{"id":24283,"date":"2019-04-03T14:54:45","date_gmt":"2019-04-03T12:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amazingy.com\/magazine\/?p=24283"},"modified":"2019-04-18T12:32:50","modified_gmt":"2019-04-18T10:32:50","slug":"natural-cosmetic-oils-supercritical-co2-extraction-vs-cold-pressed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amazingy.com\/magazine\/natural-cosmetic-oils-supercritical-co2-extraction-vs-cold-pressed\/","title":{"rendered":"Natural Cosmetic Oils \u2013 Supercritical CO2 Extraction vs. Cold-Pressed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The words \u201csupercritical CO2<\/sub> extraction\u201d didn\u2019t cross my lips until I heard about the trending (and incredibly<\/em> helpful) CBD oil \u2013 but more about that in an upcoming article. As it turns out, it\u2019s the same process that separates caffeine from coffee beans<\/a>\u2013 decaffeinating them and giving us decaf coffee as a less intense alternative. It\u2019s often used in pharmacology to extract medicinal constituents from plants \u2013 and in cosmetics, supercritical CO2<\/sub> extraction may be the most effective way to extract the highest quality oil.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Extracting oil directly from a fruit, seed or any oil-bearing plant will produce a more concentrated potency. Think about all the nutrients, antioxidants and useful properties of any given raw material being compressed down into a singular, liquid tincture. This is what extraction does \u2013 and has been doing for over a millennia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all extractions methods are equal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a range of extraction methods, some which produce a higher quality of oil than others. Two popular, effective & environmentally friendly processing systems are cold-pressing and supercritical CO<\/strong>2<\/strong><\/sub> extraction.<\/strong> Both are well-practiced and consistently used across many industries \u2013 but admittedly, one is superior than the other.<\/strong> Particularly when it comes to the more fragile oil types that are typically present in cosmetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does \u201ccold-pressed\u201d mean?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cold pressed oils are collected by crushing a plant or seed with a large screw. <\/strong>This is one of the best ways to derive a nutrient-dense juice from fruit & vegetables<\/a>. When it comes to oils however, it can become too destructive \u2013 simply due to the nature of the system. Cold-pressing allows oxygen molecules to enter throughout the process. And oils lose their quality when exposed to oxygen<\/strong>1<\/strong><\/sup><\/a>, which also reduces their shelf-life. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cold-pressed method may also utilize heat. Contrary to its name, when it presses an ingredient with a hard shell, like the rock-like characteristics of rosehip seeds, the friction of the machine raises the temperature. This is a problem for heat-sensitive oil \u2013 like rosehip oil<\/a> \u2013 as it may also lead to oxidation2<\/sup><\/a> and further reduce its shelf-life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A visual of a cold-pressed system3<\/sup><\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Supercritical CO2 extraction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Supercritical CO2<\/sub> extraction is a completely closed system, wherein the raw materials are compressed down by the pressure of CO2<\/sub> gas & fluid. Unlike with the cold-pressed method, the oil is extracted without coming into contact with oxygen during the process. <\/strong>Some low heating is used, but it is cooled again before pumping the liquid. But above all, supercritical CO2<\/sub> extraction can extract beneficial constituents4<\/sup><\/a> \u2013 such as beta carotene in carrots, or flavonoids in the rosehip fruit & seeds. So the end product is a purely concentrated liquid extract that retains all the natural benefits, preserves the best colour, and has the longest shelf-life possible. It\u2019s the next best thing to fresh.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A visual of supercritical CO2 <\/sub>extraction5<\/sup><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Superheroic use of supercritical CO2<\/sub> extraction in cosmetics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a brief summary, the primary benefits of supercritical CO<\/em>2<\/em><\/sub> extraction in cosmetics are as follows:<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n