The last ten years have seen a huge increase in the use of CO2 Extracts Oil in the cosmetics, food, fragrance and flavor, pharmaceutical, and food supplement industries. Even to some retailers, CO2 extracts are still a mystery despite their popularity. So, you’re not the only one who doesn’t understand CO2 extracts!
The three physical states of materials—gases, liquids, and solids—are probably concepts that we are all familiar with from our chemistry classes in school. These are entirely logical. However, we might not understand or be able to visualize the materials described when cosmetic chemists use technical terms like supercritical fluids or liquid crystals, both of which are mentioned when discussing CO2 extracts.
What is EXTRACT?
Although it is obvious that CO2 extracts have something to do with carbon dioxide gas, we first need to define what we mean by the term “extract” before discussing how they are made and why we might use them in formulations.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the nomenclature of cosmetic ingredients, there is no clear definition of an extract. Additionally, there are numerous approaches to extract creation, which furthers the confusion.
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Other EXTRACTION METHODS
As an illustration, you could soak some plant material in an oil and allow it to sit for a few hours, days, or weeks before filtering the substance. Plant materials can be macerated, or finely chopped, and then infuse in carrier oils to speed up the process.
Heating the material, mechanical agitation, ultrasound, and an energy source can all break the plant cells. The results in this case would still be referred to as an extract even though the components of the extract obtained by these methods would differ in terms of quality and quantity.
Even if you choose to make the extraction process more challenging and use a solvent that can be removed later, the output would still be referred to as a “extract”.
N-hexane, acetone, chloroform, methanol, ethanol, and other common volatile solvents are used to extract plant materials. Recondensing the solvent after it has evaporated allows for reuse. Depending on the characteristics of the individual plant and the intended use of the extract, the remaining plant extract is further processed.
In the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries, hexane and ethanol extraction are still frequently used. Hexane extraction is frequently used in the traditional cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, even though acetone, chloroform, or methanol extraction is hardly ever used in the preparation of consumer goods. But take note that the only acceptable method of extracting an active ingredient for an organic formulation is ethanol extraction.
HOW DOES CO2 EXTRACTION WORK?
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a gas at room temperature, as we all know. Every responsible and sustainable industry is working to reduce its CO2 emissions because it is the same infamous gas that is to blame for climate change.
When under control, it can actually be quite a nice guy because it is inexpensive, readily available, non-toxic, inert, and lacks any scent or color. It also has GRAS status, which means that it is generally recognized as safe by the FDA.
Under specific circumstances, CO2 has the capacity to behave like a fluid when compressed. In a procedure known as supercritical fluid extraction, it can dissolve non-polar material with a low molecular weight by acting like a fluid (SCF).
The benefits of this extraction technique over traditional extractions and pressing are:
lower operating temperature: heat-sensitive parts are unharmed;
oxygen exclusion: oxidation-sensitive components are not harmed; higher yield and longer shelf life are produced by higher selectivity and mass transfer; cleaner method, both in terms of output and environmental impact; a longer product shelf life than with traditional extraction techniques; and superior flavor and fragrance compared to standard products.
A few minor drawbacks of SCF extraction include:
Expenses and technological requirements that are greater than those of a standard extraction or maceration;typically an extract color that is very intense; and
In general, CO2 extracts cost more.
THE COMPONENTS OF CO2 EXTRACTS
As a lipophilic solvent, supercritical CO2 can transport lipophilic (oil-loving) plant material, including volatile molecules (sesquiterpenes, monoterpenes, terpenols, etc.), triacylglycerides, tocopherols and tocotrienols, the majority of phytosterols and carotenoids, as well as squalene.
Supercritical CO2 functions as a lipophilic solvent and can transport plant material that likes oil.
This lengthy list only scratches the surface of what CO2 extracts contain.
CO2 extracts may contain the same components as fixed plant oils (carrier oils), conventional extracts, or volatile oils, depending on the plant material and the extraction conditions (essential oils).
It sounds really perplexing, don’t you think?
No matter what a CO2 extract’s constituent parts are, they are all referred to as “extract,” which furthers the confusion. It means that the INCI name “extract” is used for the following substances: cinnamon CO2 extract (similar to cinnamon essential oil), raspberry CO2 extract (similar to raspberry fixed oil pressed from the seeds), and calendula CO2 extract (similar to calendula infusion in a carrier oil). This makes it even more difficult for a novice formulator to understand how their ingredients are put together.
CONCLUSIONS
Depending on the plant material and extraction circumstances, CO2 extracts can be macerated extracts, pressed oils, or essential oils. In comparison to conventional oils, extracts, or essential oils, their high quality, longer shelf life, and lower application dosage make up for their high price.
They all have the word “extract” in their INCI names, and unless your supplier provides you with information about the constituents, it is difficult to determine what is contained within the “extract.” Just like essential oils, extracts that contain volatile material may also contain fragrance allergens.