Vitis V facilitates and advocates for a simplified 3 step skincare routine of;

1/ Water and gentle physical action for Cleansing.

2/ Vitis V Face TonIQ to Nourish, Fortify and Boost. Done. If the routine is at night.

3/ Mineral Zinc Oxide Sunscreen. During the day when the UV index is >3.

If required we recommend the use of a tiny bit of castor oil to remove stubborn oil-based makeup. Rub onto difficult to remove makeup, allow the castor oil to emulsify and lift and wipe away with a damp warm face cloth. Rewash area with warm water to remove any residue. We absolutely do not endorse any use of cleansers containing surfactants (detergents) or soap, only warm water approximately 25C and gentle physical action.

This recommendation is based on the principle of “oil attracts oil” meaning substances like sebum, oil-based makeup and sunscreen dissolve into the castor oil and then is removed without compromising your skins pH, acid mantle or removing essential fatty acids and other lipid-based skin compounds, which results in disruption and damage to the skin fatty acid profile, skin barrier and your skins own regenerative functions.

We recommend using castor oil because of its slight natural emulsifying properties that other plant oils do not have, as a WASH OFF product and NEVER as a leave on product.

Castor oil contains 85-95% of ricinoleic fatty acid. A monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid that is not naturally present in your skin’s fatty acid composition. It is non-native to human skin and the reason we insist on castor oil being removed. It is a non-edible plant oil and when ingested causes loss of control of bowels and diarrhea. It is sometimes taken in small doses as a laxative.

Castor oil is a thick, tacky, viscous oil and because of the unique chemical structure of ricinoleic acid the predominate fatty acid of castor oil (85 -95%) it can undergo various chemical reactions. Ricinoleic’s chemical structure means that castor oil can be a replacement for crude oil in the production of petrochemicals.

Castor oil has many industrial applications, lubricant, hydraulic fluids, paints, coatings, inks, plastics, nylon and biodiesel.

It is used as a feedstock or base of many industrial chemically synthesised cosmetic ingredients including ingredients that act as surfactants, stabilisers viscosity adjustment and fillers.

Castor oil has been prompted as a hair conditioner as it has film forming properties and can coat the hair. These same film forming properties are also promoted in skin care as “moisturising”. Castor oil acts as an occlusive when applied to skin meaning that it creates a barrier on the skin to prevent the passive loss of water from the skin to the environment known as trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) resulting in a temporary increase in skin hydration. This is the same way silicon wrinkle patches and slugging operate, temporarily preventing water loss from the skin but as soon as the occlusive is removed the skin TEWL returns to baseline. TEWL is a necessary function of healthy skin and it is tightly regulated to maintain homeostasis or balance. Higher TEWL is associated with skin barrier impairments and unhealthy skin.

Occlusive products also create and anaerobic (no oxygen) environment on the skin affecting the skins microbiome numbers and diversity. Anaerobic conditions favour the growth of undesirable bacteria and causing fungal acne.

It became fashionable to use castor oil as a replacement for Vaseline for slugging* but as discussed above the reduction in TEWL is temporary once the occlusive is removed. The majority of castor oil's skin and hair benefits are anecdotal.

Castor oil is 85-95% ricinoleic fatty acid which is not a skin-identical fatty acid. We know that fatty acids are signalling molecules. The skins fatty acid profile or composition and relative amounts directly influences the function, structure and condition of our skin. I couldn't find any scientific research on the topical application of ricinoleic fatty acid and skin function or biological responses it induces.

There are times when the use of an occlusive to create a barrier to protect the skin is warranted such as the traditional use of castor oil and zinc to protect babies from nappy rash, or the use of lanolin on long distance ocean swimmers. The use of balms or beeswax to protect against wind and/or cold damage. These are specific situations that require an occlusive to create a protective barrier for the skin. Using castor oil as a leave on skincare product introduces a non-native fatty acid to our skin with unknown signally responses and results in a temporary effect in reducing TEWL

Vitis V Face TonIQ contains skin essential and skin identical linoleic fatty acid with known critical responses to the function, structure and condition of our skin. tHE skin fatty acids, of which linoleic acid is the predominate polyunsaturated fatty acid, act as instructions (signalling molecules) to your skin’s cellular responses and are responsible for regulating,

• Skin barrier permeability function

• Keratinocyte differentiation

• Inflammation mediation

• Sebum production

• Immune response

Change the fatty acid profile in the skin, you change the cellular signalling and biological response.

Younger skin is typified by a higher concentration of linoleic fatty acid and Vitis V Face TonIQ is not occlusive. You can choose to support your skin's cellular responses and regenerative functions or you can choose castor oil with only anecdotal evidence from social media influencers.

Don't leave castor oil on your skin, it is non-native and the scientific research currently available hasn't established the effect on skin function and biological response.

https://sustainablechemicalprocesses.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40508-016-0055-8

* Slugging refers to the practice of applying a thick occlusive layer of a product to the skin.

** INCI name for Castor oil is Ricinus Communis (Castor) seed oil. Look also for Hydrogenated castor oil, RIcinoleic acid and Ricinoleate on skincare labels. 

Castor oil can be found in the supermarket if you would like to use as a makeup remover. 

PS Castrol the lubricant and oil company took its name from Castor oil.