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Urea is a water-soluble cosmetic ingredient and a natural component of the skin’s moisturising factor. At lower levels it is useful in daily moisturising products, while higher levels are particularly suited to rough areas such as feet, heels, elbows and hands.

Sea buckthorn fruit oil is an intensely orange botanical oil rich in carotenoids and palmitoleic acid, also known as omega-7. Because of its strong colour and rich sensory profile, it is usually used at relatively low levels in facial oils, balms, creams and body-care products.

Autumn and winter are ideal seasons for richer textures and warmer scent profiles. Here are nine useful ingredients for balms, body butters, scrubs, oil serums and other seasonal cosmetic formulations.

You do not need complicated formulas to start making cosmetics at home. With a few basic oils, butters, waxes, clays and bath ingredients, you can create lip balm, lip gloss, bath truffles, scrub bars, whipped body butter and other simple products.

An effective deodorant does not need baking soda. Magnesium hydroxide, triethyl citrate, zinc ricinoleate and Decalact Deo offer a modern approach to controlling body odour without preventing the body’s natural perspiration process.

Magnesium chloride hexahydrate and magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, better known as Epsom salt, are both water-soluble magnesium salts, but they are used differently in DIY cosmetics. Magnesium chloride is particularly practical for mineral sprays, while Epsom salt is ideal for baths and bath salts.

Tovarna Organika grew from a simple idea: to make quality ingredients more accessible to people who love creating. Our 15th anniversary was an opportunity to look back on the journey from the first handmade soaps to an online store serving beginners, experienced makers, schools and businesses.

Aloe Vera Gel is a lightweight, non-greasy and versatile cosmetic product for face and body. It is suitable for everyday skincare, after shaving, depilation or sun exposure, and as an ingredient in a wide range of DIY cosmetic formulations.

The term dry oil does not mean that a product is oil-free. It describes a lightweight oil or oil blend that spreads easily, absorbs relatively quickly and leaves less of a greasy film on the skin.

Blemish-prone skin may still benefit from carefully chosen lipid care. The key is to use lightweight oils and emollients in small amounts and monitor how the skin responds.

Unrefined cocoa butter is a rich plant-derived emollient with a characteristic natural cocoa aroma. It helps soften the skin, reduce moisture loss and works especially well in balms, body butters and other anhydrous formulations.

Raspberry seed oil is a lightweight plant oil with an interesting fatty-acid profile and a pleasant skin feel. It can be used in facial oils, body oils, creams and other formulations where a lighter lipid phase is desired.