The two main carrier oils we use to transfer herbal skin goodness from herbs and spices to our products are Olive Oil for the soaps and Grapeseed for the balms.
OLIVE OIL
Olive Oil was so highly valued in ancient Greece that cutting down the trees was punishable by death. It is extremely versatile and is why Homer, the Greek poet, called it "liquid gold". They used it in their religious practices as well as for culinary, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and lighting purposes.
The Romans used Olive Oil as a body moisturizer after bathing and would give gifts of Olive Oil for celebrations. It was they that developed the screw-press method of Olive Oil extraction, which continues to be used in some parts of the world. Olive Oil has traditionally been used as an antibacterial agent, a cleanser, a moisturizer, and a massage oil.
Olive Oil and the Olive tree have popular mention throughout religious scriptures and are often symbolic of divine blessings, peace, and offering an apology, hence the expression “extending an olive branch” as a way of conveying the desire for a truce. The cross-cultural symbol also represents beauty, strength, and prosperity.
Boasting a life span of up to 400 years, the Olive tree has been revered in the Mediterranean region for centuries. Although it is unclear where it originated, there is a belief that its cultivation began on Crete and other Greek islands around 5000 B.C.; however, the general consensus is that it originated in the Near East and, with the aid of the Egyptian, Phoenician, Greek, and Roman civilizations, its growth spread west toward the Mediterranean Sea.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, Olive trees were introduced to the West by Spanish and Portuguese explorers. In the late 18th century, Olive groves were established in California by Franciscan missionaries; however, the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, with their mild climates and ideal soils, continue to be the finest areas for nurturing Olive trees. Countries outside of the Mediterranean that are major producers of Olive Carrier Oil include Argentina, Chile, the Southwestern USA, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
SKIN BENEFITS
Relieve sore, dehydrated, bruised skin and joints and muscles affected by sprains or arthritis. It repairs skin and hair that is damaged to maintain a youthful, radiant appearance.
HERBS WE USE
Aloe Vera
Scientific Name: Aloe vera Common Names: Aloe, cape, barbados Family: Asphodelaceae Part Used: Leaves Habitat: Aloe is native to the Mediterranean. It also grows in Latin America and the Caribbean. Skin Benefits: The gel inside of the leaves of the Aloe plant can be used externally to treat minor burns, sun burn, cuts, scrapes and poison ivy. Aloe gel is good for moisturizing the skin and is a main ingredient of many skin care products. Many people use it to reduce acne and treat other skin problems. We use it in some of our shampoo bars.
Angelica Root
Scientific Name: Angelicaca archangelica Common Names: Angelica root, Choraka Family: Apiaceae Part Used: Root Habitat: Wild Angelica grows in damp places, and in particular beside lakes and streams. Blooming Times . In Britain Angelica sylvestris blooms mainly in July and August, although in sheltered sunny locations flowers can appear from early June onwards. Similar species.
Skin Benefits: It stimulates blood flow to the peripheral parts of the body and so is of value in treating poor circulation - it is considered a specific treatment for Buerger's disease, a condition that narrows the arteries of the hands and feet. We use it in our V-Vein Balm for varicose and spider veins.
Arnica
Scientific Name: Arnica montana
Common Names: Leopard’s bane, Mountain daisy, Mountain arnica, Mountain tobacco Family: Asteraceae Part Used: Flowers Habitat: Arnica is native to central Asia, Siberia and Europe. Cultivated in North America.
Skin Benefits: Arnica is used externally as an ointment for sore muscles, sprains and bruises. It possesses anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-septic properties. We use it in our Muscle balm and our V-Vein Balm for soothing and diminishing varicose and spider veins.
Butcher's Broom
Scientific Name: Ruscus aculeatus
Common Names: Butcher's Broom, Jew's Myrtle, Sweet Broom, Scotch Broom.
Family: Ruscaceae
Part Used: We use the creeping rootstalks - Rhizome.
Habitat: Outskirts of dry woods and in moist uncultivated ground especially on chalk.
Skin Benefits: Butchers Broom has a long history of use in herbal medicine traditions as a diuretic* and blood vessel toner. Herbal extracts from the roots of the Broom plant seem to have the ability to strengthen and tone blood vessels. Keep yours eyes peeled for soothing and diminishing varicose and spider veins.
*Herbs that are diuretic in action stimulate the elimination of fluid, without the depletion of minerals that is a common side effect of prescription drugs.
Chamomile
Scientific Name: Matricaria recutita Common Names: German chamomile, wild chamomile Family: Asteraceae Part Used: Flower heads, oil Habitat: Chamomile is native to Asia, Africa and Europe
Skin Benefits: Used by the ancient Egyptians for fever and chills, chamomile is still in wide use today. Chamomile has anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiseptic, antibacterial and antispasmodic properties.We use it extensively in shampoo bars & balms.
Chickweed
Scientific Name: Stellaria media Common Names: Chickweed, Starweed Family: Caryophyllaceae Part Used: Whole herb Habitat: Is an annual and perennial flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae.It is native to Eurasia and naturalized in throughout the world.
useful for cooling and soothing m inor burns, skin irritation and rashes particularly when associated with dryness and itching.
Comfrey
Scientific Name: Symphytum officinale Common Names: Knitbone, slippery root, blackwort Family: Boraginaceae Part Used: Leaves, roots - we just use the leaves. Habitat: Comfrey is native to Europe and Asia
Skin Benefits: Comfrey was used as a poultice by the ancient Greeks to stop bleeding. When you apply comfrey to your skin, it can have some benefits on rashes and irritations. The high content of antioxidants, as well as vitamin C, makes comfrey pastes and salves the ideal solution for speeding up the healing of wounds. Antioxidants also help eliminate foreign substances in the body and preventing cell death, while vitamin C’s importance in producing collagen means that it is necessary to produce new skin cells for healing. Analgesic qualties in herbs are particularly valuable, and the organic compounds and antioxidants found in comfrey serve that purpose quite nicely for aches and pains.
The analgesic substances in comfrey, the various organic compounds, like saponins and tannins, also serve as anti-inflammatory components of this powerful herb. If you suffer from arthritis, gout, or other inflammatory disorders, use comfrey salves as often as necessary. The lotion is so potent, however, that you can afford to be quite frugal with the oils and creams. We use it in many of our balms.
Horsetail
Scientific Name: Equisetum arvense
Common Names: Horsetail, Horse Willow, Toadpipe, Bottle Brush, Corn Horsetail, Dutch Rushes, Quyroughi, Atkuyrugu, and Shavegrass.
Family: Eqisetaceae
Part Used: All above ground parts
Habitat: Open fields, arable land, waste places, hedgerows and roadsides, usually on moist soils.
Skin Benefits: It is packed with vitamin C & B-complex as well as minerals such as silica, calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese. Horsetail contains powerful antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and astringent properties.
It is also well known for its anti-aging, anti-wrinkle properties due to its ability to help form collagen and repair damaged skin to produce a more youthful glow.
Lemon Balm
Scientific Name: Melissa officinalis
Common Names: Lemon Balm
Family: Labiatae
Part Used: the entire plant and especially the flowering stems
Habitat: Waste places and derelict land near human habitations
Skin Benefits: With potent levels of antioxidants, lemon balm has long been known as a way to rejuvenate and revitalize the skin. If you are suffering from premature aging, or are seeing wrinkles appearing on your face, using this herb can help reverse or slow down those effects. Lemon balm is also able to improve the immune response in the skin, and reduce inflammation, thus reducing symptoms of rosacea, psoriasis, acne and other skin conditions. We also use it in our cold sore balms as it is well known in the treatment of herpes and sores. We use it in our cold sore recipe.
Licorice Root
Scientific Name: Glycyrrhiza glabra Common Names: Sweetwood, sweetroot, black sugar, liquorice, regliss (French), lakritze (German), liquirizia (Italian), regaliz (Spanish), mulethi (Hindi), European Licorice Family: Legume Part Used: Roots Habitat: The licorice root is native to Southeastern Europe and cultivated in most of Europe. It prefers the open, dry areas with rich soil. It was first harvested from the wild until it was cultivated one thousand years ago.
Skin Benefits: We use it in our cold sore recipe. Licorice root contains two compounds thought to benefit herpes. Glycyrrhizin is an anti-inflammatory that quells swelling, redness and discomfort, while flavonoids in licorice extract counteract the growth of the herpes simplex virus, at least in test tubes. The net effect may be a reduction in the severity and duration of herpes symptoms.
Marigold
Scientific Name: Calendula officinalis
Common Names: Pot marigold, Poet’s Marigold, Cape Weed Family: Asteraceae Part Used: Flowers Habitat: Calendula is native to the Mediterranean region
Skin Benefits: Historically, calendula was used to induce menstruation, break fevers, cure jaundice, treat open sores and for liver and stomach problems. It has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and can be used externally for sunburn and eczema. Today this herb is most often used externally to treat slow healing wounds and to promote tissue repair. Used extensively in our shampoo bars & balms.
Plantain herb
Scientific Name: Plantago major, lanceolata L.
Common Names: Common plantain, Plantain, Rat’s Tails, Travellers Foot, Waybread, Cuckoo’s Bread, cart truck plant, white man’s foot, broadleafed plantain, buckthorn plantain, grand plantain, ripple grass, rippleseed plantain, Slan-lus, snake weed, Englishman’s foot, weybroed, wagbread, dooryard plantain
Family: Plantaginaceae
Part Used: Root, leaves, flowers
Habitat: Europe and northern and central Asia, grows in poor soils - often seen growing through cracks in pavements - grows anywhere.
Skin Benefits: Not only is it one of the best healing herbs on the planet. It is also one of the most abundant and widely distributed medicinal crops in the world. Plantain, an ancient medicinal herb, contains mucilage, tannins, and iridoid glycosides. It’s known for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and expectorant properties. Plantain leaves have been used over the ages to deal with inflammation and irritation of the skin. Plantain contains a compound known as allantoin that promotes the growth of healthy tissue and has soothing, anti-irritating, and healing properties. In fact, allantoin is an ingredient in many commercial cosmetic products such sunscreens, anti-acne ointments, clarifying lotions, as well as oral hygiene and pharmaceutical products. So whether you’re dealing with eczema, acne, or a sunburn, this herb can help you. Plantain has been used through the ages to treat wounds and even finds mention in Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet for its wound-healing properties! It contains long -chained saturated primary alcohols which help heal minor wounds. And then there’s allantoin. You can also use this herb for minor cuts, sores, as well as bee, wasp, and insect stings.
All these reason and that I love the flowers and harvesting them in the autumn along the canal outside Hebden Bridge is why its one our most used oil infused herbs. Used extensively in our shampoo bars & balms.
Red Sage (Dan Shen) Root
Scientific Name: Salvia miltiorrhiza
Common Names: Dan Shen, Chinese salvia, Chinese sage, red-root sage, a herb native to China. Red Sage has been employed in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.
Family: Lamiaceae
Part Used: It is the root of red sage (dan shen) that is used for medicinal purposes.
Roots of high quality are supposed to be purple black on the inside.
The roots of cultivated plants from Sichuan (a province in southwest China) are often regarded to be the best and are preferred to the wild-collected roots which tend to have thinner roots.
Habitat:Red sage is native to China and Japan and is cultivated for commercial use in northeast China and Mongolia. It is a hardy, deciduous, perennial (in cold climate) plant that belongs to the mint or deadnettle family (Lamiaceae). It can grow up to 80 to 100 cm in height and has branching stems with
Skin Benefits: Used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine, amongst many uses, is often used as a treatment for high blood pressure by opening up the arteries and improving blood flow. While the herb does not directly lower blood pressure, it relaxes the blood vessels and improves the entire body’s circulatory system, which can indirectly dampen high blood pressure. We use it in our V-Vein Balm for soothing and diminishing varicose and spider veins.
Star Anise
Scientific Name: Illicium anisatum
Common Names: Star Anise
Family: Illiciaceae (Star-anise Family)
Part Used: The leaves and the seeds
Habitat:Thickets and woods in foothills, S. and C. Japan.
Skin Benefits: The leaves and the seeds are antibacterial. With a relatively high level of various antioxidants, star anise can help to promote the elimination of free radicals throughout the body, particularly those that can cause oxidative stress in the skin. This can help minimize the appearance of wrinkles, boost skin elasticity, and cover-up old scars and blemishes to keep your skin looking young and vibrant.
Stinging Nettle
Scientific Name: Urtica dioica
Common Names: Stinging Nettle, Nettle, Common Nettle
Family: Urticaceae
Part Used: Leaves, stems, and to a lesser extent root
Habitat: Urtica dioica was originally found in the cooler regions of northern Europe, Asia and the United States. Now stingingnettles can be found in many areas of the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. The stingingnettle flourishes in temperate climates where it can receive plentiful sunlight.
Skin Benefits: Because of its nourishing, diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties, is a natural beautifier to skin and hair. It has been shown to clear acne and eczema as well as encourage thicker, shinier hair and new hair growth. Used extensively in our shampoo bars.
St Johns Wort
Scientific Name: Hypericum perforatum
Common Names: St. John's Wort Family: Hypericaceae (St. John's Wort Family) Part Used: The herb and the fruit are sometimes used as a tea substitute. The flowers can be used in making mead. Habitat: Open woods, hedgebanks and grassland, in dry sunny places, usually on calcareous soils.
Skin Benefits: St. John’s Wort to reduces inflammation, speeds healing and treats skin issues such as scrapes and helps keep wounds clean by killing microorganisms and is a potent antiviral. Also good at hydrating skin and plumping up skin thus reducing fine lines. Used in many of our balms.
Turmeric
Scientific Name: Curcuma longa L.
Common Names: Curcuma longa L.
Family: Zingiberaceae
Part Used: Rhizome - a rhizome is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow horizontally. The rhizome also retains the ability to allow new shoots to grow upwards.
Habitat: Grown in large scale, does not grow in a true wild sense.
Skin Benefits: Turmeric has many benefits for the skin. It can lower sebum secretion in excessively oily skin and prevent acne. Curcumin, a unique antioxidant, can treat skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, scleroderma, and lichen planus, heal sun damage, and prevent skin cancer. Turmeric can also help heal wounds faster.
Wich Hazel
Scientific Name: Hamamelis virginiana
Common Names: Witch Hazel , Spotted Alder, Winterbloom, Snapping Hazelnut
Family: Hamamelidaceae
Part Used: Bark, leaves - we use leaves
Habitat: It is a large shrub found extensively throughout the eastern and mid-western United States and southern Canada.
Skin Benefits: WitchHazel works like an anti-inflammatory agent and helps reduce swelling in the tissues of the skin. We use it in our shaving soap and also in our V-Vein Balm for soothing and diminishing varicose and spider veins.
Yarrow
Scientific Name: Achillea millefolium
Common Names: Yarrow
Family: Compositae
Part Used: The whole plant is used, both fresh and dried, and is best harvested when in flower
Habitat: Meadows, pastures, lawns etc. on all but the poorest soils.
Skin Benefits: Scottish Highlanders still make an ointment from yarrow to apply to wounds, which makes sense given it’s pain-relieving and healing properties.
"Containing anti-inflammatory and antiseptic oils, as well as astringent tannins and resins, yarrow possesses excellent wound healing gifts. and also contains silica, which will help in repairing damaged tissue.” (Sakellaridis)
The anti-oxidant and cytoprotective properties of yarrow leaves and flowers may also play a role in wound healing. We use Yarrow extensively in our soaps and balms. Used extensively in our shampoo bars & balms.
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