Glossary of Ingredients

We are so proud of the ingredients we use in our products that we'd like to introduce you to some of their properties and benefits. Below you will find a list of how your skin rejoices with each and every element we use in our formulations.

Aloe Vera Juice: When the leaves of the aloe plant are first cut it is a thick gel, however once exposed to air it turns into a clear liquid. Aloe is renown to have wonderful healing and soothing properties for damaged, dry skin; you may have used aloe vera when you were out in the sun too long. You can even find aloe vera juice to drink in some health food stores! Not sure if it tastes good but we do know it's a superior element to use in soaps and lotions.

Beeswax is the most commonly used wax in the toiletry industry. Beeswax is a substance secreted by the worker honeybees for the construction of their honeycomb.

Castor Oil is a humectant and acts the same way as glycerin and honey. A humectant has the ability to draw moisture from the air, close to your skin. Castor oil is responsible for the thick, large bubbles you'll see in our soaps. Castor Oil is unique is primarily composed of rinolinoleic acid which makes it a unique oil in soapmaking. We wouldn't make a batch with out this guy!

Cocoa Butter is obtained by the pressing of cocoa nib obtained from cocoa beans. It has a sinful chocolate scent and despite being called butter it is very hard! Cocoa butter is a spectacular addition to any product. It lends firmness to the finished formulation. Not only does Cocoa butter contain skin softening properties but it is also capable of forming a protective layer on the skin to hold in moisture. Cocoa butter is wonderful for massaging into pregnant bellies, as it has been known to reduce stretch marks.

Coconut Oil is one of the main oils that contribute to lather in our soaps. Soaps made with Coconut Oil produce large, fluffy bubbles. In balms and lotions Coconut oil provides a thick emollient base.

Jojoba has been used for centuries for skin care moisturization and hair conditioning. Jojoba is actually a wax rather than a true oil. Jojoba absorbs quickly into the skin and is a wonderful moisturizer, jojoba oil is expeller pressed from the Jojoba Seed.

Olive Oil is our main ingredient in soap. It is extremely gentle and mild. While a Castile Soap (entirely made from Olive Oil) creams rather than lathers we have added more lathering agents to our soaps. Olive oil is comprised of Glycosides and unsaturated fatty acids. It is nutritious and soothing to the skin. It can be used to soften hard skin and sooth inflamed surfaces, especially eczema & psoriasis. Olive oil is a humectant and attracts external moisture to the skin while still allowing the skin to perform normal functions as sweating and shedding. This oil is fabulous and we couldn't live without it! Try adding some olive oil to a cotton ball and dabbing it on your face - it is a real treat.

Palm Kernel Oil is similar to coconut oil and produces hard soaps that lather well in all kinds of water. We like to use a combination of Coconut and Palm Kernel oil in our soaps as we find that they are a great lather team!

Shea butter is a superior moisturizer. It is a natural fat extracted from the fruit of the African Karite Tree. Shea butter will start to melt on contact with the skin, and absorbs quickly. This butter is a great addition to creams, lotions and soaps. *Warning- if you have nut allergies, you may also be allergic to Shea Butter!

Soybean oil is mild and has a stable lather. It possesses conditioning properties and contains high amounts of linoleic acid. While some soapmakers turn their nose up at soybean oil we think it's a fine addition to soap and mimics many high end ingredients through it's fatty acid composition. Hey, it helps support American farmers too! GO SOY!

Sunflower oil contains high amounts of linoleic acid and vitamins E, A, and D. It is fantastically gentle and mild in soaps and we use up to 20% in our formulations as it is considered one of the more conditioning base oils. In balms and lotions Sunflower Oil leaves skin smooth and non-greasy. Another out of this world oil we couldn't live without!

Sweet Almond Oil is an excellent massage oil, this pampering oil is also wonderful in soap. Sweet Almond Oil is cotains high concentrations of oleic and linoleic essential fatty acids which help to give it great penetrating and restructuring properties.

Rosemary Oil Extract is a powerful antioxidant that helps to prolong the life of our oils. Since our soaps contain a percentage of oils and butters that haven't been saponified (turned into soap), Rosemary Oil helps to keep our soaps fresh without the use of synthetic preservatives.