Glossary of ingredients:

Read our guide to skin care ingredients. The ability to understand and analise the ingredients in your skin care is important for correctly choosing the products that provide the best possible balance of effectiveness and safety.

Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) is an excellent treatment for inflamed, irritated or irradiated skin. Aloe Vera soothing, cooling, with anti-irritant and healing powers.

Avocado is an evergreen tree native to the tropical New World. Its green to dark-purple fruit is properly known as an avocado pear because of its shape. It is high in vitamins A, B and rich in linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid which helps skin to retain moisture. Products formulated with avocado oil are therefore ideal for dry skins.

Calendula (Marigold Extract) helps skin regenerate and heal. It also has an anti-inflammatory action which helps ease skin irritations.

Chamomile has a calming, gentle effect that is good for helping sensitive skin to heal.

Cinnamon Oil – antimicrobial, antiseptic. It also helps in blood circulation and acts as a sexual stimulant.

Evening Primrose Oil – a rich source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, good for dry skin conditions.

Glycerine derived from plants, this is a humectant ( attracting water to the skin ), emollient, emulsifier and solvent.

Grapefruit Essential Oil – astringent, antiseptic, rich in vitamin C. Keeps the skin clean. Particularly good for treating oily skin and acne. Gives a refreshing feeling. Also beneficial for treating stiffness and cramp in muscles. It is lymphatic. It is involved in the removal of unwanted and toxic substances from the body. Grapefruit Oil ensures a good health of lymphatic system and boosts it up, thereby freeing the body from toxins and fighting problems like cellulite, blood urea, rheumatism, arthritis, gout and renal calculi etc.

Grapefruit Seed Extract – antiseptic and preservative.

Honey is much more than a sweetener – its exceptionally high potassium content makes it an excellent antibacterial agent.

Jojoba Oil - It has antimicrobial properties, which means it actually discourages the growth of some bacterial and fungal microbes that attack the skin. In addition, the chemical composition of jojoba closely resembles that of the skin’s natural sebum, so it is easily absorbed and rarely causes allergic reactions, even in the most sensitive individuals. It is also great for dry skin. Jojoba oil contains many important nutrients, such as vitamin E, B complex vitamins, and the minerals silicon, chromium, copper, and zinc. It also contains a lot of iodine, which may be where jojoba gets its ability to fight against bacterial and fungal infection. In addition to acne, jojoba has traditionally been used to treat canker sores, cold sores, athlete’s foot, and warts.

Lavender Essential Oil – soothing, healing, balancing and calming, as well antisepic; good for sensitive and delicate skin.

Lecithin is an extract from soya beans. It is used to soothe and moisturise skin, and leaves it feeling smooth.

Loofahs are vine-grown vegetables. They're marrow-like plants with a hard outer skin and fleshy, fibrous interior that is full of seeds. Once dried, the inner fibres of the loofah lend themselves to all sorts of skin scrubs, especially mitts and sponges. Although they don't hold water well, they effectively exfoliate dead skin cells and remove dirt and excess oil. They also stimulate blood circulation, which keeps skin looking fresh and healthy.

Oatmeal or Bran both have a cleansing and soothing effect on the skin. Oatmeal soothes skin and helps relieve itching and inflammation. It also moisturises skin and leaves it feeling silky.

Olive Oil – emollient and lubricant, it also strengthens the hair shaft.

Rosemary Essential Oil – refreshing, invigorating, stimulating for skin; good for tackling scalp problems.

Shea Butter ( Butyrospermum  parkii) also known as karite butter. It is a cream-coloured fatty substance made from the nuts of karite nut trees (also called Mangifolia trees) that grow in the savannah regions of West and Central Africa. Karite trees, or shea trees, are not cultivated. They grow only in the wild, and can take up to 50 years to mature (they live up to 300 years!). In most parts of West Africa, destruction of the shea tree is prohibited because this little nut provides a valuable source of food, medicine, and income for the population. Shea butter is a particularly effective moisturiser because contains so many fatty acids, which are needed to retain skin moisture and elasticity. Protects the skin from both environmental and free-radical damage. It contains vitamins A and E, and has demonstrated both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Tea Tree Oil - (also known as Melaleuca) is a natural antibacterial disinfectant that was commonly used as a general antiseptic by the aborigine tribes for thousands of years. More recently, the scientific community has confirmed that Tea Tree Oil has tremendous medicinal benefits. It is a light yellow oil that has a scent similar to nutmeg, and it is produced by steaming tea tree leaves and then squeezing the oil out. It has wonderful properties that makes it a popular natural agent for curing all three types of infectious organisms: fungus, bacteria, and virus. More importantly, it is known to effectively fight a number of infections that are resistant to some antibiotics. Therefore, Tea Tree Oil is an excellent natural remedy for hundreds of bacterial and fungal skin ailments such as acne, abscess, oily skin, blisters, sun burns, athlete's foot, warts, herpes, insect bites, rashes, dandruff and other minor wounds and irritations.