Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
What Is It?
Vegetable Oil is an expressed oil of vegetable origin consisting primarily of triglycerides of fatty acids. The addition of hydrogen atoms to Vegetable Oil results in Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil.
In cosmetics and personal care products, Vegetable Oil and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil are used in the formulation of bath products, cleansing products, eye makeup, fragrances, foot powders, facial makeup, personal cleanliness products, suntan products, and other skin products.
Why Is It Used?
Vegetable Oil and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil slow the loss of water from the skin by forming a barrier on the skin’s surface. Vegetable Oil may also be used as a hair conditioning agentIngredients that enhance the appearance and feel of hair, by increasing hair body, suppleness, or sheen, or by improving the texture of hair that has been damaged physically or by chemical treatment., and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil may also be used to increase the thickness of the lipidFat or fat-like substance found in the cells of plants and animals that includes fats, waxes, oils, and related compounds. (oil) portion of cosmetics and personal care products.
Scientific Facts
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil is produced by the addition of hydrogen (H2) to vegetable oil. Hydrogenation results in the conversion of liquid vegetable oils to solid or semi-solid fats, such as those present in margarine.
Safety Information
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes oils derived from vegetables on its list of indirect food additives. It is permitted for use as a component of adhesives having incidental contact with food.
The safety of Vegetable Oil and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated scientific data and concluded that these ingredients were safe for use as ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products.
CIR Review:
Vegetable Oil and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil were included in the CIR Expert Panel’s review of plant-derived fatty acids oils. Based on a history of safe use in food, the composition of the oils, and data indicating these ingredients were not dermal irritants or sensitizers, the CIR Expert Panel concluded that plant-derived fatty acidA natural organic compound that consists of a carboxyl group (oxygen, carbon and hydrogen) attached to a chain of carbon atoms with their associated hydrogen atoms. The chain of carbon atoms may be connected with single bonds, making a ‘saturated’ fat; or it may contain some double bonds, making an ‘unsaturated’ fat. The number of carbon and hydrogen atoms in the chain is what determines the qualities of that particular fatty acid. Animal and vegetable fats are made up of various combinations of fatty acids (in sets of three) connected to a glycerol molecule, making them triglycerides. oils including Vegetable Oil and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil were safe as used in cosmetic products.
Link to FDA Code of Federal Regulations for fats and oils derived from animal or vegetable sources http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr…
Vegetable Oil and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..
Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_packaging/co0013_en.htm
More Scientific Information
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil is the end product of controlled hydrogenation of vegetable oil. In cosmetics and personal care products, Vegetable Oil and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil function as a skin conditioning agent – occlusive.
Vegetable Oil may also be used as a hair conditioning agent, and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil may also be used as a viscosity increasing agent – nonaqueous.
Resources
Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives by the Food and Drug Administration
Food Ingredients and Packaging: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/default.htm
Food Contact Substances: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/PackagingFCS/default.htm
Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS“GRAS” is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive.): http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/default.htm
Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm
EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/