Oils, butters and other ingredients

Here we attempt to de-mystify some of the ingredients that we use in our products.   Due to the labelling requirements, some of it can sound down-right dodgy, but mostly it's just the official names that make everything follow EU requirements.  So we thought we would help out by letting you know what some of them are!

What do we use in our soap to make it different to the soap in the high street shops?

Olive Oil

Olive oil is made from the unripe fruits from the Olive tree, which comes from the Mediterranean.   It is suitable for dry skin, and forms the main part of our soap (saponified name in soap - Sodium Olivate)

Palm Oil

Palm oil is derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree, which comes from West Africa. It is used widely in cooking, and in soaps, helps to make the lather last longer. (saponified name in soap - Sodium Palmate)

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is an oil extracted from the flesh of the coconut, and generally originates from tropical areas.  Wonderful for producing that creamy lather you come to expect from cold process soaps (saponified name in soap - Sodium Cocoate)

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter is the fat of the cacao bean, one of the ingredients of chocolate. It has natural antioxidants, and is reputed to be helpful in making stretch marks less noticeable. More to the point, in its unrefined form, it smells of chocolate! (Name on the label - Theobroma Cacao)

Shea Butter

Shea butter is the fat of the seed of the African Shea tree.   It is widely used in Africa for rejuvanating both hair and skin, and has moisturising qualities.  It also absorbs easily, and contains many vitamins. (Name on the label - Butyrospermum parkii)

We use other oils in our products too, and these will be added as time allows, but in the meantime, if you wish to know more, please ask

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And now for the scents .....

We aim to only use pure essential oils and other natural ingredients to scent our soaps, as not only do they produce delightful scented soaps, but the qualities within the essential oils have a wide range of benefits for body and spirit.  As we add more products to our range, the list below will grow and grow ...

Cedarwood

A warming, woody oil, used in aromatherapy to combat respiratory problems, and useful for skin and scalp problems.  (Cedrus atlantica / Juniperus virginiana)

Frankincense

This oil is created from the aromatic resin that is frankincense, probably most famous for its being one of the gifts of the Three Kings.   A wonderful rich smell, it has a wide variety of uses for skin, stress and coughs and colds!  (Boswellia carterii)

Geranium

Widely used for its calming and de-stressing qualities, and reputed to be useful to combat acne! A very balancing oil, good for either dry or greasy skin. (Pelargonium graveolens)

 Lavender

One of the most popular, wellknown oils, with a wide range of benefits - useful to combat headaches, insomnia, good for all sorts of skin issues, and relaxation. (Lavandula angustifolia)

Peppermint   

Known for its uplifting and refreshing qualities, also very useful for oily skin, digestive issues and aches and pains. (Mentha piperata) 

Ylang Ylang

Perhaps most famous as an aphrodisiac, it's also highly prized as a calming oil, helping fight feelings of stress-induced depression, and very balancing for the skin. (Canaga odorata)

There are many more essential oils that we use in our fast-growing range, and I will add them to this list as time allows. 

All essential oils should be used with care, and if there are any doubts about their suitability, please ask prior to use.