1) Emulsions: the natural solution with the oil bodies in seeds
The seeds of many plants species store oil as food
reserves for germination and post germinative growth of the seedlings. The corresponding entities are
called "oleosomes" or "oil bodies".
They are oil spheres sizing 0.5 to 5 micrometers, surrounded by a "skin", i. e. a thin membrane made of
phospholipids and specific proteins termed "oleosins". Both cooperate to make up an amazing stable structure, separated
from its aqueous environment...all together it may be viewed as a natural
emulsion!
2) the industry of skin care and usual practice
It should be the food, drug and cosmetic industries' first choice to try
and
use these membranes in their synthetic emulsions (dispersions of droplets of oil in water)
where they would replace chemicals which are no longer desired. Instead, chemical emulsifiers are
used extensively for their ability to stabilise these dispersions at the lowest cost.
| Oleosomes and chemicals |
OLEOSOMES
|
CHEMICALS 
|
| Composition |
membrane = phospholipids and oleosins |
ethylene oxide added to synthetic fats |
| Size |
~5 micrometers |
~ nanometers (1000 times smaller) |
| Advantages |
natural, non toxic, renewable |
cheap and available |
| Disadvantages |
not marketed |
disrupt all barriers |
3) Don't disrupt natural protections!
When applied on skin, these chemical emulsifiers do keep on doing their
job i. e. emulsifying their environment - and later
THE Environment - mixing up what before was separate
for vital purposes.
Because skin is the main BARRIER that our body uses to survive, objectives like
"reinforcing"/ "protecting"/ "restoring"... this barrier are put forward most
currently when marketing products.
Odd, isn't it, that chemicals which immediate effect is to disrupt that barrier are used. And
used so extensively and so discreetly!
Instead, invest and develop consistent skin care
products based on natural oleosomes membranes. Yes, we can!
