Maybe you’ve been reading my posts thinking “yeah right… and where on earth am I gonna find these ingredients?!”
Well I guess it is time for me to show you a few online shops of raw material of cosmetic grade!
This is obviously very important because if you use a fragrance oil which is not of aimed in cosmetic use… well, don’t be surprised if you get a strong allergic reaction or even something worse… same goes if you use urea which you find in gardening shops: that won’t do! 😀
This said, of course in the online shops which sell raw materials for cosmetic use… all the ingredients are of cosmetic grade… but here a few tips in case the online shop you found is not in my list:
– maybe before you purchase, read around the internet if there are experiences of other people
– for each ingredient they sell, they are supposed to own a MSDS which is the Material Safety Data Sheet. The MSDS should be available for each ingredient on their website or they should send it to you after purchase: if it is not available on their website, before you place an order contact them and be sure they are going to send you one. This is important.
– Before purchasing try asking some information about one of the ingredients they sell: for example at what percentage it should be used, if it shouldn’t be used with certain ingredients and so on. Usually they have this information on the ingredient page but sometimes they don’t. A serious supplier will be able to give you some information, however, don’t expect too much: don’t expect suppliers to be formulators.
– If it is the first time you want to buy raw material… DON’T BUY EVERYTHING you find! Make a small list of ingredients that will be really useful (an emulsifier, a thickening agent, a gelling agent). Start planning to make simple creams, pick few active ingredients (maximum 3!), really: keep it simple! 😀
– do NOT go for the “nice name” ingredient: for example, if an ingredient name is “NO MORE WRINKLES concentrated active ingredient” 99% of the time it is a big NO NO NO 😀 If you click on it and look for the INCI name, probably it comes out that this “concentrate active ingredient” is actually made of “water, lecithin (emulsifier), some kind of oil, the great ingredient” and you can be sure that your great ingredient will be at minimum %.
Ok… after having warned you… 😀
Let me put some links! 😀
NOTE: I am not publicizing any website, I am just posting some websites I know of… that might help you in starting your serious COSMETIC DIY! 😀
I have bought only from some of these websites and obviously I am not responsible if something on your order goes wrong.
Here we go:
Asia:
http://www.bulkactives.com – good website! It has some ingredients which are very difficult to find somewhere else. Prices are a little bit higher than in other places.
http://stores.skinessentialactives.com/
North America:
http://www.makingcosmetics.com – many ingredients and also sells in bulk!
http://www.ingredientstodiefor.com
http://www.lotioncrafter.com/
Europe:
http://www.gracefruit.com – UK – Has many many ingredients for soap-making and also some ingredients. Long list also of fragrance oils. Prices are quite high compared to other websites but some fragrances are difficult to find somewhere else.
http://www.activeformulas.com – UK – website mostly about active ingredients. It has a vast choice.
http://www.aromantic.co.uk/home/products/active -ingredients.aspx – UK
http://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/
http://www.phoenixproducts.co.uk/
http://www.sensoryperfection.co.uk/ – if you click HERE you will find my review of some of their fragrance oils
http://www.zrobsobiekrem.pl/pl/i/Information-for-foreigners/129 – PL – This website is from Poland and you can use Google Translate to translate everything written on the page. It sells cheap plant extracts and also some emulsifiers and active ingredients!
http://www.glamourcosmetics.it/ – IT – Probably my favourite Italian website that sells ingredients. Very serious, ship extremely fast, have good variety of ingredients – if you click HERE you will find my review of some of their fragrance oils.
http://www.dermolife.it/shop/index.php – IT – Italian website with good prices about tensioactives. Many active ingredients (vitamins, minerals, aminoacids) also.
http://www.farmaciavernile.it/ – IT – good ingredients (also some special ones which I couldn’t find on other websites).
http://www.dragonspice.de – DE – website from Germany.
http://www.manske-shop.com – DE – website from Germany. It has mostly ingredients about making soaps, therefore a lot of butters and oils, many fragrance oils, essential oils and only few cosmetic ingredients (but basic emulsifiers and active ingredients are there) – if you click HERE you will find a review on some of their fragrance oils.
http://www.alexmo-cosmetics.de/
http://www.aliacura.de/
http://www.aroma-zone.com – FR – French website. Many kinds of oils and butters (very exotic), emulsifiers, essential oils and some active ingredients (but read the INCI of each, before purchasing).
http://www.jabonariumshop.com – SP – website from Spain mainly about soap-making. Good prices.
http://kosmetikmacherei.at – AU
http://www.candlemaking.gr/ – GR
Australia:
http://stores.skinessentialactives.com/
https://www.escentialsofaustralia.com/
http://www.n-essentials.com.au/
http://www.aussiesoapsupplies.com.au/
http://www.heirloombodycare.com.au/
Please let me know if you know any good shop from your own country.
Notice also that if you make an order from a website which is not in your country, you might have to pay custom duties… so get informed about it before you make your order! 🙂
It's all in my hands 
i want buy Maybelline bb cream O2 natural
LikeLike
😀
hmm… 😀
Well this post is actually about buying online cosmetic INGREDIENTS… not already made cosmetics 😀
But anyway… go ahead, I guess? 😀
LikeLike
Where exactly did you buy the piroctone olamine & salycyclic acid. I want to make my own shampoo w/ those ingredients and African black soap.
LikeLike
I don’t think you can add them to a soap. However I bought them from an Italian website called farmaciavernile.it
🙂
LikeLike
Hm maybe I got your message wrong: if you intend to make a shampoo with salycylic acid, piroctone olamine and black soap… I would advise you to not try.
The pH of the soap is not suitable for the salycylic. Also, the way a soap (like the African black soap) works is not suitable for hair at all. Since you intend to use ingredients that are intended to help against dry dandruff, I would definitely suggest you to not use soap on your scalp because it could make things worse.
LikeLike
Hi! You might wanna try dadalindo.it, it’s an italian site with vast choice and good prices 😉
I’m just beginning with homemade cosmetics, so thank you for your site and help!
LikeLike
I will add it to the list cause I have actually ordered from that website already twice and I liked their ingredients! Thanks for reminding me 😉
LikeLike
Hi! I just wanted to say “Thanks” for having this website. It has been very helpful to me in a very trying situation.
Walt wellman
LikeLike
Well, thank you Walter for saying this 🙂
LikeLike
Hey, did you already order on the french website aromazone? I wanted to know if you had custom fees?
And if you know where to buy “INCI:Dodecane”? on a USA website 😉
Thank you!
Great article
LikeLike
I am from Europe so I did buy from AZ but I don’t know about customs for shipping to US.
I never bought from US websites for the same reason (customs taxes) so I am sorry but I cannot help, Laure!
LikeLike
Oh ok! 🙂 Thanks!
LikeLike
Just sent an order to a person to in the UK…but had also sent orders to Greece and Canada. Seems every country is different in their customs rules. The order to UK had only forms to fill out, but the ones to Greece (and Canada I believe..long ago) both had customs fees.
LikeLike
Actually for orders to EU all the rules should be the same (UK included).
If you are shipping to a company there are many documents you need to fill out for customs. Shipping for private people takes less effort.
It also depends on who is dealing with customs: if the shipping company is, then you have to make quite less effort.
Oh boy… this is a long story 😀
I deal with import-export (making cosmetics is an hobby of course), that’s why I know 😀
LikeLike
I’m in the US, and I couldn’t find a vendor for Carbopol Ultrez 21 that you use in some recipes. Would Carbopol 940 be a good substitute? These things are notoriously difficult to hydrate, and since your Carbopol Ultrez 21 seems to hydrate without vigorous stirring, I really want to try that! Thanks a bunch!
LikeLike
Hello Caroline!
I have bought Carbopol 940 as well but I haven’t had time to try it yet! (I am on holiday at the moment)
However I do believe it should work as good as Utrez 21, if not better (the company which produces it states that it works better than Utrez 21 and its stability is broader).
🙂
I think it sounds like a good substitution! 🙂
(the only thing I don’t know is if they will thicken in the same way – so I cannot tell you if exactly the same % should be used – but do a few test-batched and you will find out at which % to use it in order to get the consistency you are looking for 🙂 )
LikeLike
I know this is very old, but I just wanted to pass along some info to those who may still read it…
I don’t know if anyone else has posted this, so sorry if I repeat. The ‘data sheet’ you’re referring to is called ‘MSDS’ or ‘MSDS and C of A’. They should have that readily available to click on in their listing for each necessary product. Also, If buying EO’s, they should also have a ‘GC Analysis’ for you to click on in their listing.
If any company does not readily provide these (as in having a link on their MSDS page) or does not state they ‘will give the sheets upon request’ in their listing…then be very leery of that company. There are only a couple companies I trust as my suppliers for my skin care business. You’d be shocked see what you’re REALLY buying if they are not a straight forward company.
LikeLike
True! 🙂
And this comment is useful cause many people are reading this posts still now (I think it is in the top 5 of the most read posts) 🙂
Usually I have found that companies don’t provide these documents unless you ask for them. It is rare to find a company that shows you this MSDS on their web page for anybody to download or check (I don’t know why, but I guess they have their own reasons). What they might have on display, is a sum up of the infos you can find on those documents.
Thanks for the comment 🙂 I didn’t know they were called MSDS 😀
LikeLike
Hi.
Is there any website on your list with free worldwide delivery? Coz delivery fee from US to my country is around 100% of the purchase itself. I am from Indonesia. I have bought ingredients from this Taiwan website: http://stores.skinessentialactives.com/ and they gave me cute measuring glasses and spoons, for free. I heard that http://www.lotioncrafter.com/ from US is also a good ingredients website, very complete, but unfortunately, more expensive..
LikeLike
Hello Nath!
I am not from US and I never purchased anything from US websites because of the duty fees when the package reaches my country… so I am sorry but I cannot help about this!
But if you find any good website that ships to Indonesia do let me know 🙂
LikeLike
Here’s a list of few Australian suppliers for those interested (there’s a limited and very basic range of raw materials available here, depending on what one wants to create, which means I often need to order supplies from the U.S. if I want more fancy-schmancy ingredients):
Escentials of Australia
New Directions Australia
N-Essentials
Aussie Soap Supplies
Heirloom Body Care
LikeLike
Here’s a few that are in the, US. http://www.lotioncrafters.com http://www.theherberie.com. http://www.makingcosmetics.com All 3 are reputable companies that will supply you with the msds, as well as lots of information on the sites.
LikeLike
thank you 🙂
LikeLike
Where do you purchase your Lactobionic acid?
LikeLike
Hello Heidi!
I bought it from many places: for sure I bought it from farmaciavernile (but I don’t think they ship outside Italy) and from the Polish website (z… something 😀 ). The Polish website ships at least in all Europe.
Don’t know where you live though 🙂
LikeLike
You should definitely include Lotioncrafters, a U.S. site with many premium cosmetic active ingredients for sale. They have extensive “how to” info, and are very responsive to questions.
http://www.lotioncrafters.com
LikeLike