Our Ingredients Explained

Have you ever looked at the list of ingredients on your regular face cream and wondered what it all means? I did, and when I looked into this I was shocked, if not horrified, by what goes into mass produced cosmetics. This is when I decided to do something about it! I attending a natural skincare course in 2009 and the rest, as they say, is history! I don’t intend to baffle you with science or dictate to you what you should be putting on your skin (which is the body’s largest organ – just in case you didn’t know!) so I will start with a list of the nasties that I DO NOT and never intend to use in my skincare range:

Sodium lauryl sulphate/sodium laureth sulphate (SLS/SLES)
Parabens
Petrochemicals
Synthetic/artificial fragrances

I will give you a lot more information on all of the above in our new upcoming blog (date TBC) but in the meantime you can find a lot of information from Google or other search engines.

We can also confirm that we only purchase raw materials from reliable suppliers which have not been subjected to testing on animals – again, more on this coming soon.

Below is a list of the lovely ingredients that we do use and a brief description of each:

Emulsifiers

Mixing oil and water is not possible without Emulsifiers. They enable two usually non-mixable ingredients to mix together.

Cetyl Alcohol – Used as a stabiliser. Made from sustainable Palm Kernel Oil Fatty Acid (Palmitic Acid). It gives our lotions consistency and makes them firmer.

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate – A vegetable based Emulsifier. Derived from Lactic Acid and vegetable-based Stearic acid. This is an extremely safe Emulsifier and is edible – although we wouldn’t recommend eating it of course!!

Glyceryl Stearate – A vegetable-based Emulsifier which is produced from Coconut Oil and sustainable Palm Kernel Oil.

Moisturisers

Skin becomes dehydrated over time from too much exposure, harsh cleansers and aging. The moisturisers we use enable our products to keep your skin soft, supple and hydrated by retaining water and binding it into the skin.

Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Urea, Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein, Sodium Ph
A natural vegetable-based moisturiser. This binds moisture deep into the epidermis. Made from Soya beans and Asparagus Extract, amongst other ingredients.

Preservatives

In order for our products to have a decent shelf life we must add preservatives. If we did not our products would only stay “fresh” for a few days. Once the air reaches the product bacteria will form very quickly.

The preservative we use is called Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin. These are derived from plants and we believe the preservative we use to be one of the most natural on the market.

It has a broad spectrum effect on bacteria, yeasts and mould fungi. We only use up to 1% in our products.

Active Ingredients

To enhance our products we add a number of Active ingredients.

Aloe Vera (Organic)
Rosemary Antioxidant

Vitamins

The vitamins we use have two purposes. They prevent Fats and Oils from going rancid and secondly, they have an anti-aging effect on the skin.

Vegetable Oils

Below is a list of the Vegetables Oils that we use. They form an important part of our skin care range. We have chosen then specifically for their benefits and blend them accordingly in our recipes. Where possible we use Organic oils.

Apricot Kernel Oil
Avocado Oil
Borage Oil
Castor Oil
Evening Primrose Oil
Jojoba Oil
Macadamia Nut Oil
Olive Oil
Rice Bran Oil
Rosehip Oil Sweet
Almond Oil
Thistle Oil

We will talk about the benefits of our oils in our new blog (coming soon)

Fats and Waxes

These give stability and consistency to our products. The waxes provide an outer layer of protection and a barrier against the elements. The fats provide softening and nourishing properties. They are again all organic.

Avocado Butter
Cocoa Butter
Mango Butter
Shea Butter

Essential Oils and Natural Organic Perfumes

We use a wide range of Essential Oils. From the widely used varieties to the not so common varieties. We are constantly adding to our list.
Our top five Essential Oils are:

Lavender
Rose Geranium
Sweet Orange
YlangYlang
Bergamot

We also use a range of Natural Organic Perfumes. These are a blend of Essential Oils, different compounds and botanical CO2 extracts extracted from natural sources such as fruit and berries. These perfumes are certified organic by EcoCert. These are Lemon Verbena and White Lotus, Jasmine and Rose.

Aroma Flavours

We will occasionally use organic Natural Aromas which are too certified and controlled by EcoCert. These are generally used in our lip balms and glosses.

Caramel
Chocolate
Coconut
Mango and Lime
Raspberry

Our ingredients will change from time to time but we will keep you updated in our upcoming blog. Should you have any queries with any of our ingredients please email us at kelly@blacktreeorganics.co.uk

Kelly x

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