Grape Seed Liquid Extract

The part of a botanical most likely to irritate skin is its volatile aroma fraction, and extraction into a carrier leaves that behind. There are no fragrance allergens to declare on this material and no terpene limits to work around. For a face cream, a serum or a mist aimed at sensitive skin, that is a real advantage over an essential oil.

The Oil Soluble version is carried in a base oil, and that base is most of what goes into your customer's formula. A cosmetic base oil is a straightforward emollient: it spreads easily, sinks in without leaving a heavy film, and leaves skin feeling smooth and cushioned. Name the oil on the page and this card gets stronger, because it becomes checkable.

In hair oils, pre-wash treatments and leave-in serums, the oil base coats the strand and adds slip, so hair combs out more easily, looks glossier and shows less dryness at the ends. If the base is sesame, as your standing rule says, that is the classic Indian pre-wash oil and your customers already know what to do with it.

The Water Soluble version carries no oil at all, so toners, mists, gels, essences and shampoos stay light, absorb quickly and leave no film behind. There is nothing to weigh fine hair down and nothing to sit on skin that is already oily. This is the version for a product that has to feel like water rather than oil.

Add the Water Soluble version to the water phase at your working percentage, stirring until fully dispersed. Because it is colourless and odourless, it will not shift the colour or the scent of a pale formula. Check the finished pH after addition and adjust if needed, as you would with any botanical extract.

The Oil Soluble version disperses into carrier oils and anhydrous bases without a solubiliser, which is the whole reason it exists. Stir it into the oil phase at your working percentage. Do not attempt this with the Water Soluble version – it will separate, and that is the most common mistake made with this material.

An emulsion has both phases, so either version works – the choice is about which phase you want to carry the extract. Add the Water Soluble version to the water phase and the Oil Soluble version to the oil phase, and in both cases add at the temperature stated on the technical data sheet rather than during the hot stage.

The Water Soluble version incorporates directly into surfactant systems, which is where most haircare formulators want a botanical. Add it late in the batch, after the surfactants and before any final pH adjustment. Polyphenol-rich extracts can interact with cationic conditioning agents, so trial a small batch before committing to a production run.