What type of Canola/rapeseed would be best suited for make-up and cosmetic products? What kind of standards would the canola have to meet for cosmetics?
Canola oil is used mainly as a mineral oil replacement in cosmetics. So for example, products like lipstick, which must be smooth, and spreadable canola oil would replace the traditional mineral oil. The canola oil that is being used by some manufacturers is a high stability canola oil, which is sold by Cargil in the United States. A high stability canola oil is very low in polyunsaturated fatty acids like linolenic and linoleic and high in monounsaturated fatty acids. This oil would have a very long shelf life because of the polyunsaturated content. Traditional canola (the one you buy in the store) has 21% linoleic fatty acid and 11%linolenic fatty acid. The oil is highly refined and deodorized to remove color and odor. The cosmetic industry demands that products are colorless and odorless.
