Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Hydrogenated Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Bisabolol, Tocopherol
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient and skin conditioning. Argan oil. A staple for us. It is obtained from the non-roasted organic kernels of Moroccan Argania Spinosa, i.e. argan nuts. We love it in almost everything, and especially like its repairing qualities. It is slightly higher in oleic acid, but is usually suitable for clog prone skin, as it contains a fair amount of lupeol, a triterpenoid with anti-inflammatory benefits.
Hydrogenated Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient and thickener. Hydrogenated argan oil. It is the reduced, or dried, form of argan oil. Apart from the lovely qualities of argan oil as such, we use the hydrogenated form to lend structure and a nearly matte finish to our balm.
Avena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin conditioning. Oat kernel oil. This dark golden oil has a nearly 50/50 balance of oleic and linoleic acids. From a skincare point of view, it's an excellent skin softener and has some calming properties too. We source our oat oil from Fazer, a Finnish family-owned, 126-year-old food and food service company, who produce their oil in Finland, using Finnish oats. The Finnish-ness matters because a) the soil in Finland produces outstanding quality oats and b) it is quite rare for an oil producer to have a 100% local supply chain. Markku, who is head of R&D at the oat mill in Lahtis, tells us he has personally eaten all oat products that Fazer makes – including the oil.
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Emollient and thickener. Sunflower wax. A hard vegetable wax made through the winterisation of sunflower seed oil. We use it for solidity and a light feel. Sunflower oil on its own is a basic, widely used and well tolerated oil for skincare. The kind we favour is high in linoleic acid, and the wax we use is made from high linoleic sunflower oil.
Bisabolol
Soothing, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agent. Bisabolol. A colorless viscous oil that is the main constituent of German chamomile essential oil. The bisabolol we use is organic, and produced not from chamomille but from the South American Candeia tree, and contains no farnesol, a potential fragrance allergen.
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Sunflower seed oil. Emollient. Sunflower oil is widely used in skincare and in this particular case it forms the base for the tocopherol (vitamin E) we use in the product. Sunflower seed oil on its own has a high concentration of natural vitamin E, and is especially well suited for dry and dehydrated skin, due to a high linoleic acid content (at around 60%), which aids in strengthening the skin barrier.
Tocopherol
Antioxidant. Vitamin E. A common antioxidant for fats and oils used in skincare. We use the vegetable kind, derived from soybean and rapeseed to prevent rancidity in our balm.
