Intermediate
Butters, Oils & Natural Actives
Match plant ingredients to skin types, and know what each one does and does not do.
16 lessons, about 3 hours
$79
lifetime access
What's inside
01Oils and Butters4 lessons
- 1
Fatty acids and what they do
Match oils to skin using fatty acids. You'll cover oleic-rich oils for dry skin, linoleic-rich for oily skin and comedogenic ratings: why they are only a guide.
11 min
- 2
Light dry oils
Use light oils well. You'll cover jojoba, grapeseed, squalane and best uses: serums, oily skin.
9 min
- 3
Rich oils
Use rich oils well. You'll cover avocado, olive, argan, rosehip and best uses: night, dry skin.
9 min
- 4
Shea, cocoa and mango butters
Choose and use butters. You'll cover texture and melt differences and refined vs unrefined.
10 min
02Natural Actives4 lessons
- 5
What an active really is
Separate cosmetic claims from drug claims. You'll cover cosmetic actives support appearance, not treat disease and evidence levels.
10 min
- 6
Antioxidants and vitamins
Use antioxidants well. You'll cover vitamin E, green tea, rosehip and light, heat and air degrade them.
10 min
- 7
Humectants and soothing agents
Use soothing ingredients. You'll cover aloe, glycerin, oat, allantoin and sensitive skin choices.
10 min
- 8
Gentle exfoliation
Exfoliate safely. You'll cover enzymes, fine powders, mild acids and frequency 1 to 2 times weekly.
10 min
03Clays, Powders and Essential Oils4 lessons
- 9
Clays and masks
Make a clay mask. You'll cover kaolin gentle, bentonite stronger and mix fresh, use immediately.
10 min
- 10
Powders and exfoliants
Use powders safely. You'll cover oat, rice, fruit powders and particle size matters.
9 min
- 11
Essential oils safety
Use essential oils responsibly. You'll cover face dilution 0.5 to 1% and phototoxic oils such as bergamot (non-FCF) need limits.
12 min
- 12
Scent blending basics
Blend scent safely. You'll cover top, middle, base notes and stay within safe limits.
10 min
04Matching Ingredients to Skin4 lessons
- 13
Formulating for dry skin
Write a complete face-oil and cream formula for dry skin.
14 min
- 14
Formulating for oily and acne-prone skin
Write a light formula for oily skin that does not strip.
14 min
- 15
Formulating for sensitive skin
Write a minimal-ingredient formula for reactive skin. You'll cover cap the formula at 8 ingredients and soothing: oat extract, allantoin, panthenol.
14 min
- 16
Formulating for mature skin
Write a supportive formula with honest claims. You'll cover barrier lipids: ceramides or phytosphingosine, squalane and antioxidants: vitamin E, ferulic acid or green tea.
14 min