What shaving creams contain lime oil?

[brumble]

What shaving creams have lime oil (citrus aurantifola) as an ingredient?

AFAIK lime has been used in men's products for some time as lime oil is supposed to be good for your skin. So, I was a bit suprised to discover that none of the 3 T's have any lime oil in their lime scents (Trumpers West Indian Extract of Limes, T&H West Indian Limes, TOBS Lemon & Lime).

Both Castle Forbes Lime Oil and Vulfix Sicilian Lime list lime oil (citrus aurantifola) an ingredient. Are there any others?

 

[HoratioCaine]

Coate's lime is scented only with lime essential oil. Unfortunately, it is no longer made.

 

[ChrisS86]

alba coconut lime shave cream

 

[kingfisher]

Citrus essential oils actually cause skin irritation in a lot of people. That's probably why the 3 T's don't include it in their ingredients.

The number of people who would complain or have allergic reactions would far outweigh the number who might derive skin benefits from it.

 

[brumble]

Citrus essential oils actually cause skin irritation in a lot of people. That's probably why the 3 T's don't include it in their ingredients.

The number of people who would complain or have allergic reactions would far outweigh the number who might derive skin benefits from it.

That's one possible reason, but I don't think citrus oil allergies are all that common. Especially since citrus oils and/or their active ingredients are used in many cleaning and cosmetics products. Maybe I'm too cynical, but I tend to think that lime oil, or any other essential oils, aren't used by manufacturers not because of possible side effects, but due to the cost.

 

[Ignatius]

They're also phototoxic, and shouldn't used on the skin before you see sunlight.

 

[Emmett]

KMF Key Limes has "lime extracts"

 

[WarpedBishop]

KMF Key Limes has "lime extracts"

- emmett

It doesn't have a strong lime scent but feels very nice on your face.

 

[BullGoose]

You would think that Cyril Salter Essential Lime shaving cream would contain lime oil but it doesn't. It contains Orange Oil. Go Figure!

 

[HoratioCaine]

You would think that Cyril Salter Essential Lime shaving cream would contain lime oil but it doesn't. It contains Orange Oil. Go Figure!

That makes about as much sense as Trumper Coconut Oil shaving cream not containing any coconut oil. (True...but still a darn fine cream.)

 

[ChrisS86]

That makes about as much sense as Trumper Coconut Oil shaving cream not containing any coconut oil. (True...but still a darn fine cream.)

i could be wrong, but i think that may be the case because coconut oil is VERY comedogenic for a lot of people.

 

[HoratioCaine]

i could be wrong, but i think that may be the case because coconut oil is VERY comedogenic for a lot of people.

It might be, but some creams do have coconut oil in them, including Nancy Boy, The Gentlemens Refinery, Proraso and Santa Maria Novella. For some reason, none of the traditional English creams have it; they contain the more refined coconut acid instead. Regardless, Trumper Coconut Oil cream is one of my favorites. I just think its name is a bit misleading.

 

[Emmett]

It might be, but some creams do have coconut oil in them, including Nancy Boy, The Gentlemens Refinery, Proraso and Santa Maria Novella. For some reason, none of the traditional English creams have it; they contain the more refined coconut acid instead. Regardless, Trumper Coconut Oil cream is one of my favorites. I just think its name is a bit misleading.

I have seen this come up several times now and need to ask for clarification. "Coconut oil" is comprised of a certain combination of fatty acids in a certain ratio. "Coconut acid" is supposedly different but I haven't been able to google up exactly what it is. There is no such thing as a single "coconut fatty acid". Is coconut acid simply a term for refined coconut oil? I highly doubt Nancy Boy, etc is using unrefined coconut oil in their creams. Unrefined oil can contain particulates and other contaminants and anything that goes into a cosmetic product must be (at minimum) cosmetic grade. Refining does not change the types of acids in the oil, nor their ratios. I am thinking this is more a difference of country-to-country labelling laws and not any difference in substance. I would appreciate it if anyone had more information.

 

[HoratioCaine]

Emmett, I wondered the same thing, and so posed the question to Perry Gastis at The Gentlemens Refinery. He passed the question along to his company's chemist, and posted the reply on their website, in the "Ask the Barber" section. The site is down right now, or else I'd provide the exact answer I got, which I will still do when the site is back up. To the best of my memory, though, he said coconut acid is the refined portion of coconut oil that contains none of the "unsaponfiables" contained in whole coconut oil. Beyond that, I don't know what else to tell you, although I got the impression that the so-called coconut oil used in TGR's shaving cream, as well as other brands I mentioned, might have more botanical benefits than the more refined coconut acid. But then again, maybe not. And, as you point out, it might be possible that in cosmetics, the coconut "oil" used in TGR and Nancy Boy creams could be the same thing as the coconut "acid" used in the Three Ts. I wish I knew more about this kind of thing.

Regardless, "Coconut Oil" is still a misleading name for the Trumper cream. Either it doesn't contain any coconut oil, and only has coconut acid. Or coconut acid and coconut oil are the same thing, in which case all Trumper creams have it, and the Coconut Oil cream should not be singled out as any more beneficial for its inclusion. Of course, I'm being nitpicky and academic. It's a great cream, and I love it, so in the end, I don't don't know why I care.

 

[HoratioCaine]

OK, TGR's site is back up. Below, I've cut and pasted my question, followed by the answer. In reading it, I note a couple things. One, it's considerably more involved than I remember, meaning the explanation I offered above is incomplete. Two, the chemist seems to go into more detail about what coconut acid is than coconut oil. I suppose that could be because I asked what coconut acid is, claiming I could find plenty of info on coconut oil. However, his explanation does not tell me if coconut oil and coconut acid are completely different, or if whole coconut oil contains the fatty acids as part of its makeup; in other words, if there's coconut acid in the oil, but no coconut oil in the acid. I guess more research is in order.


Q31: I notice many personal care products, including nearly all "old school" creams, list coconut acid in their ingredients lists. Relatively few, such as your own shaving cream, list coconut oil. Much information about coconut oil is available on the internet, but very little seems to be written about coconut acid, such that I don't even know what it is. I assume it is not the same thing as coconut oil, but I do not know that for sure. Can you tell me in what ways coconut oil and coconut acid differ? In what ways do they affect the skin differently? What was behind your decision to include coconut oil in your cream, rather than coconut acid?

A31: I wouldn’t want to pretend I can answer that question to my(or your) satisfaction, so I’m going to ask our Chemist for the best answer...Here is our Natural Chemist' response...“Coconut oil is the oil fraction of the coconut. Coconut acid is the fatty acid fraction of the coconut and is generally composed of C12-18 fatty acids although highest (about 45&#37 in C12 fatty acid (lauric acid from which many cosmetic ingredients are made). These would be saturated fatty acids and so are oxidatively stable ( do not go rancid). The coconut oil as opposed to coconut acid also contains unsaponifiables (not fatty acids) that have healing properties and are less refined or processed.”...Somewhat technical, but I hope you can appreciate the difference in using certified organic Coconut Oil vs. Coconut Acid. The Oil is also a more expensive choice, however nothing is too good for The Gentlemens Refinery client.

 

[ChrisS86]

OK, TGR's site is back up. Below, I've cut and pasted my question, followed by the answer. In reading it, I note a couple things. One, it's considerably more involved than I remember, meaning the explanation I offered above is incomplete. Two, the chemist seems to go into more detail about what coconut acid is than coconut oil. I suppose that could be because I asked what coconut acid is, claiming I could find plenty of info on coconut oil. However, his explanation does not tell me if coconut oil and coconut acid are completely different, or if whole coconut oil contains the fatty acids as part of its makeup; in other words, if there's coconut acid in the oil, but no coconut oil in the acid. I guess more research is in order.


Q31: I notice many personal care products, including nearly all "old school" creams, list coconut acid in their ingredients lists. Relatively few, such as your own shaving cream, list coconut oil. Much information about coconut oil is available on the internet, but very little seems to be written about coconut acid, such that I don't even know what it is. I assume it is not the same thing as coconut oil, but I do not know that for sure. Can you tell me in what ways coconut oil and coconut acid differ? In what ways do they affect the skin differently? What was behind your decision to include coconut oil in your cream, rather than coconut acid?

A31: I wouldn’t want to pretend I can answer that question to my(or your) satisfaction, so I’m going to ask our Chemist for the best answer...Here is our Natural Chemist' response...“Coconut oil is the oil fraction of the coconut. Coconut acid is the fatty acid fraction of the coconut and is generally composed of C12-18 fatty acids although highest (about 45%) in C12 fatty acid (lauric acid from which many cosmetic ingredients are made). These would be saturated fatty acids and so are oxidatively stable ( do not go rancid). The coconut oil as opposed to coconut acid also contains unsaponifiables (not fatty acids) that have healing properties and are less refined or processed.”...Somewhat technical, but I hope you can appreciate the difference in using certified organic Coconut Oil vs. Coconut Acid. The Oil is also a more expensive choice, however nothing is too good for The Gentlemens Refinery client.

the wording of his response is kind of tricky. the differences between fats, fatty acids, triacylglycerols, etc. is dicey, so i will try to keep it simple. By definition, "oils" is usually used to refer to fats that are liquids at room temperature, while "fats" is usually used to refer to fats that are solids at room temperature. If you agree with this statement, then the fats, which are saturated and unsaturated, are contained IN the oil. To sum, an oil contains fats in an emulsified state.

The term oil is very vague, as there are different kinds of oils (plant, animal, mineral, etc), so it is easy to get confused. By unsaponifiables, he is referring to the fats (contained in the oil), he just means that they cannot hydrolize into an alcohol and salt (like most soaps usually do). Because of this characteristic, longer chain unsaponifiable fats present moisturizing properties to the skin. hope this makes sense

 

[HoratioCaine]

By unsaponifiables, he is referring to the fats (contained in the oil), he just means that they cannot hydrolize into an alcohol and salt (like most soaps usually do). Because of this characteristic, longer chain unsaponifiable fats present moisturizing properties to the skin. hope this makes sense

I had wondered about this. I was wondering if the chemist was implying that the coconut acid used in Trumper, etc., was saponified, rather than unaltered (other than being refined). And, more practically, once we plow through all the technical stuff, is there any reason why using coconut "oil" would be more beneficial than using coconut "acid" in a shaving cream? Are the fats present in the coconut acid "shorter chain" and thus not as moisturizing?

 

[ChrisS86]

1. And, more practically, once we plow through all the technical stuff, is there any reason why using coconut "oil" would be more beneficial than using coconut "acid" in a shaving cream?

- The cocount oil has the "acids" in it. If you are asking if the oil can be isolated for use in the cream instead of acid, i think the reason it is hard to do is because with coconut oil consisting of roughly 92% saturated fatty acids, it is a huge part of what goes into the shaving cream. many common ingredients you see in creams include myristic acid palmitic acid, which are acids both derived from coconuts.

basically, the "oil" part on its own, if you will, contains the unsaponifiables, albeit in small amounts compared to the fatty acids. i DO think these are fats, however, so i disagree slighlty with the chemist. im not sure exactly what these unsaponifiables are in the coconut oil, but i think if a manufacturer lists coconut oil and coconut acid separately, it is to highlight the presence of these unrefined fats, or to elicit any smaller chain acids that are found in coconuts in small amounts. examples of unsaponifiables in other products are shea butter and beeswax.

2. Are the fats present in the coconut acid "shorter chain" and thus not as moisturizing?

most fatty acid chains derived from coconuts are medium in length (15 or so Carbons). I think they do a fine job forming the cushion in the creams i use, though oftentimes things like aloe are added to formulas to increase skin-softening effects.

 

[Dennis]

Back to the question, no clue if shavingessentials cream has it, but their Lime cream is pretty darn good.

 

[rail road detective]

Pusser's brand West Indies Lime aftershave is great. They make a great Bay Rum also.