Myrtle & Soap Ingredients Library
Welcome to our Ingredients Library, where you can find information about all the raw ingredients we use in our creations. If you have any questions about a specific ingredient please feel free (do not hesitate) to contact us!
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Olive oil
Olea europaea
Vegetable oil obtained by pressing the fruit of the olive tree (olives). We use extra virgin olive oil from Crete, Greece. The term extra virgin denotes an unrefined oil of the highest quality that was cold-pressed without the use of chemical solvents.
Used in Soaps
Castor oil
Ricinus Communis
Thick vegetable oil extracted by pressing the seeds of the castor oil plant. Gives soaps a wonderful lather and lip balms a wonderful shine!
Used in Soaps
Sweet almond oil
Prunus Dulcis
Vegetable oil extracted by pressing the kernels of the sweet almond tree. We love this lightweight oil for its skin conditioning properties and for being quickly absorbed by the skin
Used in Soaps
Coconut oil
Cocos nucifera
Vegetable oil extracted from the kernel of coconuts from the coconut palm. Solid at temperatures below 25 degrees Celsius. Loved by soap makers as it gives soaps a fluffy lather.
Used in Soaps
Shea butter
Butyrospermum parkii
Vegetable fat extracted from the seeds of the African shea tree. It is valued in soap making due to its content in unsaponifiables; components that are not converted into soap through the saponification process and are rather left in the final soap bar as moisturizing agents.
Used in Soaps
Cocoa butter
Theobroma cacao
Vegetable fat extracted from the bean of the cocoa tree. It has a lovely cocoa aroma and is widely used in skincare due to its emolient properites. Together with shea butter it brings out a creamy lather in the final soap bar.
Used in Soaps
, Body Cream
, Lotion Bar
Apricot kernel oil
Prunus armeniaca
Vegetable oil extracted from the kernels of the apricot fruit. Similar to sweet almond oil, it is a lightweight oil that is easily absorbed by the skin.
Used in Mandarin & Poppy Body Scrub, Facial Oil, Evergreen Face Cream
Avocado oil
Persea gratissima
Vegetable oil pressed from the flesh of the avocado fruit. its is one of the few oils that is not extracted by seeds (similarly to olive oil)! It gives skincare products wonderful conditioning abilities.
Used in Evergreen Face Cream
, Mandarin & Poppy Body Scrub
Calendula infused oil
Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
Sunflower oil that has been infused with calendula flowers for a given period of time. The infusion is done to "enrich" the base oil with the oil soluble components of the calendula plant in order to boost its skin conditioning properties.
Used in Soaps
, Body Cream
, Lotion Bar
Pomegranate seed oil
Punica Granatum
Vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the pomegranate fruit. Its high content in the omega 5 punicic fatty acid is believed to give this oil strong anti-flammatory properties. It is remarkable that it takes approx. 7kg of seeds and 700kg of fruit to produce just a kilogram of oil.
Used in Evergreen Face Cream
Argan oil
Argania spinosa
Vegetable oil extracted from the seed of the Moroccan argan tree. It boasts a comedogenic rating of zero making it perfect for facial applications as a non pore clogging oil.
Used in Facial Oil
, Wild Harvest Face Cream
, Mandarin & Poppy Body Scrub
Rosehip seed oil
Rosa canina
Vegetable oil extracted by the seeds of the wild rose bush. It is rich in linoleic acid which is believed to help with acne prone skin. Its essential fatty acid content makes this oil a favourite for anti-ageing products.
Used in Wild Harvest Face Cream
Jojoba oil
Simmondsia chinensis
A golden-yellow liquid extracted from the seed of the jojoba plant. Although usually referred to as oil, its composition is more that of a liquid wax. It is actually so similar to the composition of our own skin sebum that the skin absorbs it almost as being its own, regulating sebum production and reducing greasiness.
Used in Facial Oil
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Grapeseed oil
Vitis Vinifera
Vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of grapes. With a whooping 69% content in linoleic acid and a comedogenic rating of just 1, it is great for any facial applications involving oily skin as it moisturizes without leaving an oily residue.
Used in Facial Oil
, Wild Harvest Face Cream
, Lotion Bar
Sweet orange peel oil
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Expressed
Essential oil produced by cold-pressing the peel of the orange fruit. One of the most loved essential oils with a delicious, fresh and sweet smell.
Used in Evergreen Face Cream
Cedarwood bark oil
Cedrus atlantica
Essential oil extracted from the bark of the Atlas cedar tree, a coniferous evergreen tree reaching a height of up to 40 meters. It is this tree that inspired the name for the Evergreen face cream.
Used in Evergreen Face Cream
Rosewood oil
Dalbergia sissoo
Essential oil extracted through steam distillation of the chipped wood from the Indian rosewood tree. We only use the sustainable Indian rosewood oil as ooposed to the essential oil obtained from the endangered Brazilian rosewood species (Aniba rosaeodora).
Used in Wild Harvest Face Cream
Mandarin peel oil
Citrus nobilis
Essential oil produced by cold-pressing the peels of the mandarin orange fruit. It has a bright orange colour and a wonderful, fresh aroma.
Used in Wild Harvest Face Cream
, Mandarin & Poppy Body Scrub
Ylang Ylang flower oil
Cananga odorata
Essential oil extracted by steam distilling the flowers of the tropical cananga tree. Its sweet floral aroma gives our Body Cream a tropical vibe.
Used in Body Cream
Rose geranium leaf oil
Pelargonium roseum
Essential oil derived from the leaves and stem of the rose geranium shrub. Its aroma greatly resembles that of the rose.
Used in Facial Oil
Tea tree leaf oil
Melaleuca alternifolia
Essential oil extracted from the leaves of the tea tree. We find that its fresh camphoraceous fragrance nicely harmonises with the eucalyptus aroma in the Deep Dusk soap.
Used in Deep Dusk soap
Eucalyptus leaf oil
Eucalyptus smiithii
Essential oil produced through the steam distillation of the Eucalyptus smiithii tree leaves. We find that eucalyptus has a comforting and relaxing scent that blends wonderfully well with the equally soothing tea tree and lavender.
Used in Deep Dusk soap
Lavender flower oil
Lavandula officinalis
Essential oil produced by the steam distillation of the lavender flower heads. One of the most loved essential oils with a long history as a bath and skincare additive clearly demonstrated by its name, which is derived from the latin root "lavare", meaning to wash or to bathe.
Used in Deep Dusk soap
, On the Line soap
, Night & Day soap
May Chang fruit oil
Litsea cubeba
Essential oil extracted from the small, pepperlike fruits of the litsea cubeba shrub through steam distillation. The oil has a lovely citrus aroma and lends our Night & Day soap its fresh and lemon-like fragrance.
Used in Night & Day soap
Lemongrass leaf oil
Cymbopogon flexuosus
Essential oil produced by the steam distillation of the lemograss leaves. Another plant with a sharp citrus aroma and deep grassy undertones.
Used in On the Line soap
Patchouli leaf oil
Pogostemon cablin
Essential oil extracted from the leaves of the patchouli plant through steam distillation. It has long been used in parfumery thanks to its strong, musky and earthy scent.
Used in On the Line soap
Sea buckthorn fruit oil
Hippopae rhamnoides
Red-coloured oil extracted from the seeds and pulp (berries) of the sea buckthorn plant. It is believed to have skin healing properties due to its antioxidant and essential fatty acid content.
Used in Whipped Lip Balm
Bergamot fruit oil
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia
Essential oil extracted from the fruit of the citrus bergamia tree. It has a citrus aroma with sweet floral undertones. We use the oil that is Bergaptene- free. Bergaptene (furocoumarin) is a natural constituent of bergamot oil that can nevertheless cause photosensitivity. After cold-pressing the rinds of the fruit to extract the oil, it is then steam distilled to remove its bergaptene content.
Used in Piece of Cake soap
Wheat germ oil (vitamin E oil)
Triticum Vulgare
Vegetable oil extracted from the germ (kernel) of Triticum Vulgare (Wheat). Its significant content in Vitamin E constitutes this oil as a natural skin conditioning agent and antioxidant.
Used in Lotion bar
Coconut milk
Cocos Nucifera fruit extract
Fatty liquid that is produced by combining the inner flesh of the coconut with water, giving it a milky appearance. We especially enjoy using it in our Honey Pot and Our Daily mIlk soap for its skin conditioning properties and for making the soaps milder and creamier.
Used in Honey Pot soap
, Our Daily Milk soap
Honey
Sweet food substance produced by bees through flower nectar consumption. We use organic honey in our Honey Pot soap to give it a nice bubbly lather.
Used in Honey Pot soap
Beeswax
Cera Alba
Wax secreted by worker bees to build honeycomb cells. Historically used for candle making and popular for skin care products due to the protective film forming barrier it provides. We use the natural yellow, unbleached beeswax in our formulations.
Used in Lotion bar, Whipped Lip Balm
Kaolin clay
Kaolin
Natural clay mineral formed by the chemical weathering of rocks in moist environments and extracted through mining. It is valued in cosmetic formulations due to its absorbent properties, making it especially useful for oily skin types.
Used in On the Line soap
Red French clay
Illite
Similarly to Kaolin, illite is a clay mineral used in skincare for its absorbent properties as well as its appealing natural reddish colour.
Used in On the Line soap
Activated charcoal or carbon
Charcoal powder
Carbon powder with powerful adsorption properties. The effect of it in cosmetic applications is that dirt, toxins or impurities are drawn towards the activated carbon and adhere to its surface. When the activated carbon is washed away, it then takes these impurities away with it. We use activated charcoal derived from coconut shells.
Used in Night & Day soap, Deep Dusk soap, On the Line soap
Poppy seeds
Papaver Somniferum
Seed harvested from the dried seed pods of the poppy flowering plant. We love using poppy seeds in our Piece of Cake soap and the Madarin & Poppy scrub as a natural exfoliant.
Used in Piece of Cake soap
, Mandarin & Poppy Body Scrub
Chamomile flower powder
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria)
Aromatic herb commonly used for skin care applications. We use the powder from the chamomile flower heads in our Piece of Cake soap as a mild exfoliant.
Used in Piece of Cake soap
Olive emulsifying wax
Cetearyl olivate, Sorbitan Olivate
Vegetable derived emulsifer synthetically developed from olives for use oil in water emulsions. Emulsifiers are used to bind the water and oil phases, which normally do not mix, to create a cream or lotion. Accepted for use in natural and organic cosmetics by natural cosmetics certification bodies such as ECOCERT.
Used in Evergreen Face Cream
, Wild Harvest Face Cream
, Body Cream
Benzyl Alcohol & Dehydroacetic acid
Benzyl alcohol is a liquid (aromatic alcohol) commonly found in plants or fruits that can also be synthetically produced to be the same as that found in nature ("nature identical"). It is widely used in natural cosmetic product formulations in small amounts as a preservative against bacteria growth. Dehydroacetic acid is an organic compound which is also widely used in natural cosmetics formulation as a bacteria and fungi growth inhibitor. Benzyl alcohol and dehydroacetic acid are approved for use in natural and organic cosmetics by ECOCERT and Soil Association (organic and natural cosmetics certification bodies).
Used in Evergreen Face Cream
, Wild Harvest Face Cream
, Body Cream, Mandarin & Poppy Body Scrub
Citric acid
Organic acid which naturally occurs in citrus fruits. It is widely used in foodstuffs as a preservative (bacteria do not like to grow in acidic envirnments) or to impart a sour taste. In cosmetics it is commonly used as a "ph neutralizer" as it can bring down the ph of final formulations when needed.
Used in Mandarin & Poppy Body Scrub
Lye
Sodium Hydroxide
Alkaline (basic) compound used in the manufacture of soaps. All soap is made by combining fats with a base. The base is either sodium hydroxide for solid soap or potassium hydroxide for liquid soap. The reaction that occurs when combining the alkali and the fats is called saponification and it is this reaction that then turns the oils into soap. Read more
Used in Soaps
Peppermint leaf extract
Mentha piperita
Essential oil extracted through steam distillation of the mint leaves. Products which contain peppermint oil leave a refreshing, cooling sensation when applied on the skin. Products with menthol should not be used on small children.
Used in Morning Coffee Face Scrub
All the beautiful illustrations on this page and on our product labels were created by the talented Annie Brougham
www.anniebrougham.com