What’s in My Cream
Ona’s takes pride in the fact that our ingredients are the healthiest that can be found for a skin cream. A good progesterone cream must perform double duty as an excellent skin cream, as well. So, we include several super healthy ingredients such as Vitamin E, Coconut Oil and Aloe Vera Juice, along with the natural progesterone.
Start With – Vitamin E & Progesterone Oil
The first step is to create a concentrated Vitamin E – Progesterone oil. Because this oil is too sticky to put on skin directly, it is turned into a skin cream. We are inspired by Dr. Ray Peat who strongly recommends dissolving progesterone in Vitamin E to get maximal absorption through the skin.
INGREDIENTS: Natural Micronized Progesterone, Purified water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Fractionated Coconut oil), Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Glycerine, Olivate/sorbitan olivate, Aspen Bark extract.
Where does progesterone come from?
Bioidentical progesterone is synthetic but is identical in all ways to what your body produces naturally. The main starting chemical to make progesterone is called Diosgenin which only takes five chemical transformations to become natural progesterone. The process to do this is called the “Marker Degradation” discovered in the 1930’s by Dr. Russell Earl Marker. This process can also produce Estrogen and Testosterone.
When progesterone is said to be “wild yam derived” it means the chemical Diosgenin was extracted from the yams and chemically transformed into progesterone, requiring five chemical processes.
Purified water – Not De-ionized
Don’t discount water as a nourishing component of a good cream. Water is just as important for the skin as the oils are. We use purified water that is not de-ionized. Many cream makers use de-ionized water but it is not recommended for human consumption.
Caprylic/capric triglyceride
Caprylic triglyceride is an ingredient often used in soaps and cosmetics because of it’s safety, purity and variety of uses. It’s usually made from combining coconut oil with glycerin.
Olivate/sorbitan olivate
An ester that comes from cetearyl and the fatty acids of olive oil. It helps oil and water to blend and it doubles as an active ingredient with significant Moisturizing, barrier-repairing and soothing properties.
Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E – Pesticide & GMO Free)
Not only is Vitamin E really great for the skin, we use natural Vitamin E as a carrier for the progesterone. This is mainly because Vitamin E is one of the only solvents that dissolves progesterone, well. Natural Vitamin E is twice as potent as the synthetic kind of E normally sold as supplements. It is mixed tocopherols derived from sunflower or soy depending on the harvest. Sunflower can be quite bitter certain times of the year and then we opt for non-gmo soy. The amount of soy in each dose is not enough to be concerned with the phytoestrogenic effects of soy.
Dr. Ray Peat strongly suggests first dissolving progesterone into Vitamin E which allows a much better absorption through the skin. The vitamin molecules are small enough to penetrate the outermost layers of the skin and take the dissolved progesterone molecules with them. See Here.
Vitamin E can have positive, long-lasting effects on the body this vitamin sinks below the surface, to the deeper layers of the skin and encourages the natural growth of collagen. Vitamin E gives skin a firmer, plumper look, which can play a significant role in reducing the appearance of many fine lines and wrinkles.
Aspen Bark Extract
This extract has been found to have useful activity as an antimicrobial in cosmetic and personal care products. Initial efficacy testing has shown it to be effective at inhibiting the growth of E. coli, S. aureus, B. subtilis, P. aeuruginosa, yeast and mold. Additionally, leaving silky feeling to the skin.
Hydroxyethycellulose – *only found in the Calm Cream
This is a non-ionic, water soluble polymer used as a thickening agent for aqueous cosmetic and personal care formulations. The high-purity cosmetic grade of Hydroxyethylcellulose we offer is an R-grade, designed to be added to water without lumping, and thus greatly facilitating solution preparation.
Argan Oil – *only found in the Luna Serum
Argan oil is super nutrient-dense without being heavy and clogging pores, consider using this as your go-to facial oil. In a study published by the International Journal of Molecular Science, it states that argan oil can have anti-inflammatory effects on the skin. And according to board-certified dermatologist. Hadley King M.D., argan oil is full of fatty acids and vitamin E that help to boost moisture levels in the skin, which also helps improve texture. And since argan oil is noncomedogenic, it is not problematic for acne-prone areas.
Jojoba Esters – *only found in the Luna Serum
Used in high quality skin care products, jojoba esters have superior stability, provide non-greasy emolliency and are readily absorbed into the skin. The molecular configuration of jojoba is different than most oils, making it a stronger force against attacks by free radicals. Also, it does not break down like oils, making it ideal for cosmetic use and for more effective skin hydration.
The Air Less Pump
The bottle isn’t an ingredient but you might wonder, “what is an ‘airless pump’ ?” It’s very simple. As you pump the cream out, the bottom of the airless pump rises up, leaving an air gap underneath it, so that the cream is protected from the air. This second false bottom “inside” moves up while the bottom “outside” of the airless pump stays fixed.