Cocoa Butter

Softens skin and moisturizes. Has a pleasant natural chocolate scent. Good for normal to dry skin. It has long been used as a skin softener and protectant. We also use the deodorized Cocoa Butter as well, for products we don't want the chocolate scent in. 

Glycerin

Acts as a soothing skin emollient and is gentle enough for all skin types. A humectant.

Honey

Contains vital vitamins and minerals and it has a very high potassium content, which makes it almost impossible for bacteria to survive. Honey is one of the best-known humectants. 

Shea Butter

Specialty Oil & Ingredients Information

We use the oils below in our products. These can be added to your product upon request. If you need information on a particular oil in a certain product...please email us.

Oils? What Should I use?


Fats are recognized to be bad and the word "fat" has a negative meaning. So oils are often misunderstood and avoided by many.

Natural oils contain organic components such as hormones, vitamins and other natural elements that can be very beneficial for the skin.

Carrier/Base oils, such as Almond, Sunflower, Olive, Avocado etc. are used in higher concentration in soaps & cosmetics, and they can be applied directly to the skin to heal, nourish, soften and protect it. They are used as a base in which essential oils are diluted and contained in some soaps to heighten their softening, nourishing ability.

Oils are highly penetrating. Some more readily than others. Emu, which is an animal fat, is excellent for absorption, as well as for its healing properties and is used now in burn trauma centers. They easily enter through a cell wall delivering essential vitamins, oxygen, and nutrients. This helps to stimulate cell metabolism and regeneration process.

Many oils have anti bacterial properties, thus helping to reduce infections in sensitive or damaged skin.

Oils have been successfully used in skin care preparations for centuries. They make up a substantial part of skin care formulas, and some people actually prefer oils to creams.

Oils? Clean Your Skin?

It might sound odd, but oils can be used as skin cleansers. Sunflower, Olive, Almond oils serve this purpose. Vegetable oil alone is a great way to remove oil-based paint from skin. The same process works with everyday dirt, residue and impurities that accumulate on your skin. Oils effectively lift off the dirt, leaving the skin clean and nourished.

If you still prefer water, but your sensitive skin feels dry after it, try applying oil to your skin prior to washing your face. Your skin will feel much softer. Of course most of us prefer to use a cream/lotion with wonderful oils in its base.

Many oils are rich in essential fatty acids that the body requires for healthy cells but cannot produce by itself. These preserve the function of cell membranes. Skin that does not get enough of these nutrients looses moisture and elasticity, becomes dry and thus forms wrinkles and fine lines. Fatty acids can prevent skin dryness and help to restore moisture balance. 

A large controversy exists when it comes to the use of oils on acne-prone skin. The addition of some essential oils to the carrier/base oils has been found to be very beneficial in many ways. The anti-bacterial properties of essential oils, such as lavender and tea tree, help to kill the bacteria and counter acne. 

If your skin is oily, you probably would like to avoid oils. But, if you put too much effort into making your skin dryer, your skin can take it as a signal to produce even more oil.

For moisturizing your skin (there are oil-free products designed for oily skin), try products with such essential oils as tea tree, basil, eucalyptus, lemon, lavender that are known to normalize oily skin. The use lemongrass oil, help to slow down body oil production. 

Carrier oils/base oils are used to dilute essential oils (essential oils should never be used directly on the skin) before applying to the skin or being used in making soaps and toiletries.

They are referred to as this because they "carry" the essential oil (or the product they are in) onto the skin. The term Base Oils means that you can add these oils to soaps, bath products etc. to benefit from their properties.

There are many different carrier/base oils used in soap & toiletry manufacturing. Each one has it's own unique properties and each chosen depending on what therapeutic effect is being sought.

You may find several different carrier/base oils in a product, since each provide different properties. 

Most carrier/base oils are derived from vegetable (plant) sources using the cold-pressed method. Carrier/base oils do not evaporate nor have a strong smell.

This list contains some beneficial oils that are often used as carrier/base oils and in soaps, bath & body products because of their excellent properties. 

The more informed you are about different carrier & essential oils, the better you can treat your skin. The list I provided here will help you in understanding why one or more different oils maybe used and what benefits each has.

Almond Oil (Sweet)-
Very popular, heavier oil. This oil is obtained from the dried kernels of the almond tree, it is an excellent emollient (softening and soothing to the skin) and also helps the skin to balance its loss and absorption of moisture. 

Sweet almond oil is one of the most popular carrier oils, since it is non-greasy, spreads & absorbs easily and also is great for nourishing the skin.

Suitable for all skin types, helps relieve irritation, inflammation and itching, and is greatly lubricating and because it is not an overly fast penetrating oil, it is a good massage medium to use to help spread the oil and essential oil mixture.

The aroma is light, slightly sweet and nutty. It contains vitamins A, B1, B2, and B6 and a tiny amount of E and it has a rich concentration of oleic and linoleic essential fatty acid. It is used as an emollient and is rich in protein. 

Known for promoting a clear young looking complexion, also helps to relieve muscular aches and pains. Best used in massage oil, creams, salves, and balms. *Do Not Use if allergic to nuts.

Apricot Kernel Oil-
This medium to light oil is good for all skin types. Especially good for dry, inflamed skin. Contains vitamins & minerals and nourishes the skin and is great for massage, body oils, lotions.

Avocado Oil-
A medium to heavy oil that is wonderful in massage oils. Contains Vitamins A, B, D, E and is rich in Lecithin. Penetrates deeply into the skin and is well suited for dry skin conditions. Good for wrinkles and sun damaged skin. This oils is often used with other carrier oils to provide more skin nourishing benefits. Excellent for babies and people with sensitive skin as well as aged skin.

This oil is also considered an antioxidant. Avocado oil is renowned for its healing, anti-bacterial, and anti-wrinkle properties. Avocado oil is an excellent base for ointments used for treating lacerations, dermatitis, acne and similar skin conditions. Also used for post-operative dressings to prevent adhesions to wounds and skin burns while accelerating the actual healing process. Avocado oil is an ingredient in high dollar skin care cosmetics and creams, highest quality soaps and shampoos, products for damaged hair, baby hair and sun products. It's also a good hair stimulant.

Borage Oil-
One of your more expensive oils. Helps maintain healthy skin. Helps repair mature skin as well as sun damaged skin. Used in conjunction with other carrier oils.

Calendula Oil-
Used in small quantities with other carrier oils to help heal dry, chapped, cracked skin. Found in creams, salves, balms, and lip preparations.

Canola Oil-
This oil is usually found in combination with other carrier oils. It is high in Vitamin E. Used in lotions, creams, massage oils.

Carrot Oil-
This oil is used in small quantities with other carrier oils. Contains Vitamins. This oil is good in massage oils.

Coconut Oil-
This is obtained from the dried coconut meat. Great for moisturizing. This is added to soap for increasing the lather and makes a hard bar of soap. It is an emollient that conditions and protects the skin. This oil gives soap cleansing abilities and wonderful lather. It's quickly absorbed by the skin, glides easily and never leaves a greasy feeling. 

Corn Oil-
Not used as extensively as other carrier oils or addition oil, but can be used if needed. Best if used in conjunction with other oils. High in Vitamin E.

Emu Oil-
Emu Oil, a food by-product, is obtained from the fat of the Emu. It is an all natural substance. When processed, the fat is taken through a series of steps to refine, sterilize and deodorize it.

Emu oil is very penetrating, moisturizing and non comedogenic (non-pore clogging) oil. It is a natural emollient and emulsifier.

Studies show that Emu oil naturally contains a high level of linolenic acid, (a substance known to ease muscle ache and joint pain) and oleic acid, which provides a local anti-inflammatory effect. 

It helps to promote healing and helps restore fatty acids in the skin. It helps prevent scarring when applied to newly received cuts or burns.

Emu has anti-bacterial properties and has been widely used in arthritic formulas, hand & body lotions and balms, burn creams, sunburn relief products and lip balms. Many burn trauma centers now use Emu Oil on burn victims.

This oil can be used alone or with other carrier oils for other uses, such as: age spots, bee stings, athlete's foot, muscle pain, bed sores, psoriasis, cracked skin, joint pain, diaper rash, fever blisters.

Overall Benefits of Emu Oil:

Skin:

Eczema - reduce irritation, inflammation of the skin
Keloids - significantly reduces recent keloid scarring
Burns - appears to promote faster healing with less pain and scarring

Joints:

Joint pain - reduced pain, swelling, and stiffness most evident where the joint is close to the skin surface, such as hands, feet, knees, and elbows.

Bruising and muscle pain - significant benefit to recent bruising and muscle pain where injury is relatively superficial. Significant reduction in sports related muscle strains post-exercise emu oil massage.

Recent wounds:

Epithelialized wounds - reduced scar tissue formation, soothing of wounds after surgery by anti-inflammatory action.
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Dr. Michael Holick, M.D, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, Physiology, and Dermatology at Boston University School of Medicine, conducted a study involving a processed emu oil, and the results were outstanding. "We found that there was about a 20% increase in DNA synthesis, which means that there was a 20% increase in the proliferative activity, or the growth activity of the skin in the animals that received (a processed emu oil), compared to the animals that received corn oil, " said Dr. Holick. 

"We found that there was an enhancement in the growth activity of the hair follicles. So it gives us very good scientific indication that we were stimulating skin growth," Dr. Holick elaborated.

Evening Primrose Oil-
Used in small amounts with other carrier oils. This oil is rich in essential fatty acids, known as Vitamin F and nourishing to the skin. Very beneficial for scaly skin and dandruff.

Grapeseed Oil-
A light, odorless oil which contains vitamins, proteins and minerals. It does not work well in creams or lotions but is excellent in bath oils as it disperses readily in water.

High in vitamin E and is 76% essential fatty acid and linoleic acid (also known as Omega 6). Contains natural chlorophyll and valuable antioxidants. Also easily absorbed and used readily in massage oil because it cleanses, as well as, is  slightly astringent, which means it tightens and tones the skin. Will not aggravate acne. Also used for hair products. 

Hazelnut Oil-
This oil is a medium weight oil and is a very penetrating oil. It has a mild scent Excellent for massage because it gives a deep down nourishment while moisturizing the skin.

It stimulates circulation an has astringent properties which are excellent for tightening pores on oily or combination skin. This oil contains oleic acid and a small amount of linoleic acid.

Super for use in creams as it also contains high amounts of Vitamin E. * Do Not Use if allergic to nuts.

Hemp Oil-
A natural source for essential fatty acids vital in preventing cell loss. It regulates skin's moisture barrier and helps maintain it's elasticity.

Absorbs directly into the skin, providing amino acids, linoleic acid, protein and Omega oils. Often used with other carrier oils in creams, lotions, balms, because of it's excellent properties.

Jojoba Oil-
This is actually a liquid wax not an oil. Emollient and similar to natural human oil secretions. It is non-toxic and edible. Often added to other carrier oils as a preservative.

This oil is a good choice for acne because it contains myristic acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties. It actually feeds and moisturizes skin and nails. This is super in hair care products and is highly recommended as a base for hair oils. Found in many lotions and creams.

Macadamia Nut Oil-
This is a medium weight oil which is suitable for massage because it is highly emollient and leaves the skin feeling silky smooth. Excellent addition to creams. *Do Not Use if allergic to nuts.

Olive Oil-
Heavy weight oil that is an excellent moisturizer because it attracts and holds moisture close to the skin to prevent loss of internal moisture. Soothes inflamed skin. This oil is suitable for massage and excellent in salves, creams and soaps.

Sunflower Nut Oil-
Very light oil which is perfect for use in bath oils. Also used in lotions as it is readily absorbed into the skin. Not a good choice for massage because of its fast absorption rate.

Wheat Germ Oil-  
Wheat germ oil is rich in proteins, vitamins, and especially vitamin E. It stimulates tissue regeneration and, therefore, can make it very effective for aging skin, wrinkles, scars, and stretch marks. It is known for its antioxidant properties. 

**When choosing oils for your soaps or products, please make sure you are aware of any allergies to certain plants and/or foods that you, your child or recipient may have!

 Disclaimer: We use high quality Essential oils that are 100% pure. They are not diluted. Our Fragrance oils are cosmetic grade (used in soaps, bath products & cosmetics). Both are recommended for external use ONLY. Keep out of the reach of children and supervise your child when using ANY bath product. Some oils, can be an irritant to the skin, eyes or mucous membranes. For Essential oils, educate yourself in their proper use before using as a home remedy. Many oils cannot be used by pregnant women, the elderly or children. We strongly suggest that you consult your physician or other Health Care professional BEFORE using. Our flavor oils are FDA approved Food Grade Oils. Please make sure that you have NO allergies to certain food products which some of these oils are derived from, such as nuts.