someingredients

We use a variety of great ingredients in our products so we've
written this page to tell you more about some of them.That way you
will be able to see for yourselves why we are so proud of our
products and so sure they will delight you. Here you will find the
principals characteristics of some of these ingredients. We haven't
detailed nor described all of them, but we have tried to tell you
something about those we use most often.

You will generally find the name of all our ingredients on our products,
but of course, we do have to keep a few secrets. So sometimes we
do use a generic name or merely mention "fragrance". Of course,
not every ingredient goes into every product but every product
contains great ingredients. Once again we remind you that we are not
chemists, nor alchemists, nor dermatologists, etc. What we tell you
about the ingredients is what has been passed down over time by
specialists in the fields of dermatology, cosmetology and
aromatherapy. We are only repeating what we have heard or learned
and believe to be true. We do not claim that these ingredients do
what they are supposed to do; we only hope they will and we know
from many satisfied customers that, indeed, chances are that they do
.

About
Some of our Ingredients

SOME OF OUR INGREDIENTS

ALOE VERA has long been recognised for its healing and
restorative properties,is known to calm inflammation and
soothe the skin. It is also said to be a great skin
moisturiser that helps keep skin supple by bringing oxygen
to the cells, and therefore increasing the strength of the
skin's tissue. That's why you will find it in some of our
products.

SHEA BUTTER is naturally rich in Vitamins A, E, and F,
as well as a number of other vitamins and minerals.
Vitamins A and E help to soothe, hydrate, and balance the
skin while providing collagen which assists in managing
wrinkles and other signs of ageing. Vitamin F contains
essential fatty acids and helps protect and revitalise
damaged skin and hair. Used for more than a thousand
years this rich, buttery oil from central Africa is used for
the protection and care of skin. Also referred to as
"karité" butter, Shea Butter is known to be effective at
diminishing various signs of ageing and promoting skin
renewal. In some countries it is used for the treatment of
many different conditions, such as dry skin, stretch
marks, skin rashes, eczema, sunburn, small skin wounds,
rough skin, insect bites, wrinkles,moisturiser in and
diaper rash. Because of its soothing nature,
anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating effects, it is a perfect
ingredient to incorporate into your skin care regime. It is
also wonderful to use in the summer as a moisturiser
before and after sun exposure to reduce possibility of the
skin peeling or becoming dried out. It is also great for
reducing stretch marks. However, since it is derived from
nuts,moisturiser recommended for those sensitive to nuts.
We love it so much, we add it to most of our products.

COCOA BUTTER has been called the ultimate
moisturiser, and has been used to keep skin soft and supple
for centuries. It is a wonderfully soothing solid that
smells a bit like white chocolate and results in a long
lasting bar of soap. It is one of the most stable, highly
concentrated natural fats known, and melts at body
temperature so that it is readily absorbed into the skin.
Cocoa butter is often recommended for treatment of skin
conditions such as eczema and dermatitis. When applied
topically, it creates a barrier between sensitive skin and
the environment and also helps retain moisture. We use it
in many of our products.

JOJOBA OIL has been used to treat cuts, bruises and
sores for centuries. It serves as a natural lubrication for
dry skin and is non-greasy. Jojoba Oil penetrates skin
rapidly to reduce water loss, reduces wrinkles and stretch
marks, cleans clogged pores and restores skin's natural pH
balance, lightens skin marks and scars. Moisturising and
hypoallergenic. No wonder we use it so frequently.

APRICOT KERNEL OIL is a great oil for sensitive, dry
or inflamed skin. Its highly unsaturated emollients provide
natural moisturisation and nourishing linoleic acid in a dry,
non-greasy form. It contains skin-softening properties,
vitamins, and minerals

GLYCERIN is a clear, syrupy liquid that occurs naturally
in the soap making process and is a wonderful natural
humectant Glycerin has a unique talent for equalising the
moisture level between two surfaces, so if you add a bit of
glycerin to a facial blend, and you live in a humid climate,
the moisture in the air will be attracted to your skin. It
also possesses emollient properties and is good for chapped
skin. We never remove the glycerin from our soaps as many
commercial companies do.

BEESWAX is used in a very small quantity in our honey
almond soap as an emulsifier. It helps give our soap a
nice honey-like smell in addition to the smell of the natural
honey that we put in,of course.

GOAT'S MILK has proteins and minerals and it is one of
nature's finest moisturisers. Read all about it on our
Goat's Milk Soaps page.

OLIVE OIL is probably the best oil one can make soap
with. This oil varies in colour depending on the olive crop
and can be golden to dark green. It is packed with
vitamins, minerals, and protein. Soaps made from olive oil
often have small have small bubbles and are extremely
mild. Soaps made entirely from olive oil are often called
"Castile soaps" or "savons de Marseille"

PALM OIL is a pale yellow semi-solid oil that is great in
soap making. It adds firmness to soap and creates a bar
that is creamy and produces small bubbles that clean well.

SWEET ALMOND OIL is added to many of our
products. It is an unscented oil rich in vitamins, minerals,
and protein. Very moisturising, it softens and soothes the
skin. Sweet almond oil acts as a natural conditioner to
promote a smooth appearance and is said to relieve aches
and pains

SUNFLOWER OIL is an oil rich in essential fatty acids
and a high amount of vitamin E. It is an excellent source
of hydration and moisturisation to improve skin elasticity

GRAPESEED OIL has great skin moisturising properties
and is purported to have regenerative and restructuring
virtues. It has mildly astringent qualities which help
tighten and tone the appearance of the skin.

SOY contains precious properties that are capable of
firming and lifting our skin. Soy protein stimulates the
synthesis of collagen. It also contains plant oestrogens that
help skin cells rejuvenate.

HONEY has been used since Antiquity to heal burns and
wounds, including those of Alexander the Great. It
protects, soothes and nourishes the skin. Honey is
composed of fructose, glucose, water and other sugars. It
contains enzymes, vitamins, minerals and amino acids that
the body needs. Honey, like glycerin, it draws moisture in
from the air. It naturally keeps the skin moist and helps in
the growth of new tissue.

ESSENTIAL OILS are scents that are distilled directly
from botanicals (flowers, leaves, petals, berries, etc).
These oils form the basis for the scents contained in most
of our products. We use the best and purest we can find
and mix or meld them together into the scents we are
famous for.

FRAGRANCE OILS are man-made fragrances. We use
them when the particular scents our clients have asked us
for are unavailable in an essential oil or are too horribly
expensive and would raise the price of our product
considerably. When we do have to use fragrance oils, and
that is very rarely, we only use fragrance oils that are
cosmetic grade.

SPICES are natural ingredients we use to colour some of
our products, or to "spice up" the scent of others. For
instance, we may use paprika to get peach, cinnamon for
beige, turmeric for yellow, and cocoa powder for brown.
We also use other spices such as anise because these
spices offer something special, such as cleansing,
deodorising, etc. Some of the spices and herbs we use
come from our own back yard or kitchen garden,

HERBS are natural ingredients we add, either for scent,
or for their specific qualities. They can be fresh or dried.
We often grind them ourselves

PIGMENTS are also used as colourants in some of our
products. These are natural dyes that are made from
ground rock and are cosmetic-grade. To be noted is that
we use them very sparingly because we do not want to tint
our products very much.

MICA is also used as a translucent colouring in some of our
products.

FLOWERS are ingredients we put in some of our products
because of their added "oomph". For instance calendula
flowers are used to soften skin and are soothing to
dry/sensitive skin. Lavender buds and rose petals help
soaps retain scent. We import most of our flowers and
petals.
OATMEAL, BRAN & WHEAT GERM are added
because of their gently exfoliating and other special
qualities.