Re: Working with IUs

August 11, 2001

THANK YOU!!!!!

I was thinking in a compatible vein, and this clarified many things very nicely.

Thanks,

Cyn

Pat McDonnell wrote:

> Hi Cyn.

>

> <snip>

> international unit (IU)

> a unit used to measure the mass of certain vitamins and drugs based on their

> expected effects. For each substance to which this unit applies, there is an

> international agreement specifying the biological effect expected with a

> dose of 1 IU. Other quantities of the substance are then expressed as

> multiples of this standard. Examples: 1 IU represents 45.5 micrograms of a

> standard preparation of insulin or 0.6 microgram of a standard preparation

> of penicillin. Consumers most often see IU's on the labels of vitamin

> packages: the equivalent of 1 IU is 0.3 microgram (0.0003 mg) for vitamin A,

> 50 micrograms (0.05 mg) for vitamin C, 25 nanograms (0.000 025 mg) for

> vitamin D, and 2/3 milligram for vitamin E.

> Credit: U of North Carolina.

>

> <snip>

> Don't forget, there is 1,000 milligrams in a gram.

>

> Pat.

August 13, 2001

Could someone please help me with the rest of my question? Thanks!

-Cyn

wrote:

> <answered by Pat... thanks!>

>

> Also, if a bottle of Vitamin E oil says it's 5,000 IUs and is 4 oz. in

size....

> What would be the impact to the product if I added an equal amount of, say,

> jojoba oil? Would I then have 8 oz. of a 2,500 IU Vitamin E oil blend?

>

> Thanks!

> Cyn

August 13, 2001

I'm curious about this, too. My instinct is that you still have 5,000 IUs

of Vitamin E, but it's now diluted to 8 oz, so you have to use twice as

much all to get the same amount of Vitamin E as with the 4 oz

solution. That is, if you had to use 1 oz to get 1250 IUs of Vitamin E,

you know have to use 2 oz.

And, then again, I could be horribly wrong, which is why I'd love an

authoritative answer, too. <g>

At 10:49 AM 8/13/2001 -0500, you wrote:

>Could someone please help me with the rest of my question? Thanks!

>

>-Cyn

>

> wrote:

>

> > <answered by Pat... thanks!>

> >

> > Also, if a bottle of Vitamin E oil says it's 5,000 IUs and is 4 oz. in

> size....

> > What would be the impact to the product if I added an equal amount of, say,

> > jojoba oil? Would I then have 8 oz. of a 2,500 IU Vitamin E oil blend?

> >

> > Thanks!

> > Cyn

>

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>

August 13, 2001

> Could someone please help me with the rest of my question? Thanks!

Cyn, if a 4 oz bottle contains 5000 IU Vitamin E and if the E is equivalent

to 3+ gm (not sure as I haven't checked), then adding another 4 oz of base

will not change the content of the Vitamin E. You would still have a 5000 IU

bottle of Vitamin E. If on the other hand, the label on the bottle said you

had 5000 IU per oz (or other measurement) and you were to add the same

amount of base, you would now have 2500 IU per ounce or other measurement.

Pat.

Peace, Joy, Serenity

House of Scents tm. Body Oils, Fragrance Oils, Incense, Candles, Soap, Etc.

pat@...

August 13, 2001

Thanks Pat... I feel like such a dunce. I guess I still don't know what I'm

asking.

Here is my situation... I have a bottle of mixed tocopherols. I was using the

T-50 as Vitamin E in a salve for my scarring. My physical therapist and my

doctor were impressed with how well it worked and both wanted to know how many

IUs of Vitamin E were in it.

I had no clue, so I asked my supplier. They were selling the T-50 primarily as

an antioxidant and didn't know either, but made an attempt at the math. A

measurement of 40,000 IUs was reached for the 1 pound bottle.

Do I need to dig out the message and look at the calculations? Would that give

me a clue?

<hee hee> Or maybe I should just RENT a clue!

Thanks Pat!

-Cyn

Pat McDonnell wrote:

> > Could someone please help me with the rest of my question? Thanks!

>

> Cyn, if a 4 oz bottle contains 5000 IU Vitamin E and if the E is equivalent

> to 3+ gm (not sure as I haven't checked), then adding another 4 oz of base

> will not change the content of the Vitamin E. You would still have a 5000 IU

> bottle of Vitamin E. If on the other hand, the label on the bottle said you

> had 5000 IU per oz (or other measurement) and you were to add the same

> amount of base, you would now have 2500 IU per ounce or other measurement.

>

> Pat.

August 13, 2001

Cyn, if my brain is still working T-50 is 50% Tocopherol (Vitamin E) and I

think the calculation that I sent you the other day said that 1 IU = 2/3 mg.

Therefore, 1 mg = 1.5 IU and 1 gm would = 1500 IU. If my math is correct so

far and if the T-50 does indeed contain 50% Vitamin E, then 1 pound should

be 1500 X 453.6/2 or 340,200 IU. This doesn't look right to me, so I am

assuming I have screwed up some place. If one of the chemists is around,

perhaps he could comment on whether I am mistaken in the amount of Vitamin E

in T-50.

Pat.

Peace, Joy, Serenity

House of Scents tm. Body Oils, Fragrance Oils, Incense, Candles, Soap, Etc.

pat@...

August 13, 2001

maybe it's my linear little brain, but if there's 40,000 IU in a one

pound bottle, and they measured it by weight, then wouldn't you have

40,000 IU/16 oz = 2500 IU per ounce of T-50? Did I miss a step in

here somewhere when I wasn't paying attention?

>

> > > Could someone please help me with the rest of my question?

Thanks!

> >

> > Cyn, if a 4 oz bottle contains 5000 IU Vitamin E and if the E is

equivalent

> > to 3+ gm (not sure as I haven't checked), then adding another 4 oz

of base

> > will not change the content of the Vitamin E. You would still have

a 5000 IU

> > bottle of Vitamin E. If on the other hand, the label on the bottle

said you

> > had 5000 IU per oz (or other measurement) and you were to add the

same

> > amount of base, you would now have 2500 IU per ounce or other

measurement.

> >

> > Pat.

August 13, 2001

Did we give up using our name now? :-) It's a good job I know who you are.

I think she has doubts about whether the 40,000 IU is a correct figure. Of

course I didn't help matters with my calculations. Do you happen to know how

much actual Vitamin E is in T-50? I'm assuming my math is correct with all

those foreign mg's etc. or you would have pulled me on it:-)

I have something else to discuss with you that I will send privately. Hope

the house and school are going good.

Pat.

Peace, Joy, Serenity

House of Scents tm. Body Oils, Fragrance Oils, Incense, Candles, Soap, Etc.

pat@...

August 13, 2001

Thanks Pat!

I have a salve that I use that contains Emu Oil and the T-50, with enough

beeswax to hold it together.

How should it be labelled?

Thanks again,

Cyn

Pat McDonnell wrote:

> <snip> then 1 pound should be 1500 X 453.6/2 or 340,200 IU. This doesn't look

> right to me, so I am

> assuming I have screwed up some place. If one of the chemists is around,

> perhaps he could comment on whether I am mistaken in the amount of Vitamin E

> in T-50.

>

> Pat.

August 13, 2001

> If I use 1 oz. of the T-50 in a batch, would the label say that it

contains 2500

> IUs of Vitamin E?

Cyn, for labeling purposes a salve is considered a cosmetic and needs to be

labeled accordingly. In the ingredient portion of your label you need to use

INCI nomenclature and list ingredients in descending order in relationship

to their weight in your product. T-50 is listed simply as Tocopherol. If

your salve was in a tin, you could have the ingredient label on the bottom

and a claims label on the top where it may be appropriate to make the

Vitamin E claim. I would be real careful about claiming a particular amount

of IU's on the information that you have. If I were you I would get in touch

with Cognis (the manufacturer) to find out exactly how many IU per pound.

Make sure you tell them it is T-50 because they have a 70 as well.

If you are looking for INCI nomenclature, there is a link to Sherri's Oshun

site in our bookmark section that has all of the ingredients listed that you

will be using.

Pat.

Peace, Joy, Serenity

House of Scents tm. Body Oils, Fragrance Oils, Incense, Candles, Soap, Etc.

pat@...

August 13, 2001

Dear Pat,

I got some info from the distributor of the T-50 and the way the math works out,

the IUs seem to be around 39,000-40,000 for the 16 oz. bottle.

If I use 1 oz. of the T-50 in a batch, would the label say that it contains 2500

IUs of Vitamin E? And if the batch made 5 salves, would each contain 500 IUs of

Vitamin E? [assuming the original number, 40,000, to be accurate].

Thanks!

-Cyn

Pat McDonnell wrote:

<snip>

August 14, 2001

>If I use 1 oz. of the T-50 in a batch, would the label say that it contains

2500

>IUs of Vitamin E? And if the batch made 5 salves, would each contain 500 IUs of

>Vitamin E? [assuming the original number, 40,000, to be accurate].

We need to know how big your batch is.

Maurice

------------------------

Maurice O. Hevey

Convergent Cosmetics, Inc.

http://www.cognis-us.com/cognis/carechemicals/Documents/Sheets/COVI-OXT-

August 14, 2001

>Cyn, if my brain is still working T-50 is 50% Tocopherol (Vitamin E) and I

>think the calculation that I sent you the other day said that 1 IU = 2/3 mg.

>Therefore, 1 mg = 1.5 IU and 1 gm would = 1500 IU. If my math is correct so

>far and if the T-50 does indeed contain 50% Vitamin E, then 1 pound should

>be 1500 X 453.6/2 or 340,200 IU. This doesn't look right to me, so I am

>assuming I have screwed up some place. If one of the chemists is around,

>perhaps he could comment on whether I am mistaken in the amount of Vitamin E

>in T-50.

Let's review what is known.

From the spec sheet for Covi-o

T-50

50.pdf

we know that:

1) Coviox T-50 is 50% mixed tocopherols in a vegetable oil base. Of

the mixed tocopherols present, 20% is alpha tocoherol. The

maining non-alpha Tocopherols is 80% of the formula.

From the Merck Index, we know that:

2) 1000 mg = 1 IU Alpha tocopherol (true Vitamin E); ergo 1 IU of

Vitamin E = .001grams.

3) We also know that 1 lb = 453.6 grams. (international standards)

Therefore, the formula for Covi-ox T-50 would look like this:

Vegetable Oil = 50%

alpha Tocopherol = 10%

beta, gamma & delta Tocopherols = 40%

Converting the formula to a batch sheet we have

Vegetable Oil = 8 oz

alpha Tocopherol = 1.6 oz

beta, gamma & delta Tocopherols = 6.4 oz

Total = 16 oz

or

Vegetable Oil = 226.8 grams

alpha Tocopherol = 45.4 grams

beta, gamma & delta Tocopherols = 181.4 grams

Total = 453.6 grams

Since 1 International Unit of Vitamin E (alpha Tocopherol) equals 1 mg

or .001 grams,

then 45.4 grams = 45,400 milligrams or 45,400 IU of Vitamin E.

Maurice

------------------------

Maurice O. Hevey

Convergent Cosmetics, Inc.

August 14, 2001

>I have a salve that I use that contains Emu Oil and the T-50, with enough

>beeswax to hold it together.

>

>How should it be labelled?

Assuming you are using more Beeswax than Coviox T-50:

Emu Oil

Beeswax

Tocopherol

Maurice

------------------------

Maurice O. Hevey

Convergent Cosmetics, Inc.

August 14, 2001

Dear Cyn, It should be labeled " To Kathy, Hope this helps your nose and

neck wounds scar minimally. Love, Cyn "

How's that? LOL

See ya soon! Kathy K.

--------------------

I have a salve that I use that contains Emu Oil and the T-50, with enough

beeswax to hold it together.

How should it be labelled?

---------------------

August 14, 2001

>So, there are no restrictions concerning how the concentration of the

>Tocopherols should be indicated?

For drugs or cosmetics??

Maurice

------------------------

Maurice O. Hevey

Convergent Cosmetics, Inc.

> http://www.ConvergentCosmetics.com

August 14, 2001

Thanks, Maurice...

So, there are no restrictions concerning how the concentration of the

Tocopherols should be indicated?

-Cyn

" Maurice O. Hevey " wrote:

>

> <snip>

> Tocopherol

>

> Maurice

>

> ------------------------

> Maurice O. Hevey

> Convergent Cosmetics, Inc.

>

> Post message: Cosmeticinfo

> Subscribe: Cosmeticinfo-subscribe

> Unsubscribe: Cosmeticinfo-unsubscribe

> List owner: Cosmeticinfo-owner

> URL to this page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cosmeticinfo

>

August 14, 2001

>Explanations seem to indicate that the tocopherol IUs don't work this way? So,

is it

>a description of the " nature " of the product? If you use an ingredient in a

salve,

>that ingredient is there, no matter how many other things you add... it is only

the

>concentration per finished product that would vary?

Correct. But why don't you just stick with percentages and everything

is solve.

Maurice

------------------------

Maurice O. Hevey

Convergent Cosmetics, Inc.

August 14, 2001

This scenario would be that the batch would divide equally into 5 parts.

What I am trying to determine and understand is how the tocopherol IUs are

represented in products. The math below was : 40,000 IUs in a 16 oz. bottle...

using

1 oz.... therefore 40,000/16 = 2500 in 1 oz.. That 1 oz. in the batch, divided

by 5

salves would be 500 IUs in each salve.

The above math is predicated upon the assumption that the IUs function like a

defined

and stable quantity (like volume), not a concentration. By this comparison I

mean

that I'm trying to understand how to " see " the IUs.

Is it like a dye concentration that can be diluted --when you add more water to

a

watercolor, you get a more sheer wash; the color is not changed, but the

concentration is reduced, giving a " lighter " color (more of the background paper

shows through)?

Explanations seem to indicate that the tocopherol IUs don't work this way? So,

is it

a description of the " nature " of the product? If you use an ingredient in a

salve,

that ingredient is there, no matter how many other things you add... it is only

the

concentration per finished product that would vary?

Am I explaining my lack of comprehension properly? <sigh>

Thanks for trying to teach me. I'm not ALWAYS this dense! Thankfully, there are

the

beginnings of holes of understanding to allow the light of comprehension. Ü

Thanks!

Cyn

" Maurice O. Hevey " wrote:

>

> >If I use 1 oz. of the T-50 in a batch, would the label say that it contains

2500

> >IUs of Vitamin E? And if the batch made 5 salves, would each contain 500 IUs

of

> >Vitamin E? [assuming the original number, 40,000, to be accurate].

>

> We need to know how big your batch is.

>

> Maurice

August 14, 2001

awwww.... you spoiled the surprise!!! seriously, hon, it's almost on its way to

you.

The proportions were 2:1 Emu to T-50, with enough beeswax to hold it together.

My orthopedic surgeon was very excited about how well my scars were healing and

started all of this by asking me how the IUs compared to what was available in

stores. I had no clue, so I started asking. My occupational therapist is using

it on some of his clients and wanted to know the same thing.

There is a co-op on the T-50 and I was trying to find out about this other stuff

to share it with that list. Most everyone uses the mixed tocopherols as an

antioxidant as opposed to an ingredient, but you should SEE my scars! They are

about 2 weeks old, the stiches have been out less than a week and the puckering

is gone and they are a pale pink in color.

Of course, I am NOT making any claims, medical or otherwise! <grin>

I'm glad your nose is healing!

Love ya,

Cyn

Kathy Kuykendall wrote:

> Dear Cyn, It should be labeled " To Kathy, Hope this helps your nose and

> neck wounds scar minimally. Love, Cyn "

>

> How's that? LOL

> See ya soon! Kathy K.

> --------------------

> I have a salve that I use that contains Emu Oil and the T-50, with enough

> beeswax to hold it together.

>

> How should it be labelled?

>

> ---------------------

>

August 14, 2001

Maurice, it became obvious that the amount of Vitamin E was off when I did

the calculation last night. According to what you have said, the information

that I submitted from the U of North Carolina is also incorrect. According

to them 1 IU of Vitamin E is equal to 2/3 mg Vitamin E.

>Consumers most often see IU's on the labels of vitamin

packages: the equivalent of 1 IU is 0.3 microgram (0.0003 mg) for vitamin A,

50 micrograms (0.05 mg) for vitamin C, 25 nanograms (0.000 025 mg) for

vitamin D, and 2/3 milligram for vitamin E.

Credit: U of North Carolina.<

Or am I missing something here?

Pat.

Peace, Joy, Serenity

House of Scents tm. Body Oils, Fragrance Oils, Incense, Candles, Soap, Etc.

pat@...

> http://www.cognis-us.com/cognis/carechemicals/Documents/Sheets/COVI-OXT-

Re: Working with IUs

>

> >Cyn, if my brain is still working T-50 is 50% Tocopherol (Vitamin E) and

I

> >think the calculation that I sent you the other day said that 1 IU = 2/3

mg.

> >Therefore, 1 mg = 1.5 IU and 1 gm would = 1500 IU. If my math is correct

so

> >far and if the T-50 does indeed contain 50% Vitamin E, then 1 pound

should

> >be 1500 X 453.6/2 or 340,200 IU. This doesn't look right to me, so I am

> >assuming I have screwed up some place. If one of the chemists is around,

> >perhaps he could comment on whether I am mistaken in the amount of

Vitamin E

> >in T-50.

>

> Let's review what is known.

>

> >From the spec sheet for Covi-o

> T-50

> 50.pdf

>

> we know that:

>

> 1) Coviox T-50 is 50% mixed tocopherols in a vegetable oil base. Of

> the mixed tocopherols present, 20% is alpha tocoherol. The

> maining non-alpha Tocopherols is 80% of the formula.

>

> >From the Merck Index, we know that:

> 2) 1000 mg = 1 IU Alpha tocopherol (true Vitamin E); ergo 1 IU of

> Vitamin E = .001grams.

>

> 3) We also know that 1 lb = 453.6 grams. (international standards)

>

> Therefore, the formula for Covi-ox T-50 would look like this:

>

> Vegetable Oil = 50%

> alpha Tocopherol = 10%

> beta, gamma & delta Tocopherols = 40%

>

> Converting the formula to a batch sheet we have

>

> Vegetable Oil = 8 oz

> alpha Tocopherol = 1.6 oz

> beta, gamma & delta Tocopherols = 6.4 oz

> Total = 16 oz

>

> or

>

> Vegetable Oil = 226.8 grams

> alpha Tocopherol = 45.4 grams

> beta, gamma & delta Tocopherols = 181.4 grams

> Total = 453.6 grams

>

> Since 1 International Unit of Vitamin E (alpha Tocopherol) equals 1 mg

> or .001 grams,

> then 45.4 grams = 45,400 milligrams or 45,400 IU of Vitamin E.

>

> Maurice

August 14, 2001

>Maurice, it became obvious that the amount of Vitamin E was off when I did

>the calculation last night. According to what you have said, the information

>that I submitted from the U of North Carolina is also incorrect. According

>to them 1 IU of Vitamin E is equal to 2/3 mg Vitamin E.

>>Consumers most often see IU's on the labels of vitamin

>packages: the equivalent of 1 IU is 0.3 microgram (0.0003 mg) for vitamin A,

>50 micrograms (0.05 mg) for vitamin C, 25 nanograms (0.000 025 mg) for

>vitamin D, and 2/3 milligram for vitamin E.

>Credit: U of North Carolina.<

>

>Or am I missing something here?

My reference source was the Merck Index 10th Edition

------------------------

Maurice O. Hevey

Convergent Cosmetics, Inc.