Sustainable, plant-based, natural, vegan and eco-friendly are some of the terms Osmo use to describe our products. This is due to the 5 main ingredients within the majority of our interior and exterior products, that create high performance wood finishes from natural oils and waxes.
Unlike traditional wood finishes, Osmo can boast product characteristics such as low VOC rates, low to zero odours, high coverage and wood protection from inside out. This is due to the combination of the best natural ingredients, which when combined, are able to achieve a wood finish second to none.
Below we will dive into the main 5 natural ingredients within the majority of the Osmo products; sunflower oil, soya oil, thistle oil, candelilla wax and carnauba wax.
Commonly known and used in food as a frying oil, and in cosmetic formulations as an emollient, sunflower oil is a non-volatile oil pressed from the seeds of the sunflower.
Once combined with the other ingredients within an Osmo product, sunflower oil helps to penetrate the wood grain attributing to the products microporous breathable finish.
Extracted from the seeds of soybean, Soya Oil is a drying oil which is why it is found in many oil paints, printing inks and Osmo oils. Being a drying oil means that it will slowly harden upon exposure to air, forming a flexible, transparent and waterproof solid in its natural state.
With the correct formulation, these properties of soya oil help to create a wood finish with a higher resistance to water, liquids and common spillages that may occur within a home – both inside and out.
Often used in cosmetics for its excellent source of omega essential fatty acids, thistle oil is also a great addition to Osmo products. Thistle is an oil seed crop which produces its seed in heads. Thistle oil is generally a thin oil, which is refined or cold pressed from its seeds.
Unlike traditional varnishes that sit on top of a wooden surface creating a film, thistle oil works with the wood by using its thin characteristics to help penetrate deep into the wood grain creating a protective, microporous surface finish which does not crack, flake, peel or blister over time.
Derived from the leaves of the small Candelilla shrub, the wax is insoluble in water with high hydrocarbon count, making it a highly organic compound with very weak odours – perfect attributes for an Osmo wood oil.
Candelilla wax is also used for making varnish and can be used as a substitute for carnauba wax and beeswax. In the case of Osmo products, we used it alongside carnauba wax to enhance the properties of our wood finishes, while removing the need to utilise beeswax, keeping all of our wood finishes plant based and animal free.
Often known as the ‘Queen of waxes’, carnauba wax is obtained from the leaves of the Carnauba Palm. Its properties help products create a glossy, durable and water-resistant finish, making it ideal for wood oils, waxes and other polishes on the market.
Because it’s too brittle to be used alone, Osmo combines carnauba wax with candelilla wax (plant based) rather than beeswax (animal based), to increase the water resistant properties of its wood finishes. Carnauba wax is also known to be one of the hardest natural waxes. Therefore when also combined with the 3 natural oil ingredients, can create superior Osmo wood finishes you find today include Polyx-Oil Original and Wood Wax Finish.
© 2020 — Osmo UK.
Osmo UK is the trading name of Woodex Limited.
