Hand Cream Concentrate

Solvent. Water. The main vehicle for our Hand Cream Concentrate.

Emollient and skin conditioning. Sustainably produced, deodorized and purified Swedish canola oil (from rapeseed oil) gently dissolves makeup and dirt. Canola oil is commonly used in cosmetics and is well-tolerated, skin wise. It is slightly higher in oleic acid (at around 60%), with linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids at a total of just over 30%, making it a good all-around oil for most, and especially for drier and eczema prone skins.

Humectant and skin protecting. Technically a sugar alcohol, glycerin is one of the oldest, most common and most versatile humectants used in cosmetics. It moisturises and protects the skin, accelerates skin barrier recovery and has antimicrobial properties, among other things. We use the vegetable kind, made from rapeseed and organic corn and soy oils.

Humectant and skin conditioning. Betaine is highly purified sugar beet extract, chemically speaking an amino acid derivative, that maintains skin moisture balance and strengthens the skin barrier even under very dry conditions. It is a so-called osmolyte, controlling water balance in living cells. The one we use is made from Finnish sugar beets.

Thickening and emulsion stabilising. A fatty alcohol made from RSPO certified palm oil. Please note that like sugar alcohols, e.g. glycerin or xylitol, fatty alcohols are not the same as denatured alcohol (ethanol); both sugar alcohols and fatty alcohols have moisturising and conditioning properties, whereas denatured alcohol has a completely different function in skincare products (and can be drying on skin).

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate. Emulsifier. One third of the non-ionic sunflower-based, film-forming and hydrating emulsifier - i.e. an ingredient enabling us to mix water and oil - we’ve used in the Concentrate. It’s a naturally derived fatty acid produced from glyceryl stearate and citric acid. It’s also an emollient, gives skin a soft and smooth feel and has film-forming properties that prevent moisture loss.

Skin protecting. Colloidal oatmeal. The whole oat grain, including the bran layer, is milled and sieved. This results in a light cream coloured, fine powder. The bran layer of the oat contains a high proportion of natural actives, including oat beta-glucan, avenanthramides, oil and protein, all of which are beneficial for cosmetic use on the skin. A 'colloid' or colloidal suspension is defined as a substance with dispersed insoluble particles suspended throughout. Colloidal oatmeal soothes and relieves redness, itching and minor skin irritations caused by eczema or skin rashes and is monographed by the FDA as a skin protectant. It reduces TEWL (transepidermal waterloss) and effectively forms a physical barrier on the skin surface. The oatmeal we use is made from Finnish oats.

Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate. Emulsifier. One third of the non-ionic sunflower-based, film-forming and hydrating emulsifier - i.e. an ingredient enabling us to mix water and oil - we’ve used in the Concentrate. It’s a polyglyceryl ester (the ester of the fatty acid stearic acid and polyglycerin-3), and is widely used in skincare as an emulsifier, but also as a skin conditionier.

Hydrogenated Lecithin. Emulsifier. One third of the non-ionic sunflower-based, film-forming and hydrating emulsifier - i.e. an ingredient enabling us to mix water and oil - we’ve used in the Concentrate. Hydrogenated lecitihin is widely used in cosmetics due to its strong emulsifying ability, but also because it’s an excellent and well tolerated emollient, which softens skin and prevents TEWL (Trans-Epidermal Water-Loss). It also stabilizes products, making it a great multi-tasker.

Preservative. Sodium dehydroacetate is the sodium salt of dehydroacetic acid. It is chemically synthesized through a multi-step reaction, starting with acetylene. Although it is not plant derived, it is approved by natural certification institutes such as COSMOS and the Soil Association, thanks to its mildness on the skin and body as well as the absence of any alternative registered (approved) natural preservatives under the EU’s cosmetic regulation.

Caprylyl Glycol. Skin conditioning and emollient. Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from caprylic acid, which is naturally found in palm and coconut oils. It’s a humectant (like glycerin), i.e. a hydrating ingredient that works by attracting water to and holding it in the skin. It improves absorption, spreadability and the feel of a product on skin, and is also an antimicrobial, with preservative-like properties. And this is what it does in the Concentrate – boost the power of our main preservative, sodium dehydroacetate.

Gel forming, thickening and emulsion stabilising. A natural and commonly used thickener in cosmetics, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide produced from sugars through fermentation. Fun fact: it derives its name from the species of bacteria used in the fermentation process, Xanthomonas campestris.

Buffering agent. Citric acid is a commonly used buffering, i.e. pH adjusting, agent in cosmetics. It is made through bacterial fermentation and shifts the pH of the product into the acidic range. This is closer to the natural pH of the skin, which may range from 4 to 7, but is usually thought to be between 5 and 6, with recent studies, however, indicating it to be below 5.

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.