What Are Those Bumps in my Balm?

From time to time we will receive feedback on our Organic Balms and Organic Butters with concerns about the little crystals that form on or within the product.  Never fear!  This is not mold or mildew or anything strange or unexpected ~ so don't let the doubters get you down!

Natural Ingredients

With pure Organic Coconut Oil, an increase in temperature can cause the crystallization of the oil when it cools back down, depending on the humidity in the air during the cooling process.  Just like when you buy Coconut Oil in a jar, when the Coconut Oil in our Organic Body Balms and Organic Lip Balms can crystallize and form concentrated little power nuggets of pure, raw fatty-acid goodness. 

These crystals truly are concentrated fatty-acids! All you need to do is warm the balm or butter in your hands before application and the crystals will melt right back into the balm. Then smooth over your skin and give it a few minutes to soak in. 

You can read all about the benefits of Coconut Oil and these fatty acids on our website page called Standards & Ingredients. We also discuss all of the benefits of using Coconut Oil at length in this fantastic Blog Post ~ you definitely want to read it. 

The same goes for our pure Organic Shea Butter products and you can read all about the amazing benefits of the wonderous shea nut in this Blog Post ~ another must read!

The Price of Perfection

Because we live in an era where we are used to personal care products being "perfect", it can take some getting used to the texture and feeling of products that are natural. But in today's market there is a price you pay for perfection. 

Emulsifiers make products smooth and consistent in texture. But they can irritate our skin more than fragrances and can strip your skin's ability to regulate its own moisture retention. In soaps you will be familiar with sodium-laurel sulfate (SLS) which acts as an emulsifier and foaming agent. But in your typical lotions you may find ingredients called polyethylen, polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyoxyethylene, other ingredients ending in "oxynol" or "eth". These ingredients can create a byproduct known as 1-4 dioxane, which is a carcinogen.

Although our crystals are not the result of a lack of synthetic preservatives, some folks have thought they resemble mildew. We can assure you they are not! But we also want to let you know about the dangers of many commonly used preservatives in personal care and skincare.

If you see triclosan, phthalates, talc, mineral oil, butelyne glycol, and other synthetic preservatives like this in your ingredient list, leave the product on the shelf. These products can be irritants, hormone disruptors, neurotoxins or carcinogens. Unfortuntately, our FDA does not protect American consumers from these chemicals. So make the choice for yourself - change starts in the shopping cart!

Please know that even though we do not use synthetic preservatives and emulsifiers, that our products are safe for you!  We test every batch for safety and quality and we give you expiration dates for our all natural goodness - just like you have for your food - as it should be!

Live Natural

Guys, here's the thing, nature is perfect but not always aesthetically perfect. Look for products with minimal ingredients and that you understand what they are. Go to the store informed and ready to educate yourself because it really can make a difference to your health.

But don't just take our word for it, there are scientists doing the work to try to help protect consumers from this toxic industry. We recommend the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Environmental Working Group and here is a great article you can live by - 18 Ingredients a Clean Cosmetic Chemist Would Avoid.

Our power is with how we spend our money so spend it wisely and believe us when we say imperfect is perfect!

Here's to you health,

Kristine Sperling and the Makes 3 Organics Wellness Team

Kristine Sperling is a wellness enthusiast and co-founder of Makes 3 Organics, an organic brand dedicated to providing consumers organic alternatives to conventional personal care products. She lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her co-founder husband, Dan, their teenager, Alice, and their blue Shih Tzu, King.