable butter, like Refined Shea Butter, with a combination of carrier oils and use a thickener or emulsifier to give it some added texture, skin benefits and prolong it's melting time! You do not need to add water to a product to use an emulsifier. The above mentioned emulsifiers are oil-soluble and will work perfectly in your anhydrous body butters. You would use them at a much lower rate than you would a hard butter. Depending on your formulation and finished product desire, you would generally use an emulsifier at anywhere from 1-10%

Thickeners in Anhydrous Body Butters:  Thickeners (Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol) work well in anhydrous body butter formulations. Providing similar benefits as emulsifers do (in anhydrous formulas only, this is not a general rule! Things change once water is added). Again, depending on your formulation and desired outcome, you could use a thickener anywhere from 1 - 6%.

Esters in cosmetic formulations are synthetic or naturally-derived compounds formed by the reaction of an alcohol and a fatty acid. They are used to enhance the texture, stability, and performance of various cosmetic products.

Cetyl Esters, for example, is a waxy mixture primarily composed of esters of saturated fatty alcohols and saturated fatty acids. It is used in both emulsions and anhydrous products to provide a lubricious feel and a soft gloss. In formulations such as creams, lotions, and ointments, cetyl esters act as a stiffening agent and emollient, contributing to increased viscosity and improved stability. These esters help to achieve a desirable texture and enhance the overall sensory experience of the product.

Substituting Cocoa Butter in Emulsions: You can substitute cocoa butter for another butter of your choice, at the same % in an emulsion. Hard butters like cocoa butter should never be used to thicken an emulsion ( I have explained in depth the reason why in previous posts).

Substituting Cocoa Butter in Balms: When substituting cocoa butter in balms, you can opt for another cosmetic butter, such as kokum butter. The percentage of the substitute will depend on the specific butter you choose and the desired characteristics of your final product. You may need to experiment with different amounts to achieve the right texture and consistency. Additionally, depending on your overall formulation, you might need to adjust the quantity of waxes to ensure that the final product matches the original cocoa butter formulation in terms of texture and performance.

I am looking forward to creating other educational posts for FREE Patreon members. In the fall I will upload some new educational information the the Your Cosmetic Chemist website along with some DIY formulas.

Equipment For Formulating Body

Hey,

Just a quick update today—I’m in full busy bee mode, recording new videos and typing up fresh formulas for everyone to enjoy! 🐝

I wanted to share a list of affordable beginner must-have equipment to help you follow along with the new formulas I'll be uploading soon. I’m also including one splurge piece of equipment for those looking to invest a little more into their formulation journey.

None of the links I’m sharing are affiliated. While I might consider that option in the future, it’s not something I’m comfortable with right now. When I recommend something, I want you to know it’s because I genuinely love and believe in it, not because I’m earning a commission.

Rest assured, I will never recommend anything just for the sake of making money. Your trust and support mean the world to me, and I would never take advantage of that. To me, recommending products just for commission feels dishonest, and that’s something I won’t compromise on.

NOTE: All prices with the links are in Canadian dollars.

BEGINNER MUST HAVE EQUIPMENT

1) Scale 

• https://a.co/d/362VmZi

  
  

2) Stainless Steel Bowls 

• you can buy these at your local Dollarstore for cheaper than Amazon sells them. You will need at least 2 for the oil and water phase of emulsions. The size you buy will depend on how much you decide to upscale formulations when you follow them.

  
  

3) Spatulas 

• https://a.co/d/84eG3Vi

  
  

4) Stick Blender

• https://a.co/d/dTSbwqM

• https://a.co/d/il9PDY5

• Note on Stick Blenders: DO NOT buy an expensive stick blender!! It makes zero difference in how it will emulsify your product. You have to rest your stick blender when using it or the motor will blow, no matter what brand you buy! Power on for 30 seconds, rest for 3-5 seconds, and repeat. I wasted so much money blowing motors on stick blenders before learning this trick. I bought a $15 stick blender that lasted me YEARS once I started resting the motor.

• The first option I linked, I recently bought because I stained my white $15 blender that is still going strong. It was a good deal because you can use the frother attachment to blend mica pigments, and the whisk for small-batch anhydrous products.

  
  

5) Whisks + Mini Whisks

• https://a.co/d/7QH0xax

• Note on Whisks: The mini whisks I attached are great! I love that they have a spoon on one end and a whisk on another. They last longer than stainless steel ones as well, which is a bonus! You can buy regular-size whisks at your local Dollarstore cheaper than you can on Amazon.

  
  

6) pH Strips

• https://a.co/d/eVv3ozE

  
  

7) Beakers

• https://a.co/d/2acFewW

• https://a.co/d/1qhYj3O

• https://a.co/d/89plGHa

  Note On Beakers: The size beakers you chose with depend on how much you intend to upscale. If you are just getting started and only making products for personal (friends + family) use, then 500ml + 1000ml beakers will probably be your most used sizes. I really like the beakers will handles on them!! They come in handy when having to pour a hot oil phase into water. I have linked both glass and plastic beaker sets. Plastic ones are really affordable and are great to use when formulating products that don't require heat, they are also good for making slurries of humectants and gums.

8) Hand Mixer (For Anhydrous Body Butters, Anhydrous Scrubs, Bath Bombs)

• https://a.co/d/cDQzT0r

• https://a.co/d/aqmfl6J

• Note on Hand Mixers: DO NOT spend a lot of money on a hand mixer!! The hand held ones all do the same job. If you plan to make large batches of anhydrous products, then a stand mixer is a good investment. I had a Kitchenaid years ago that I loved, and did an amazing job. Sadly when I left my ex husband, I was fleeing severe domestic violence and had to leave behind everything I owned. I purchased a much cheaper stand mixer a few years back and sadly it broke (and wasn't fixable) in less than 3 months.

NOTE:  If you plan to use the double boiler method to heat your materials, you will need a pan with some depth to it.

8) Thermometers

• https://a.co/d/cQsz7YJ

• Note on Thermometers: you will need at least 2 thermometers! Ingredients are heat sensitive and you have to heat/cook to specific temperatures to create a stable product.

OPTIONAL BUT HANDY

Hot Plates

• https://a.co/d/6ckEue3

• Note on Hot Plates:  I own 2 of the hot plates that I attached. While I was in school, my professor recommended ones from a catering supply for a more even distribution of heat. The more expensive ones also don't heat up as quickly. I could not afford $600 on hot plates, so I bought these. Yes, they heat up quickly! BUT, once I got used to them and learned to use them on lower settings unless I was making a huge batch, they worked great. I suggest buying the individual plates over the set that comes with two attached burners. Having separate burners gives you unlimited flexibility with bowl or beaker sizes since you generally have to heat simultaneously.

If you enjoy making cosmetics, are committed to learning more, or plan to open a small business, the next piece of equipment should be your first splurge investment! I will explain in depth in the note under the link.

SPLURGE INVESTMENT

Overhead Stirrer

• https://a.co/d/6wSN7M0

• https://a.co/d/hYPWs8v

• Note on Overhead Stirrers: An overhead stirrer is a fantastic investment and should be the first piece of equipment you splurge on. I own both of the machines that I have linked. Some ingredients are sheer sensitive. Sheer sensitive means they have to be mixed with a specific type of equipment. They take the armwork out of mixing in phases, help minimize bubbles when working with surfactants, and help with mixing in your cool-down phase efficiently. If you have any questions on the differences in the machines linked, please don't hesitate to ask me.

DO NOT BUY THIS ONE , it's TERRIBLE!!  Both of the ones I purchased stopped working within months of my owning them. I had to throw both out. They were such a disappointment and a waste of my hard-earned money. https://a.co/d/eogZNC8

I will post about advanced formulation equipment down the road.

 I will do a post in a few weeks on non-essential but handy equipment for those that have a bit bigger start-up budget. I wasted a lot of money over the years, simply because I didn't know any better. I hope to save you money when and where I can!

PLEASE ASK ME QUESTIONS if you aren't sure about a purchase, ASK! I am happy to help answer any questions you have. When working with a start-up budget, I can confidently advise where your money is best spent.