Other ingredients
- Beeswax
- Used as a less refined, and lovely smelling, alternative to stearic acid as an emulsifier, thickener and stabilizer.
- Cetyl alcohol
- Derived from coconut and palm oils. Used as an emollient and to protect skin from moisture loss. Cetyl and ceateryl alcohols are structurally similar. They are fatty alcohols used as emollients, emulsifiers, thickeners and carrying agents for other ingredients. They can be derived naturally (coconut fatty alcohol) or synthetically. They are not irritants and are not related to SD alcohol or ethyl alcohol which are drying alcohols.
- Citric acid
- Derived from lemons. Used as a preservative and to help maintain the perfect pH balance.
- Clay
- Deep-cleansing and highly absorbent. Kaolin and green clay are two types of natural clays used to absorb oils.
- Emulsifying wax or Cetearyl alcohol
- Despite the scary, chemical name it is a vegetable-derived wax (from palm or coconut) which enables oils and waters to mix and form an emulsion.
- Glycerine
- A natural, very commonly used vegetable-derived and skin-friendly humectant resulting from the hydrolysis of fats and oils.
- Honey
- Contains vitamins and minerals and is a wonderful demulcent and humectant; it softens, soothes and protects skin, helps to retain moisture and increases the healing speed of skin. Bacteria will not grow in it.
- Oatmeal
- Nourishes and soothes the skin.
- Sea salts
- Like many minerals, salts are useful in helping to detoxify the body when applied externally. They seem to have a ‘drawing’ action on impurities which may be due to osmotic principles.
- Stearic acid
- A vegetable-derived form of wax. Mainly used as a thickener.
