the FAQ and Delivery Info pages!
Any long delivery delays are caused by The Canada Border Services Agency.
I now ONLY offer EMS as a shipping option to Canada.
This appears to have resolved most of the delays caused by The Canada Border Services Agency.
We take NO responsibility for delivery issues caused by customers entering the wrong address in the checkout page
BulkActives is a part-time business. Orders are processed and mailed on Saturdays. (TimeZone Order Deadline Chart)
We sell COSMETIC RAW MATERIALS, which are meant to be used at an appropriate percentage in a cosmetic formulation of your devising. Please do not order our products unless you know how to formulate creams and lotions with it!
NO PROBLEM! Just email me, and I will sort it all out.
Please check your JUNK mail folder for our emails, and mark them as NOT SPAM.
Failing to do so will result in NOT receiving ANY transaction / order status email updates.
Download our SIMPLE RECIPE CALCULATOR (MS Excel)
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE READ THIS!!!!
Please READ this before placing an order, and select the CORRECT shipping option for your country at checkout!
Due to Wuhan Pneumonia Virus (aka Covid-19) border restrictions and a reduction or cancellation of flights by airlines, we CAN ONLY ship to the counries listed below!
We have also been advised to expect delivery delays at your end, and yes, that INCLUDES USA customers!!!
UK customers, we are finally ABLE to ship to the UK.
We CAN ship to:
Registered Airmail and EMS:
NORTH AMERICA: USA (NOT including Hawaii and Guam), UK
ASIA: China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam,Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Philippines
EUROPE: France, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Finland
EMS only ! (Do NOT select Registered Airmail at checkout)
NORTH AMERICA: Canada
EUROPE: Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Czech, Italy
OCEANIA: New Zealand, Australia
Registered Airmail only!
Cambodia, Spain, Austria, Slovakia, Bahrain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Lithuania
IMPORTANT: If your country is NOT in the above lists, then we CANNOT ship to you at the moment.
If your country does not accept Registered Airmail, then do NOT select it from the shipping options at checkout!
Sclerotium gum is obtained through a complex fermentation process. Due to its properties it is currently used in the food and pharmaceutical industry in applications such as targeted drugs delivery and visco-surgery [4]. One of the most popular sources for sclerotium gum is a parasitic fungus called Athelia rolfsii. Sclerotium rolfsii contains a neutral polysaccharide called scleroglucan which has jellifying and rheological properties by means of polymerization [5]. Sclerotium gum is an excellent thickening agent used in high-end cosmetics, but also compatible with DYI cosmetics, especially due to its stability, ease of use and efficiency.
Compared to other thickening, jellifying and rheological substances, sclerotium gum is superior in several parameters. Due to the polymerization of polysaccharides, such as scleroglucan, the gum is able to form highly stable gels. Unlike other agents, sclerotium gum is very stable with temperature and pH [6]. Amongst 140 polymers tested in an industrial application the sclerotium gum solution ranked highest, maintaining its viscosity at 90% after 500 days at 90 degrees [7].
Sclerotium gum is ideal for topical delivery of active ingredients. Studies have shown that the active is an effective emulsifier and suspension stabilizer [8]. Its advantage is that it provides potent stabilization and emulsification, with great results in ensuring even distribution and concentration of the active ingredients and is 100% natural. Furthermore, the main active ingredient scleroglucan is a beta glucan. Beta glucans are active ingredients that provide numerous benefits for the skin such as: better penetration of the epidermis, enhanced moisturization and improved overall appearance [9]. Several studies showed that beta glucans have strong immune-modulating, antioxidant and radio-protective effects which make them ideal for cosmetic products that aim to protect and repair the skin against UVR damage [10].
Scleroglucan also stimulates immunity by enhancing macrophage production and activity. Laboratory studies showed that scleroglucan is the most effective antitumor agent among the exopolysaccharides. In vivo studies have shown that scleroglucan is the most potent immune-stimulant, anti-tumor, anti-neoplastic and anti-microbial effects amongst the beta-D-glucans [6]. In topical treatments all these effects are useful in fighting keratocytes mutation and malignancy proliferation. Furthermore, due to macrophage activation and anti-bacterial properties scleroglucan also supports wound healing. Several studies have shown that beta-glucans, including scleroglucan, supports keratinocytes regeneration, stimulates collagen production and deposits and enhances the immune response on wound site [11].
Scleroglucan also supports and stimulates the barrier function by generating lipid formation. Studies have shown that it increases ceramides and cholesterol levels in the skin and implicitly it supports the lipid barrier. In-vivo research showed that scleroglucan leads to better moisturization [12]. Clinical studies focussing on polysaccharides including scleroglucan showed that they balance the trans-epidermal water loss reduction (TEWL) preventing skin dehydration, excessive dryness and supporting the barrier function [13].