' Oil-Free' -Misleading - Mistaken - Misconception - Miss not-on-my-hair

Learn the Deception, Learn the Truth

LEARN TO LOVE natural, organic, earth grown, real ... homegrown oils, include them in your hair, body & skin products instead of trying to avoid them - - they are put on earth by God for all to use on our bodies and in our foods, it is such a simple concept that we have twisted into complication. Today you will learn that we must go back to the earth, back to our beginnings ... for decent and enriching ingredients, it is the way of the future, but we must begin today.
Seeing so many "OIL-FREE" labels on products has been very disturbing to me. For a very long time I have been hesitant to tell this story because it is such a huge concept and covers all cosmetic products. In my learning of this science I never went looking for many of the ''wonders'' I found . . . . they

were simply a by-product of the journey. I would like to teach you, in an easy to understand manner, what 3 years of Cosmetic Chemistry taught me. Once I delved into the world of chemistry I was soon to discover the true meaning of what "oil-Free" meant to the chemists that make your cosmetics . Funny thing is, I....like you... spent 20 years seeking out 'oil-free' products myself, going to all corners of the world to find them, I was sure that "oil" was what gave me the mini breakouts, whiteheads & blackheads I would get - I was sure they were very bad for my skin. Boy, was I wrong, you truly couldn't be more wrong than me and what I thought was right. What it is that sets an entire country of women off on a certain trend is beyond me, I am only glad I found out the truth.
Another accidental find for me, most of my grand discoveries were just that . . . common sense accidents. When I found this one out…I swear to you, I had tears in my eyes wondering just what else was as misleading as this was. Knowing that if the general public knew what "oil-free" truly meant and what is used in its place…the bottle would end up in the trash at the very least, if not in the manufacturers front windows. When a label says it is "oil-free" you should see what they replace it with in order to make that product you have holding in your hand.
First off, that product MUST have something "oil like" in the formula in order for the formula to come out correctly. Remember, making
cosmetics is exactly like cooking. Cooking and Cosmetic-making are both "chemical processes" -- no one publicizes it that way, it is not very appealing, but it is an easier way for you to understand these chemistry theories. I am dead serious when I tell you it took me 2 full years to understand most of this subject (I was raised an athlete, not an academic - so you can blame my parents) many more will understand in shorter amounts of time >> IF I relate it to cooking- so we can move on, that's all.
When 'oil' is required to make your favorite bread or a certain cookie, if you remove it, it will ruin the texture, taste and quality... turning the end result into something hideous. Every single ingredient is mandatory to make that loved product come out the exact same way you LOVE it. Same thing happens with using oil in the formula to make a body lotions, creams, or hair conditioners. You notice in THRIVEN, my deep conditioner, the very first ingredient is Camellia Oil (another wonderful oil I found), that is one of many reasons why THRIVEN works so well - it also has avocado oil another of my favorites. When I found the following information out, I went on long and deep research mission studying and analyzing all Natural Oils. My goal ? to know everything about every oil at our disposal, some of them are spectacular (here I spent 20 years avoiding them - idiot!) Many times I will use just plain oil right out of the bottle ( with a couple drops of amber fragrance mixed in ) after a bath or long shower on my skin, just use a small amount of Rose Hip Oil : rub it all over my dry skin, its truly wonderful and so fascinating to me that I (we) never knew this, and how perfectly it works! No need for a heavy lotion or cream if I haven't made mine for the month yet, rubbing oil directly on the skin is perfect for dry skin, absolutely perfect! I only make & use my own lotions now and have never used a store bought one again. Remember, your skin is the largest organ on your body, so every bit of goodies you rub on the skin ...goes in the body.

When the public started requesting "oil-free" products of all kinds and the cosmetic manufacturers heard that request; loud & clear. It turned the cosmetic industry on their head. How would they make a lotion or a cream without an oil ? It just couldn't be done, Oil was the main ingredient to every hair conditioner, body lotion and cream.
Now in their defense . . they were 100% correct …and once I understood the chemistry .. I had (a tiny bit of) compassion for them. How could you make a cake without flour ?? is a fair comparison, oil is that important in any emulsion ( emulsion being >>lotions, creams, hair conditioners, etc.). That is basically what was being asked for, the most precious and most important ingredient in a lotion and a cream and a hair conditioner needs Oil or it will not work. One needs Oil and water to make the wonderful concoction we now call lotions, creams, conditioners, face creams, etc. and is a very large and costly segment of the entire cosmetic industry.
So what the industry did was make up a new classification of ingredients, calling a man-made substance they all make > Esters…into that newly named category "Esters" which were formally called an oil. Now technically, they claim to not be an oil either - and at this point my knowledge of chemistry has faded in the years...so it hits its limit so I asked a few chemists to explain it to me, every single one gave me a politician-like answer. Nothing I could comprehend or decipher.This way they had a brand new category which was not considered or referred to as an "oil" even though it looks - acts and feels exactly like one. They basically took silicones and all the variables of it and threw them into an entirely new classification so they "TECHNICALLY" could no longer be called an oil ... this way they could now...legally... print ..."Oil-Free" on the label for the FDA . . . and YOU, the consumer. I - - WAS - - - MORTIFIED - -to - - say - - the - - least.
For years they were used as oils and even called oils, then they twisted them into a new category " Esters " - if you want to look up what an ester is . . .

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/organicprops/esters/background.html

Once I figured this one out -- I was floored.
I would much rather use an organic-natural-earth grown Oil that was not man-made and made with "only God knows what" in my creams, lotions, and hair conditioners. These esters were much worse and have no enriching ingredients in them, the only thing they do have, is the consistency of oil, they are man-made and now "legally" they could print oil-free on the label and you the consumer thought there was no oil in the formula, remember that. How deceptive I thought, they take a class of fairly new made chemicals called Esters and use them in the formula now to make Creams, Lotions, Hair Conditioners, Serums, Detanglers, hair sprays, shampoos, everything and can claim they are 100% Oil-Free even though it would be an oil to you and me if it was put in front of us -- blindfolded, open eyed or poured all over your body in a bikini oil wrestling match. Esters feel more oily than an oil does, I promise you.
I'm sure you all know what silicone is....right? Or Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Trimethicone, Yep, the stuff they cram in silicone breast implants, hair serums, Flat Irons sprays, Hair Detanglers (did you ever realize it was the same ingredients - yuk, huh?).....well silicone's are a man-made Ester as well, YEP! All those 'cones' which I feel are OK for hair in small doses {& are great for heat protection for hair} I sure as Hell wouldn't want them on my skin, how horrible they must be for pores and acne? For moisturizing? They don't moisturize they are greasy and sit on top of the skin. I actually think the world of them for heat protection....and 'why' ?? Because they are this odd type of oil that can protect your hair from getting heat damage... That oil, the oil they put in breast implants...is the oil they are using in those products you are buying that claim to be oil-FREE ! Because an ester IS silicone and Silicone is an Ester! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!
I began experimenting and giving clients simple natural - real oil concoctions I made using multiple organic/natural REAL oils like avocado, sesame, wheat germ, raspberry, rose hip oils and asked them to u

se certain oils on their face instead-of their Le Mer Creams and other hundred dollar brand face and oil-free hair oils. Once many of my clients heard what I had learned they too were all shocked. Most are very into natural and organic and not using any type of additives, which is what an Ester is. The chemists that have been chemists for years protect the category and will give all sorts of BS reasons why an Ester is not an oil - Yet, they insist it is wonderful for the skin & hair ( job security for them). How about you....let you decide....I went to my lab and pulled out the first Ester I had and the first natural oil that were the same color so you could properly compare. I didn't have my glasses on so I didn't know which I had chosen.
Look at the photo . . .
On the left is the ESTER called PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate : the technical name and the common name is CRODAMOL STS ( STS = stands for Superior To Silicone -- !! ) -- -- -- on the right is HEMP oil a wonderful natural oil from the Hempseed Plant, works wonders on cracked dry skin. This is for problems with dry skin , and moisturizing hair. I'm fully aware you cannot tell by looking at the photo, but I played around with both of them prior to the photo - they are the EXACT same consistency. Except, the Hemp Oil actually absorbs in the skin and the other feels like a weird rubber liquid that sits on top of the skin. THAT is what is in all of those OIL-FREE lotions you purchase. Don't feel bad, I didn't know either - quite a blow isn't it?
Here's the back of the same bottles...........

Exactly the same...ESTER on the left Crodamol STS ........Natural Oil on the right. An untrained eye would not know the difference by feeling, NO ONE would know the difference by looking.
Some facts about “Nature’s Most Perfectly Balanced Oil”

Advantages of Hemp Oil:

• Helps heal skin lesions and dry skin
• Reduces inflammation of skin and joints
• The most unsaturated oil from the plant kingdom at over 90%
• Contains over 80% essential fatty acids (EFAs)-The Good Fats!
• Balanced 3:1 ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3-this combination is also unique in plant based oils and deemed optimal for health
• Hemp oil also contains the super polyunsaturated Omega 6 derivative GLA, Oleic acid (Omega 9) and Stearidonic acid
• Hemp oil is cholesterol and gluten free
• Contains pain-killing and anti-nausea properties
• contains the natural anti-oxidant Vitamin E
• low amount of saturated fatty acids
• amino acids in Hemp oil nurture & condition hair
• moisturize hair and known to contribute to hair growth

There is an entire hair line devoted to HEMP oil and its benefits, they recently came out with a couple SLS-FREE shampoos, so I have one in testing right now and I LOVE IT so far, its leaving the hair wonderful after shampooing one of the biggest problems in SLS-Free shampoos! The Line is called HEMPZ, its been around since I started doing hair 16 long years ago, so the line is successful -- that is a long time for a line totally based on one oil.
Look at all the wonderful advantages to just HEMP oil alone and I have a dozen others that are even more enriching for hair, I just grabbed this one blindfolded. But just look at that list, you can cook with , bathe with it and put it on your hair for a conditioner. Now look at the Ester . . .
Advantages of Crodamol STS: (copied directly from the company's (Croda) literature)

• Silicone-like feel and functionality
• Improves emulsion aesthetics
• Reduces drag, greasiness of high SPF sunscreens
• Excellent wax solvency
• Lessens whitening effect of fatty alcohols
• Good binder for pressed powders
• Shine/gloss enhancer for hair
• Foam stabilizer

Remember it is "Superior to Silicone " ! Yippee.
Can you see the difference? HOW HORRIBLE IS THAT ! ! ! Look at comparison of the ingredients and what they do - they do absolutely nothing. Its completely abysmal ... this is being pulled over on American women. I just feel the cosmetic companies need to give the women of America more credit, make a statement about the issues. Put out a Press Release, produce a commercial explaining the issues. They are billion dollar companies and would have even more billions if they gave women more credit for understanding the problem of "Oil-Free" and the problems surrounding it.
The cosmetic manufacturers companies never said anything about sulfates, that came from my big mouth and other hair stylists that care about their clients hair and hair color.
That is what all those very expensive creams and conditioners have in them now. Natural oils are also more expensive - although Crodamol STS is the most expensive ESTER there is....There are a whole lot of them made by lesser companies than CRODA, [CRODA is like the Neiman Marcus of Cosmetic Chemistry companies].
If any of you have these creams at home please write in the Comment Section at the bottom of this post, with their names and I will tell you what "ester' they are. I would love to simply 'begin' opening everyone's eyes so we can go back to using Natural - Organic- Earth grown Oils > in all of our cosmetics > skin - body & most importantly > HAIR ! Maybe if I start now, spreading the word, in 5- 6 years the trend will become like the Sulfate-free shampoos, and all the companies will begin listening and "thinking" of what is best for the consumer. Wow, that would make me happy.
My next post which is almost finished is about a brand new oil I found that I had never heard of. It has truly amazing properties, is from Morocco and is referred to as Liquid Gold. The women of Europe have discovered it and started using it in their skin care lines for wrinkles and best of all for lackluster skin! Stay tuned for that one . . . KC