Almond (mandorla)

Strengthening

Aloe

Moisturising, proteins, vitamins, mineral salts, reduces inflammation and heals sunburnt skin

Argan oil

Nourishing, repairing, anti-ageing, protective, concentrated Vitamin E, essential fatty acids serve as anti-oxidant, softens dryness

Avocado

High in vitamins A, D, E, lecithin, potassium, healing

Bay leaf

Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal

Bergamot

Deodorizes, regenerates at the cellular renewal and balances

Borage

Healing, therapeutic

Burdock

Rich in essential fatty acids, stimulates blood circulation

Calendula

Heals wounds, soothes skin, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant

Castor

Softens hair fibres, moisture balancing, creates volume

Centella  asiatica

Improves blood circulation, regenerates, reduces formation of fine lines

Chamomile

Soothes skin, antiseptic, antibiotic, calming

Chinese angelica

Good for menopause

Cinnamon

Strengthens hair

Clary sage

Antiseptic, anti- bacterial

Coconut

Cleanses, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-ageing, restorative, brightening

Comfrey

High in allantoin, stimulates connective tissue, healing

Eucalyptus

Anti-bacterial, germicide, good for scalp problems

Everlasting flower

Anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, heals acne and dermatitis, anti-ageing

Fennel

Soothing, revitalising, restructuring

Fenugreek

Removes impurities without dehydrating skin

Frankincense

Healing, anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory, purifying, immune-stimulating, anti-oxidant

Geranium

Anti-ageing, moisture balancing

Grapefruit

Anti-oxidant, disinfectant

Helichrysum Italicum

Heals wounds, scars, acne and eczema

Honey

Disinfectant, anti-bacterial

Horse chestnut

Astringent, reduces varicose veins

Icelandic moss

Soothing, cooling expectorant, antibiotic

Ivy helix

Anti-fungal, anti-mutagenic, anti-inflammatory, softens, smoothes

Jojoba

Nutritive to skin and hair, adds shine, softens, promotes collagen production

Juniper

Anti-inflammatory, moisturising

Kernel

Rich in vitamin E, prevents moisture loss

Lavender

Purifies, heals and soothes skin, prevents hair loss, balancing, clarifying

Lavender water

Astringent, refreshes

Lemon

Stimulates blood circulation, refreshes

Lemon balm

Combats muscular spasms, soothes

Macadamia

High in palmitoleic acid (Omega 7) found in sebum of skin, anti-ageing

Mallow

Heals damaged skin

Mango

Soothing astringent

Marigold

Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant

Mint

Reduces itching, neutralises infection, prevents hair loss, warming effect

Nettle

Moisturising, pH balancing, provides shine

Olive oil

Nourishing, treats eczema

Orange

Stimulates blood circulation, refreshes

Orange peel

Anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal

Passion fruit

Disinfectant, anti-inflammatory

Patchouli

Aids in cellular reconstruction, ideal for dry scalps

Peanuts

Ultra hydrating

Propolis wax

Powerful natural antibiotic

Red thyme

Antiseptic, tonic, healing astringent (substance that causes biological tissue to contract or draw together, shrinks mucus membranes)

Rice oil

Moisturising, anti-oxidant

Roman chamomile oil

Antiseptic, powerful anti-inflammatory

Rose

Calming, anti-inflammatory

Rose centifolia

Toning, skin conditioning, refreshing, soothing

Rosa damascena

Moisturising, hydrating, antiseptic for dry, mature and irritated skin

Rosehip

Rich in essential fatty acids, vitamin E, anti-ageing

Rosemary

Helps micro-circulation of blood, stimulates new hair growth, anti-dandruff, degreases and cleans the scalp

Sage

Heals skin and scalp, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, controls oily skin

Sandalwood

Anti-bacterial, purifying, heals skin and scars

Serenoa serrulata

Anti-inflammatory, reduces acne

Sesame seed

Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, potent anti-oxidant

Shea butter

Moisturising, adds shine, hydrating, smoothing

Soy protein

Provides vitality to hair

Sunflower

Rich in vitamin E, moisturises, regenerative

Sweet almond

Softening, brightens skin, promotes shine, heals chapped skin and lips

Sweet fennel

Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, decongestant

Tangerine

Astringent, tonic, stimulating, deodorant, skin purifying

Tea tree

Prevents oiliness, purifies, heals, excellent for sebohrroea (greasy hair and scalp)

Thyme

Anti-bacterial, therapeutic aroma

Vanilla

Anti-bacterial

White thyme

Antiseptic

White willow

Anti-inflammatory, purifies, stops dandruff

Witch hazel

Astringent, controls blemishing, reduces itching and relieves swelling

Yellow sweet clover

Softens, soothes

Ylang ylang

Antiseptic, stimulates blood circulation, nourishing, moisturising

Alcohols

Ethanol, ethyl alcohol, methanol, benzyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and SD alcohol. While not all alcohols have the same properties, these, which are commonly found in skin care products, are very drying and irritating to the skin. Alcohols such as these strip way the skin’s natural acid mantle, making you more vulnerable to bacteria, moulds and viruses.

DEA/ TEA/ MEA

These are cleaning solvents used in many cosmetics which can become irritating to the skin with regular use.

Essence/ fragrance/ parfum

These substances add odour or scent to all types of cosmetics, but also to cleaning agents and food. They are derived from petroleum and are rich in allergens. They have nothing in common with botanical essential oils, but are often advertised as such. These perfumed molecules were created during the 50s in chemical laboratories in the USA and are widely used in many sectors due to their very low cost. As a result of the rise in man-made essences, people are losing their natural sense of smell and are no longer able to distinguish though their olfactory nerves between true or false, living or dead, healthy or ill, useful or harmful.

Imidazolidinyl urea

A derivative and releaser of formaldehyde. In many countries its use has been forbidden due to its carcinogenicity and link to leukaemia, but it is widely used in cosmetics as a preservative.

Keratin, collagen and animal by-products

These substances are mainly derived from the hooves of dead animals like bullocks or horses. They are used in various hair products to give hair the feeling of more body.

Mineral oil

This is a petroliferous oil usually used as motor oil for vehicles. Used due to its low cost, it is readily found in fragranced essential oils used to perfume homes and is also used in many hair styling products and oils for body massage. When burned, toxic dioxins are released.

Parabens

There are many types of petrochemical preservatives, the most common are methy, propyl, butyl and ethyl paraben. It is stated that approximately 98% of personal care products use parabens as preservatives, to increase shelf life, as it is the cheapest way to control the microbes that would otherwise proliferate. They are used despite the rising number of allergic reactions in people. It has been calculated that in 12 months an average person ingests about 2kg of chemical preservatives and 5kg of food chemical additives. Studies suggest that parabens may cause cancer, allergic reactions and skin rashes as well as interfere with the body’s endocrine system as parabens are known to mimic oestrogen. Sperm counts have fallen by half over 50 years and 18 out of 20 breast tumours have parabens, the increases are almost certainly linked.

Paraffinum liquidum

Also called petroleum jelly, this is a petroliferous oil which is mainly used to produce candles and wax. Due to its low cost, it is used on a wide scale in cosmetics of all kinds and in many famous brands.

Petrolatum

Petroleum thats been treated in refineries for cosmetic use. Used for its low cost, it is present in both high and low cost cosmetics. It is used in creams for face and body, but also as lip protection.

Propylene glycol

A transparent oily fraction, derived from petroleum. Used for its low cost, it is found in thousands of branded cosmetics, professional products, perfumery products, herbal products, and pharmaceutical products. It is also used in hyrdraulic liquids and as anti-freeze in brake fluid. It has also appeared in certain foodstuffs, mostly used in confectionery.

Silicone

Long carbon chain silicones such as ciclomethycone, phenyltrimetycone, amodimeticone, dimetyconole, ciclophentazylosane are just some of the silicon substances used by cosmetic companies around the world. These substances are used in products for face, body and hair. The most used ones are those with a long carbon chain, due to their lower cost, but they are not easily photodegradable.

Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS)

SLS is an ester of sulphuric acid. It is also known as ‘sulphuric acid monodododecyl ester sodium salt’, just one of over 150 different it is known by. SLS is a ‘caustic cleanser’ which actually corrodes the hair follicle from shampoos with SLS, and impairs the ability to grow hair. SLS is also absorbed into the body from skin application and it builds up in the heart, liver and brain. Once absorbed, one of the main effects of SLS is to mimic the activity of the hormone oestrogen which has many health implications. It may be responsible for a variety of health problems such as PMS, menopausal symptoms, decrease in male fertility and increase in female breast cancers where oestrogen levels are known to be involved.

Sodium laureth sulphate (SLES)

SLES is an ester of sulphuric acid. This is tensio-active material derived from petroleum hydrocarbons, widely used in all cosmetics including professional products as it cleans creating a lot of foam. Once in contact with chlorinated water, its pH increases to 10. Its alkaline effect is very aggressive on hair and skin. The damage that it causes to people and the environment is well known, giving rise to allergies and acute dehydration in people who are frequently exposed to it due to constant use, for example hairstylists as it is found in noticeable quantities in colouring and bleaching products. SLES is also commonly contaminated with dioxane, a known carcinogen. Although SLES is somewhat less irritating than SLS, it cannot be metabolised by the liver and hence its effects are much longer lasting.

Sodium hydroxide

This is caustic soda, used for its low cost in products such as hair straighteners and perms but also in shaving foams. It is very aggressive due to its alkaline pH and in reaction to other chemicals can cause severe irritation to the skin, resulting in dehydration.

Tetrasodium EDTA

It is a pharmacologically inactive substance used as a carrier for the active ingredients of a product and is often used in shampoos. It is a poison that causes oily fish to become sterile.