From:  lburnham@_.edu
Date:  Fri May 18, 2001  2:14 am
Subject:  Vita Oil vs. Jojoba Oil

A while ago, I posted regarding this question, but was never quite clear what the difference was, and what the advantages were of Vita Oil over plain old jojoba oil from the health food store. So I wrote to the source, Dr. Sy, and she kindly responded this morning (and gave me permission to post her reply to me on the list). Here is my question, followed by her response:

> What makes your Vita Oil so much better than plain jojoba oil? I
> used Vita Oil for some months, but find the price a bit high for my
> only-slightly-better-than-grad-school budget, and I’m now wondering
> why I shouldn’t switch to plain old jojoba oil, available at my local
> Whole Foods. Is there something about using plain jojoba oil that
> ISN’T good for me? I’m willing to be persuaded, but I want to know
> why.
>
> Hope this isn’t too impertinent a question!

Hello Louisa,

No, it’s not impertinent at all! As a matter of fact, it’s an intelligent question and I’m glad you asked me. If you wish to post my answer to the Rosacea Board for the benefit of others who may also be wondering, you have my permission to do so. BTW, I have not left the support group. I still receive the e-mails and I do read and scan over them at leisure, usually a week or so late. (I receive tons of private e-mails & I do try to answer all). By the time I get to read the group messages, queries have already been answered very wisely by the “veterans” such as Jim, Matija, Erin and many others. I really couldn’t answer any better!  Re your question on Vita-Oil vs. simple jojoba oil from health food stores:

1. Jojoba oil in our Vita-oil is processed to remove contaminants & microorganisms before being added to the formulation. Natural oils are easily contaminated especially if water is allowed to get into the product.
2. We have added preservatives (a minimal amount without causing irritation) in Vita-Oil to help prevent contamination after it gets to the hands of the consumer. Even then, we have recently had to provide a dropper with our Vita-Oil because we wish to have some control on how the consumer uses the product.
3. Vita-Oil contains other ingredients which I believe help it’s effectiveness.  One is lecithin. This is a natural phospholipid quite similar to the lipid in our epidermal barrier. Lecithin also acts as an emulsifier.  What this means is that it allows water on the skin to bind with the jojoba oil. As every one knows, water and oil do not mix. Water is what hydrates the skin. Oil prevents the water from evaporating. Vita-Oil will mix with the water because of the presence of this natural emulsifier. This is the rationale for my advising the consumer to use Vita-Oil on wet skin.
4. Vita-Oil also contains other ingredients which serve as anti- oxidants.  Aside from the lecithin which is also an anti-oxidant, the others are esters of vitamin C & A. Anti-oxidants are important in a product to prevent uptake of oxygen which causes degradation of the oils causing rancidity.  They also have beneficial effects on the skin.  During formulating stage of Vita-Oil, one of the criteria I had was to have a simple product with as few ingredients as possible. This is critical for hypersensitive skin. The few ingredients included serve a purpose.  Unfortunately, they add to the cost of the product.  I hope this satisfies your question.

Linda Sy MD
Linda Sy Skin Care

update June 2009: Vita-Oil has been unavailable for several months, but it is now available again via RosaceaCare.

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