Abstract: A process for extracting a substance or a substance group from a mixture utilizes a solvent for separation. The mixture is treated with the solvent in the presence of a sorbent as the stationary phase, wherein the solvent is conducted past the sorbent in a co-current flow with the mixture or in a counter-current flow against the mixture, or wherein the solvent is conducted past the non-moving mixture and the sorbent. The solvent and the sorbent are selected such that the holding effect of the sorbent supports the separation by the solvent during the separation procedure and/or subsequently supplements the separation by interacting with the solvent as the mobile phase.

Abstract: A urea-containing component of a skin care agent or skin preparation, wherein the urea forms inclusion compounds with fatty acids and/or fatty acid compounds, so that fat is made available for skin care which is protected against oxidation. A method of manufacturing the urea-containing component of a skin care agent includes cooking an oil or a mixture of fatty acid ethyl esters manufactured from an oil with urea in a solvent in a non-oxidizing atmosphere until the urea has been dissolved, permitting the mixture to cool, and finally cooling the mixture to a final temperature of below 10.degree. C. and separating the resulting precipitate.

Abstract: A method for recovering at least one unsaturated fatty acid having sixteen or more carbon atoms and/or at least one compound of such a fatty acid from a mixture derived from vegetable, animal or marine sources is provided. Fatty acids and/or fatty acid compounds of the mixture, in free acid or esterified form, are passed into a mobile phase of liquid carbon dioxide in a column over a stationary phase. The stationary phase contains a support and a material bound to the support which contains at least one free electron pair and/or multiple bond. After eluting any saturated fatty acid or fatty acid compound of the same number of carbon atoms from the column, the unsaturated fatty acid and/or fatty acid compound is recovered in pure chemical form or as an enriched mixture.