Toothpaste

          We have already recognised the importance of looking after our teeth which includes brushing them twice a day. Brushing along with flossing will not only remove food debris and plaque but will also protect your teeth against tooth decay and gum disease. But brushing your teeth is only effective if you use toothpaste. 

Toothpastes have improved nowadays. We have more choices of toothpastes with variety of functions, namely

Anti-cavity toothpaste

Extra-whitening toothpaste

Toothpaste with mouthwash

Toothpaste for sensitive teeth

Toothpaste for dogs

Toothpaste with stripes

Toothpaste works in a number of ways to achieve specific goals:

1. Food debris and plaque removal
2. Toothpaste freshens the breath 
3. Protection against plaque

          Of course the motion of actually brushing is crucial to this process too. If you just put toothpaste into your mouth and didn't rub it into your teeth, the effects would only be limited. The abrasives need to be rubbed onto the surfaces of your teeth and saliva is best stimulated by the motion of brushing.

          We all know that brushing our teeth with toothpaste is necessary for healthy teeth and gums. Evidence has been found that even prehistoric man cleaned his teeth – using grasses as an early form of dental floss. But do we understand what is in our toothpastes, and why they work? Each make of toothpaste has a slightly different formulation, to appeal to different consumer needs. Each ingredient is there for a reason. They break down into either active or supporting ingredients. Active ingredients are there to clean your teeth, and the supporting ingredients help the active ingredients do their job. Here, we will only focus on the organic chemicals that can be found in toothpaste.

1. Triclosan

Triclosan, or 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol (C12H7Cl3O2) is an active ingredient in the toothpaste and acts as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. It reduces the risk of gingivitis and kills the microbes that form plaque on the teeth. In use since 1972, it is used in many other common household products such as deodorants, shaving creams, mouth washes, and cleaning supplies.

The biggest criticism of triclosan is that it may be carcinogenic because it is a chlorophenol, which is a type of chemical suspected of causing cancer in humans. This concern is based on studies that have shown that triclosan can combine with chlorine in our tap water to make chloroform gas. Because of this, many manufacturers are phasing out their use for this ingredient. 

2. Sodium lauryl sulfate

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), chemical formula CH3(CH2)10CH2(OCH2CH2)nOSO3Na is an organic compound used in many cleaning and hygiene products. It is mainly used in detergents for laundry and cleaning applications and is a highly effective surfactant that can be used in any task requiring the removal of oily stains and residues, and hence, it is applied in toothpaste. SLS is used as the detergent part of the toothpaste, which helps make the toothpaste lather in your mouth and carries away debris by penetrating and dissolving plaque.

However, the research studies on sodium lauryl sulfate found that it can cause canker sores due to its ability to dry out our mouth. It can also cause damage to the oral tissues lining inside our mouth. These tissues are said to be providing food for bacteria as they feed the bacteria that create Halitosis and taste disorder when they shed.

3. Propylene glycol

Propylene glycol, also called propane-1,2-diol with chemical formula C3H8O2 is a small organic alcohol, chemical found in personal care products. It acts as a penetration enhancer which keeps products from melting in heat and/or freezing when it is cold. It acts as a wetting agent and surfactant in toothpaste. It is also found in shampoo, conditioner, soap, acne treatment, moisturizer, deodorant, nail polish, mascara; basically anything you could possibly use on your body. Propylene glycol is also a component found in newer automotive antifreeze's and de-icers used at airports.

The oral toxicity of propylene glycol is very low and large quantities are required to cause perceptible health damage in humans. Because of its low chronic oral toxicity, propylene glycol is classified as "generally recognized as safe" for use as a direct food additive.

4. Diethanolamine, DEA or DEOA

DEA is a white solid at room temperature with the formula HN(CH₂CH₂OH)₂. It has a tendency to absorb water and to supercool. It is a weak base. Its functions are:

• To create a creamy texture and foaming action.
• Used as a surfactant and a corrosion inhibitor.

5. Hydrated Silica

Hydrated Silica, chemical formula SiO2 · nH2O is the abrasive used to polish and scrub the surface of your teeth in gel toothpastes. An abundant compound found in nature, sand and obsidian (naturally occurring volcanic glass) are the most common forms of silica. When combined with calcium carbonate, it helps to safely remove plaque while brushing and polishes the tooth surface.

Hydrated silica has no discernible odor or taste and is listed as "generally recognized as safe" because it has no known toxicity or carcinogenicity.

6. Glycerin

Glycerin (C3H8O3) is a sweet-tasting, colorless, thick liquid that freezes to a gummy paste and has a very high boiling point. It can be dissolved into water or alcohol. It is used to balance and maintain moisture levels by preventing the product from drying out and helps to preserve the product. In toothpaste, it contributes to a good mouth-feel and improves flavor.

Glycerin is a natural byproduct of the soap making process and is used in medical, pharmaceutical and personal care preparations, mainly as a means of improving smoothness, providing lubrication and as a humectant (can absorb water from the air). It is found in cough syrups, toothpaste, mouthwashes, skin care products, shaving cream, hair care products and soaps.

7. Cellulose gum

Cellulose gum, or Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), molecular formula C8H15NaO8 is an ingredient found in a wide variety of products that we use throughout the day from our morning grooming to our evening meal. Cellulose gum is farmed from trees and cotton and is therefore readily renewable, abundant and cheap.

This plant-derived product is considered as generally safe for human consumption, with some minor cautions. Cellulose gum creates stability and suitable viscosity in toothpaste while making it more fresh and pleasant.

Additional information that you might want to know about toothpaste...

The stripes' color means a lot about the composition of the toothpaste and what are you putting in your mouth each day. Everyone should know what kind of toothpaste they are using.

• Green – All Natural
• Blue – Natural + Medicines 
• Red – Natural + Chemicals 
• Black – All Chemicals

Despite it being a wand of magic for our teeth, toothpaste could also be the one causing our health in such a jeopardy. Therefore, we as buyers should be careful of the type of toothpaste we obtain from the market as we use them daily in our life. It is important to read the label on the toothpaste container in order to find toothpaste and other mouthwash products that will not harm us.

Perfumes

 

          All perfumes are composed of both a base and a fragrance compound. The perfume compound will account for 20 to 50 percent of the fragrance and is made from aromatic oils, essential oils and synthetic fragrances. There are several different groups of perfume. There are different smells that a fragrance is produced from. Fragrances are usually specified as floral, fresh, woody or oriental. 95% of chemicals used in fragrances are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum. They include benzene derivatives, aldehydes and many other. Perfume bases, which account for 50 to 80 percent of a fragrance, are generally made from liquids such as alcohol and water. They also include a variety of stabilizers, which are used to fix a perfume's scent and ensure that ingredients do not separate.
          Most oil-based perfumes are free of stabilizers. The oils used for these bases are clearly identified and will be familiar to perfume wearers. These fragrances must be applied with the fingertips or with a roller ball and are not available in spray-on form.

 

Basic Natural and Organic Perfume Ingredients

• Organic or natural essential oils
• Distilled water
• Organic natural grain alcohol from a variety of different grains

1. Ethyl Alcohol

Most of perfumes  contain an ethyl alcohol base. Also known as ethanol or pure alcohol, ethyl alcohol vaporizes quickly. It is used in perfume precisely because it acts as a carrier for a perfume compound but dissolves quickly on the skin. Some organic perfumes use a denatured alcohol in place of ethyl alcohol due to concerns about the safety of ethanol-based products.

2. Coumarin

Coumarin is used to enhance aroma in perfumes. This chemical may be produced synthetically or may be sourced from cassia bark, sweet grass, and some beans. Coumarin has a slightly sweet scent of its own that boosts that overall scent profile of other ingredients, especially spices and musks.

3. Benzyl Benzoate

Benzyl benzoate, also known as benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol, is used as a fixative or stabilizer in many perfumes. It helps perfumes to have a consistent scent and can prevent variation in scent profiles for several years.

4. Pthalates

On perfume bottles, pthalates may be called diethyl phthalate (DEP) or may simply be referred to as fragrance. These plasticizing agents are used to add stability to perfumes. Much like benzyl benzoate, DEP helps fragrances maintain their scent profile.

5. Distilled Water

Distilled water is often listed on perfume packaging as aqua. The water used in perfume has undergone distillation in order to remove chemicals and minerals that might affect a perfume's overall scent profile or stability. In general, distilled water is either the first or second ingredient listed on the label, meaning that it makes up the body of the perfume.

Essential oils

Essential oils are used to add scent to many perfumes. Many of these oils have been sourced from plants, woods, herbs, spices, and other organic materials.

Most of the essential oils will be added as a function to promote relaxation. These oils mostly are extracted from flora such as lavender, rose, patchouli. 

Like Bergamot oil and Lemongrass oil are used in many blends described as energizing or invigorating.

Synthetic Fragrances

The majority of perfumes made by major cosmetics companies use synthetic fragrances in place of natural essential oils. These are the examples:

1. Limonene

Limonene is the chemical that gives most citrus fruits their distinct smell. While this compound can be found in high concentrations in the rinds of lemons, the majority of limonene used in perfumes is synthetic. Perfumes with limonene may have a slightly astringic smell and can irritate the skin.

2. Galaxolide

Galoxolide is one of a handful of synthetic musks used in the production of fragrances and cosmetics. This particular musk has a sweet, slightly woody smell that is most often used in women's fragrances.

3. Tonalide

Another type of synthetic musk, tonalide is widely used in perfumes labeled as white musks. It may also be listed on ingredient labels by its trade name, Musk Plus.

Did you ever want to create your own secret perfume which is based on the scent,aroma that you really want it but the perfumes found in the current market couldn't fulfill your favourite? Below are the steps to make perfumes, make use of this, make your own unique blend.

Step 1 : Prepare what you need

Ingredients:

• Vodka (the higher percentage alcohol the better) or Everclear if you can get it
• Essential oils, fragrance oils, infused oils, even flavour extracts (make sure it's pure) such as vanilla extract
• distilled water or spring water
• glycerine (this can be found in pharmacies)

Apparatus:

• pretty glass bottles 
• glass jar for mixing fragrance in
• measuring cup/spoons
• a dropper if you have one
• funnel
• aluminum foil or wrapping paper if you are using clear glass bottles
• a pencil and paper for jotting down your recipe

Step 2: Preparing bottles

Sterilize the bottles and jars in the dish washer, especially if you are reusing bottles. They need to be clean and sterile.

Step 3: Add the alcohol

Measure 1/4 cup of vodka/Everclear and pour into jar. 

Step 4: A note about scents

Notes:
In perfumes the fragrance can be divided into three different notes depending on when they arise.

Top note: The initial scent when you put the perfume on, then disappears, they include; lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime, bergamot, spearmint, peppermint and others.

Middle note: This scent appears just after the top note disappears. Scents like; coriander, palmarosa, marjoram, basil, rosemary, rose geranium, pettitgrain, lavender and others.

Base note: This appears after the middle note and is the base of the perfume, they include; patchouli, vetiver, frankincense, cedarwood, sandalwood and others.

When you are mixing your perfume, start by adding your base notes, then middle then your top notes.

Families:
Scents can be divided into different families such as floral, oriental, woody and fresh (such as citrus, etc) When you are mixing your perfume,adding scents from neighboring families creates harmony in you perfume.

Step 5: Add your scents 

Add approximately 25 drops of essential/fragrance oil.

Take one scent;

• add a few drops
• swirl
• smell
• add more or continue on
• write down type of oil and number of drops

Take the next scent and repeat as above until you have added the approximate number of drops. Feel free to add more or less to create the desired fragrance. You can divided the alcohol into smaller volumes and try different combination, experiment, be creative, have fun with it!

Step 6: Let it age

Place it in a cool dark location for a minimum of 48 hours, up to a month.

Aging your fragrance allows the scents to mingle, and also become stronger. Once you have aged your fragrance for the desired length of time, smell it again, the mingling may have changed the overall scent, so feel free to add a few more drops of scent to tweak it (don't forget you will need to age it again, if more scent was added).

Step 7: Add water and glycerine

Now that the fragrance is ready, it needs to be diluted.

• Add 2 tablespoons of distilled/spring water. If you are making a perfume spray, add more water.
• Add approximately 5 drops of glycerine, this helps preserve the fragrance. 

Step 8: Finishing up

Pour the perfume into your bottle, use a funnel if you need to. If you are using clear bottles, you will need to cover them with aluminum foil or wrapping paper (your fragrance needs to be protected from the light or it will go off).

Where to apply perfume and how to make it last longer?

The Pulse Points
          The "pulse points" are locations on the body where the blood vessels are closest to the skin. These spots emanate heat, which can help fragrance to emanate from your skin into the air. (It's the same principle used by essential oil diffusers). Apply your perfume to these points - namely, the inner wrists, the base of the throat, behind ear lobes, in the cleavage, behind knees, and the inner elbows. As you wear your perfume throughout the day, it will react with your body heat and continue to emit scent.

Making Fragrance Last Longer
          There are a few tricks to help your fragrance last longer. For instance, a scent will fade faster when skin is dry. Applying fragrance - free moisturizer to your body is an excellent preparation for applying fragrance, and will help you get more bang for your perfume buck.

          You can also help your perfume to go the distance by applying some petroleum jelly to your skin, and then applying your scent on top of that. The perfume droplets will cling to the petroleum jelly rather than sinking into your pores - which can reduce or eliminate the need to reapply fragrance later in the day.

          Layering products from the same line is another effective way to make a fragrance last. You might use the scented body gel, treat skin with the body lotion, and then spray the perfume on top. The combination of products will help the scent to maintain fullness and extend throughout the day.

Soap

          In our daily life, besides food and water, we have to bath, wash and clean ourselves.

          What do you use for these activities? The answer is SOAP! Soap, or body shampoo is so important that we use it at least once a day. It ensures cleanliness and personal hygiene being taken care of. Maintaining personal hygiene in a survival situation is much more important than just a mental or emotional boost. Humans, for instance spend most of their time outdoors and for sure, one come across many elements that we can visually see namely animals, plants, soils, and many many more and its hard to list everything out so these are the few examples. Without realising, there are unseen foes attacking us too – the bacteria, dirts and many more. Keeping your body clean helps to fight off and avoid diseases and infections that are easily spread through the air and can be serious enough to kill ones life, in a dangerous survival situation!

          And again, soap of course, is the key to that battle.

          For children, soap is just another thing for them to play with because it produces bubbles when you rub on it.

          In this modernisation era, soap undergoes lots of improvements. We have a variety of choices of soaps. Like other products, soaps have different functions too. Over the years, the product itself has been categorized into several types, depending upon the usage that it is meant for. For now, let’s just see this few examples of different types, brands and functions for the product we are doing before we proceed to the explanation part:

          Soap is useful not only to clean our body, but also dishes and clothes. In short, soaps are useful to:

• Remove dirts and germs in our body
• Whitening
• Provide protection for kids
• Wash dishes
• Ensure the clothes are clean

          Most soaps mentioned above are already being introduced earlier. Some might wonder why there is kitchen and laundry soaps. Yes, these soaps exist, and we are unaware about it.

          There are two types of  kitchen soaps: cleanser and detergent. Cleanser are often made with mild abrasives and are formulated mainly to eliminate heavy oils or solid particles and hard-to-remove stains. Detergents, in this case dish detergents are made to remove tough grease and release the solid dirt particles in the foam that is produced by the detergents.

          Next, for laundry soap, just like its name, it is used to remove dirts, grease, solid particles and organic compounds found on clothes. They can be found in liquid, powder and also gel form.
Cleaning soaps have different formulation to clean grease and oil. The major difference between cleanser and cleaning soap is that cleaning soap does not contain harsh abrasives and is suitable for skin.

          Personal soap is a kind of soap that is made in many forms and special formulations for specific personal hygiene needs. The most common personal soap is the antibacterial soap that is made to prevent bacteria and viruses from spreading.

          Novelty soaps are specially formulated for kids. This includes the soaps in various shapes of various items. They are made not only to clean dirt, but also for amusement and joy as well.

          Perfume soaps are produced by adding a few additional ingredients and perfumes in it. This is formulated for those who wants to smell good without applying any perfumes.

          Guest soap are made specially in many attractive shapes and to be used by guests in hotel bathroom. The most popular shape used are flowers, seashells, or just a normal round-shaped soap and I am pretty sure you have come across one of this!

          Beauty soaps are produced to feature attractive fragrances, for different types of skins. They can feature glycerin or specially oil blends.

          Meditated soaps are quite similar with the original soaps but they are not the same. Meditated soaps has the addition of antiseptic and disinfection. This includes the soaps for those people with sensitive skins who often experience redness and itchiness and can never use soaps that are perfumed.
As it turns out, making soap is not as difficult as you think. But now, you know soap is made of a compound of natural oils or fats with sodium hydroxide or another strong alkali, and typically having perfume and colouring added in them to make them smell good.

          In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid. Soap is substances that, when dissolved in water, possess the ability to remove dirt from surfaces such as the human skin, textiles, and other solids. For sure there have some chemical inside it so that it can to do so.

          The chemical reaction to produce soap is called "saponification". It is a process by which triglycerides are reacted with sodium or potassium hydroxide to produce glycerol and a fatty acid salt, called 'soap'.  When sodium hydroxide is used, a hard soap is produced. Using potassium hydroxide results in a soft soap.

1. Water

Keeps the soap from becoming too brittle.

2. Hydrogenated tallow acid, coconut acid, and glycerin 

• Serve as skin conditioners
• Keep the skin from becoming too dry after the soap is washed away.
• The composition of the fragrance is unspecified. It could be a mixture of many different chemicals. 

3. Sodium chloride (ordinary table salt)

Remains in the product after salt is added to precipitate the soap after saponification.

4. Pentasodium pentetate (chelating agent)

• Normally used in cosmetics and beauty products
• Prevents minerals such as calcium and magnesium in hard water from binding to the soap and affecting the foaming and cleaning performance.

5. Pentaerythrityl tetra-di-t-butyl hydroxyhydrocinnamate (antioxidant) 

Inhibits reactions promoted by oxygen that could cause the unsaturated fats in the soap to become rancid.

6. Titanium dioxide 

Gives a lighter colour to the soap and modify the colour obtained from the use of the green dyes (D&C green No. 8, FD&C Green No. 3).

Nowadays, many people also try to make soap by themselves. It will be a Handmade All Natural Soap For Face & Body. Now you also can have a try!

          The one thing in homemade soap you can’t substitute is lye. You should always use 100% sodium hydroxide, or lye in crystal form. Don’t substitute liquid lye or drain cleaners. These may cause inaccurate measurements or have bits of metal in them.

          Lye is caustic. Always be extra careful when using lye. Use gloves and eye protection and a mask if can. lye will heat up and fume for about 30 seconds to a minute When you mix with water. It may cause a choking sensation in your throat. Don’t worry, it will go away after a few minutes. Always add lye to water (not water to lye), and start stirring right away. If allowed to clump on the bottom, it could heat up all at once and cause an explosion.

           Even though lye is caustic and dangerous to work with, after it reacts with the oils in your soap (through a process called saponification), no lye will remain in your finished soap.

Ingredients:

• ⅔ cup coconut oil – to produce good lather 
• ⅔ cup olive oil – which makes a hard and mild bar 
• ⅔ cup other liquid oil – like almond oil, grapeseed, sunflower of safflower oil 
• ¼ cup lye – also called 100% sodium hydroxide 
• ¾ cup cool water – use distilled or purified 

Methods:

Step 1:

Cover your work area with newspaper. Put your gloves and other protective wear on. Measure your water into the quart canning jar. Have a spoon ready. Measure your lye, making sure you have exactly ¼ cup. Slowly pour the lye into the water, stirring as you go. Stand back while you stir to avoid the fumes. When the water starts to clear, you can allow it to sit while you move to the next step.

Step 2:

In the pint jar, add your three oils together. They should just make a pint. Heat in a microwave for about a minute, or place the jar of oils in a pan of water to heat. Check the temperature of your oils – it should be about 120° or so. Your lye should have come down by then to about 120°. Wait for both to cool somewhere between 95° and 105°. This is critical for soap making. Too low and it’ll come together quickly, but be coarse and crumbly.

Step 3:

When both the lye and oils are at the right temperature, pour the oils into a mixing bowl. Slowly add the lye, stirring until it’s all mixed. Stir by hand for a full 5 minutes. It’s very important to get as much of the lye in contact with as much of the soap as possible. After about 5 minutes, you can keep stirring or you can use an immersion blender The soap mixture will lighten in color and become thick. When it looks like vanilla pudding it’s at “trace” and you’re good to go. 

Step 4:

Add your herbs, essential oils or other additions at this point. Stir thoroughly to combine. Pour the mixture into mold(s) and cover with plastic wrap. Set in an old towel and wrap it up. This will keep the residual heat in and start the saponification process. Saponification is the process of the base ingredients becoming soap.

Step 5:

After 24 hours, check your soap. If it’s still warm or soft, allow it to sit another 12-24 hours. When it’s cold and firm, turn it out onto a piece of parchment paper or baking rack. If using a loaf pan as your mold, cut into bars at this point. Allow soap to cure for 4 weeks or so. Be sure to turn it over once a week to expose all the sides to air (which is not necessary if using a baking rack). For a DIY soap drying rack, I took an old potato chip rack and slid cardboard fabric bolts (from a fabric store) through the rungs.

Step 6:

When your soap is fully cured, wrap it in wax paper or keep it in an airtight container. Hand made soap creates its own glycerin, which is a humectant, pulling moisture from the air. It should be wrapped to keep it from attracting dust and debris with the moisture.

Cleaning up
You can neutralize the lye with white vinegar, then wash the equipment well as you normally would. For the rest of it, let it sit for several days. Why? Because when you first make soap, it’s all fat and lye. You’ll be washing forever and you could burn your hands on the residual lye. If you wait, it becomes soap and all it takes to clean it is a soak in hot water.