What is beaver anal oil doing in Pattern beauty products?

Outside of Hydroxyacetophenone being on the list there are two other ingredients that raise an eyebrow. One being PEG 150 Distearate, typically used in many cosmetic and hair products as a thickening agent. Although this product is approved by the FDA it’s not only by EWG and research shows this product is not safe to use on broken skin. For the person who may scratch their scalp frequently, brush or comb their hair aggressively, using this product could case serious irritation to the scalp.

The other red flag would be Phenoxyethanol, which is categorized as a Quaternary Ammonium, a germicidal and/or cationic disinfectant. In hair products this natural preservative found mostly in green tea is re-created to become a synthetic preservative, adding slip and a smooth feeling to your tresses. It’s said to be harmless as long as there is less than 1% present in any cosmetic or hair product. Other research shows that depending on how Phenoxyethanol is synthesized it could possibly become a carcinogen.

Am I still as hyped about Pattern?! In all honesty, only the first 10-12 ingredients matter. The natural humectant like honey, the emollients such as shea butter and aloe vera, the hydrolyzed vegetable protein and the variety of carrier oils are eye catching, well-thought-out, and are the first 12 ingredients itemized. Despite the Hydroxyacetophenone (Castoreum), PEG 15 Distearate (thickening agent), and Phenoxyethanol (synthetic preservative) I think Pattern is pretty close to perfection. Of course, the measure of whether this product line will become a holy grail will be in the testing.

After years of trials and error with every product line on the market for “curly girls”, Traci Ellis Ross comes through with Pattern, a product line that has been in the making for eight plus years.

As a product research junkie (and cosmetology educator) I couldn’t wait to see what variety of ingredients would formulate the highly anticipated product line. Off top, I must say the list is quite extensive with 30 + ingredients. Traci definitely took her time and had our curls in mind when selecting the natural humectants and emollients, which is why I’m surprised to see Hydroxyacetophenone on the list.

You’re like Hydroxyace … what? In simple terms, Castoreum. At first glance, one would think Castoreum is Castor Oil. While this is true to an extent, this type of Castor Oil comes from the beaver, the beavers anal to be exact. Yup! That’s right. Castoreum is beaver booty oil. The type of Castor Oil you want to use should come from the Castor Bean, which is derived from the Castor plant. Don’t get me wrong, Castoreum is filled with protein but it raised a red flag when I noticed its used in cigarettes, some vanilla ice-creams, and chewing gum or flavor.