Why Oatberry Cold-Process Skincare Is More Sustainable and More Advanced
Share
Why Oatberry Chooses Cold-Process Formulation
A More Energy-Conscious, Ingredient-Respectful Way to Create Naturally Advanced Skincare
When people think about what makes a skincare product exceptional, they usually think about the ingredient list. And of course, ingredients matter deeply. But what is talked about far less often is how those ingredients are brought together because the manufacturing process shapes not only sustainability, but also the integrity, structure, elegance and effectiveness of the final formula.
At Oatberry Naturally Advanced Skincare, every single formula is created using cold-process technology. That choice is not just philosophical. It is practical, scientific, and intentional. It is part of how I create skincare that feels more considered, more energy-conscious, and more respectful of delicate, skin-beneficial ingredients from the very start. Traditional emulsion manufacturing relies heavily on thermal input, and published research shows that thermal energy is the dominant energy demand in emulsion manufacturing. In one peer-reviewed study, heating and cooling were cited as accounting for around 95% of the energy used during emulsion manufacturing, with thermal energy clearly outweighing mechanical energy.
Most conventional creams, lotions, and many serums are emulsions: systems that combine oil and water using emulsifiers and processing energy. In traditional hot processing, these systems are commonly manufactured by heating phases, emulsifying, and then cooling the batch again. That approach is familiar and effective, but it is also energy-intensive. A 2023 peer-reviewed study in Cosmetics found that switching from a hot process to a hot-cold process reduced thermal energy demand by about 82% for oil-in-water emulsions and 86% for water-in-oil emulsions. The same paper notes that full cold processing can theoretically remove 100% of the thermal energy used in that stage of manufacturing.
That matters because sustainability in skincare is not only about what is inside the bottle. It is also about the resources required to make that bottle possible. The same study found that changing the manufacturing process meaningfully reduced cradle-to-gate carbon footprint for the example emulsions they assessed, showing that process design can be a genuine sustainability lever, not just a technical detail.
For Oatberry, cold processing is therefore an environmentally conscious manufacturing choice. By avoiding unnecessary heat, I can reduce the thermal energy demanded during formulation and take a more energy-aware approach to making skincare. That does not mean manufacturing alone defines a product’s entire environmental footprint; packaging, ingredient sourcing, and transport still matter too, but it does mean the process itself can be made more thoughtful.
But sustainability is only one part of the story.
The other reason I chose cold-process formulation is that it helps me work more intelligently with sensitive ingredients. Higher temperatures generally accelerate chemical change, including oxidation and degradation of ingredients, which is why formulators often treat delicate actives, antioxidants, and unsaturated lipids with care. Published studies show that temperature strongly influences the oxidation of ingredients, and another study of commercial retinoid products found substantial retinoid loss under elevated-temperature storage conditions.
That is important because many of the most beautiful ingredients in skincare are also the ones that need the most respect. When a formula is designed for high heat, the formulator may have less flexibility with certain fragile materials, or those materials may need to be added later in more limited amounts. By working cold, I can build formulas around meaningful, evidence-led levels of skin-beneficial ingredients while minimising unnecessary thermal stress during manufacture. That allows me to create formulas that are not built around the needs of heat, but around the needs of the skin and the integrity of the ingredients themselves.
Cold processing also gives me greater control over when ingredients are introduced and how they are dispersed throughout the system. That matters because good formulation is not only about what you use, but how evenly and elegantly you distribute it. A well-built emulsion is a structured delivery system, not just a list of materials blended. When ingredients are incorporated with precision and protected during processing, the resulting formula can feel more refined, more uniform, and more consistent from drop to drop.
This brings me to one of the formulas I am most proud of: Unify Clear Serum.
Unify Clear is not simply an emulsion. It is an advanced mixed micelle lamellar emulsion, and that is a huge part of what makes it such a naturally advanced formula. To understand why this matters, it helps to look at the skin itself. The outermost skin barrier, the stratum corneum, is built around a highly organised lipid matrix arranged in lamellae. These lamellae are formed primarily from ceramides, cholesterol, and free fatty acids, and they are central to the skin’s barrier function.
That lamellar organisation is one of the reasons lamellar and liquid-crystalline emulsions are so fascinating in skincare. They are not just aesthetically elegant systems; they are also structurally interesting because they can be designed to be more compatible with the skin’s own barrier. Clinical and experimental studies on biomimetic lamellar and liquid-crystalline emulsions have shown improved hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss, supporting the idea that these systems can provide a more barrier-supportive experience than conventional emulsions, depending on their formulation.
That is why Unify Clear is so special to me. Its mixed micelle lamellar structure is part of what allows it to feel so elegant and skin-compatible. It is a formula designed not only around the ingredients themselves, but also around the delivery of these ingredients to the skin, the invisible structure that helps determine how a formula behaves on the skin. In published research, liquid-crystalline emulsions have been associated with highly ordered nanostructures, improved hydration performance, and improved skin compatibility compared with more conventional systems.
So when I say Oatberry is Naturally Advanced, I do not mean simply that I use beautiful ingredients. I mean that I think deeply about the overall design of a formula: the process, the structure, the compatibility with the skin, the environmental cost of manufacture, and the integrity of the ingredients throughout.
Cold-process formulation allows me to take a different path from the start. A more energy-conscious one. A more ingredient-respectful one. And, in formulas like Unify Clear, a more structurally advanced one, too.
Because truly advanced skincare is not just about adding actives for the sake of a claim. It is about building formulas with intention, formulas that are designed to support the skin beautifully, consistently, and intelligently.
That is the Oatberry way.
Scientific References.
Sustainability by Reduced Energy Consumption during Manufacturing: The Case of Cosmetic Emulsions
The skin barrier: an extraordinary interface with an exceptional lipid organisation - PMC