The base liquid for your home made products

What is base?

'Base' refers to a foundational ingredient used across a variety of applications, acting as the primary carrier or solvent in which other ingredients are mixed or dissolved. This versatile component is crucial in creating a wide range of products, mainly personal care items and foods. In personal care products, a base can hydrate, nourish, and deliver active ingredients to the skin or hair. In the culinary world, it can serve as a sweetener, thickener, or moisture-retainer in foods and beverages. Essentially, the base is the backbone of a formulation, providing the necessary consistency and properties needed for the product to perform as intended.

What are PG and VG generally used for?

Propylene Glycol

Propylene glycol is used in various edible products such as liquid sweeteners, ice cream, whipped dairy products, and soft drinks. 

In alcohol-based hand sanitizers, it functions as a moisturizer to prevent skin from drying out. Propylene glycol also serves as a solvent in many pharmaceuticals, including oral, injectable, and topical formulations. Many pharmaceutical compounds that are insoluble in water use propylene glycol as a solvent and carrier. Propylene glycol is additionally used as a solvent and carrier for numerous capsule-based pharmaceutical preparations.

Vegetable Glycerin

In extractions using the "tincture" method, VG is frequently chosen as an "alcohol-free" alternative to ethanol, acting as a solvent for preparing aromas or herbal extracts. In alcohol-based tincture recipes, glycerin can replace alcohol thanks to its preservative qualities. Vegetable glycerin is also a foundational ingredient in many cough syrups and mouthwashes.

In food and beverages, VG acts as a moisturizer, solvent, and sweetener and aids in food preservation. It also serves as a filler in low-fat commercial foods (such as cookies) and as a thickening agent in liqueurs. VG and water are used to preserve certain types of plant leaves.