It
was late last year when I accidentally discovered Mediself.ph on Shopee while looking for a specific cosmetic raw material that is
very hard to find locally. Mediself.ph is an online supplier of natural cosmetic raw
materials in the Philippines. I can say that this shop is a hidden gem for DIY
cosmetic formulators because most of the raw materials they offer are being
used in popular Korean skincare products. Surprisingly, most of their raw
materials are actually sourced from South Korea – the land of K-Beauty.
Mediself.ph sells cosmetic raw
materials in various categories:
- Carrier oils
- Essential oils
- Fragrance oils
- Floral waters (a.k.a. hydrosols)
- Botanical extracts
- Cosmetic bases
What
I like about Mediself.ph is that
- They also sell in smaller sizes which are perfect for those who just want to try out a new raw material first before purchasing in larger sizes.
- They have nice and leak-proof product packaging.
- Raw material expiration date is clearly indicated on the packaging label. Although, I hope they could also include the usage rate on the label for ease of reference.
Here
are some of my recommended cosmetic raw materials that you can try from Mediself.ph.
1,3-Propanediol
1,3-Propanediol is known as a natural alternative to propylene glycol since it is derived
from corn sugar. As an alternative to propylene
glycol, it can be used as a solvent to help dilute other active ingredients
(e.g. salicylic acid, allantoin, etc.). It is also a humectant just like glycerin but without the stickiness
commonly associated to glycerin. It may also help boost the efficacy of
preservatives used in your formulation (most especially if you used
preservatives that contain phenoxyethanol).
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Galactomyces is an ingredient that is often found in Korean
anti-aging skincare products. Galactomyces
is actually a type of yeast that is used when making Japanese sake. The
filtrate obtained during the fermenting process is rich in antioxidants that
are good for the skin. In cosmetics, galactomyces
is also used to improve the skin’s moisture barrier by protecting it from
environmental stress (e.g. pollution).
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Have
you ever heard about probiotic in skincare products? Well, bifida ferment lysate is one of the most in demand probiotic
skincare ingredients in town. Bifida
ferment lysate is a type of probiotic found in the human digestive system.
It is one of the active ingredients used in Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum. According to a research
conducted by Estee Lauder, it has
the ability to repair skin damage caused by UV.
Propolis Extract
Propolis is
a resin-like substance (a mixture of tree sap and beeswax) that honey bees
produced and used to seal their beehives. It is for this reason that propolis is also known as “bee glue”.
In skincare world, propolis is a
cosmetic ingredient known for its ability to fight acne-causing bacteria due to
its antiseptic properties. It also has the ability to soothe and heal sensitive
skin.
Hyaluronic Acid (Sodium Hyaluronate)
Hyaluronic acid (HA)
is a popular humectant ingredient, which means that it attracts moisture into
the skin in order to increase hydration. Basically, there are two types of
hyaluronic acid: low molecular and high molecular. Low molecular HA penetrates the skin deeper due to its smaller
molecule size. Since moisture is stored deep within the skin, it can make the
skin firmer and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Meanwhile, high molecular HA cannot penetrate the
skin, instead it stays closer to the skin surface, thus improving the
elasticity of the skin and keeping it plump. Another difference between the two
is that high molecular HA will form
a thicker gel in a formulation while low
molecular HA is more of a watery consistency.
Mediself.ph sells hyaluronic
acid in 1% liquid solution – available in both low and high molecular. Since it
is in liquid form, it is a lot easier to use since you don’t need to
disperse/hydrate it prior to adding to your formulation.
To
see the complete list of cosmetic raw materials being offered by Mediself.ph,
just visit their official online store in Shopee. You can also get in touch with them via Facebook.
P.S.
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Disclosure: This post contains
affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and
purchase the products, I’ll receive some commission.