Vegan Organic Skincare Ingredients: The Ultimate Guide
Heavenly Organics Skin Care’s products are made entirely from organic, natural and vegan materials. If you’re looking for more information on the ingredients which make up our products, we’ve compiled the following guide!
Vegan Skincare Ingredients A – Z
Amla powder is the main conditioning ingredient. Amla hails from the Indian gooseberry. Not only does it condition the hair beautifully, it also helps prevent hair loss, stimulates growth and strengthens the hair down to the roots. It also has combative benefits too such as treating and preventing dandruff, treating head lice and scalp infections. It even helps prevent premature greying of the hair. Rich in vitamins C & E gives amla the ability to help heal, eliminate a build up of toxins and stimulate the hair and scalp.
Arrowroot powder is healer for skin irritations. With its soft texture, it absorbs moisture and sebum from under your arm. It also helps eliminate toxins.
Bentonite. A highly absorbent and swelling clay, bentonite is composed of aged volcanic ash found in different parts of the world and has been used in treating various conditions since earliest recorded history. The largest and most popular deposit is found near Fort Benton, Wyoming- hence its name. The particles in the clay contain a negative charge that attracts all types of toxins and pathogens such as bacteria, metals and pesticides, all of which have a positive charge. With its negative charge, bentonite clay draws out excess oil and impurities to the skin’s surface and unclogs the pores by removing dead skin cells. It even has the ability to draw out poison from insect bites and stings. Its antibacterial qualities help speed up the healing process whilst increasing blood flow and circulation. This clay is ideal for oily, congested and acne prone skin due to its powerful nature. Not only will this face mask cleanse and detoxifying your skin, it is also feeds the skin with its mineral content of calcium, copper, sodium, magnesium, zinc, iron and potassium. To gain the exfoliating benefits of this mask, we recommend massaging the face in slow circular motions when rinsing. This will slough off dead skin cells whilst stimulating the circulation.
Bicarbonate of Soda is a natural deodoriser and odour-absorber. It is also naturally antibacterial which is necessary when it comes to under the arms!
Cedarwood essential oil is naturally antiseptic, antimicrobial and antifungal and an astringent. This combination renders is ideal for skin conditions such as eczema and spot prone skin. Abundant in anti-inflammatory compounds, cedarwood is excellent for easing aches, pains and general stiffness. If you’re having trouble sleeping, then cedarwood can come to the rescue with its ability to relax and sedate the body.
Chamomile essential oil is naturally anti-inflammatory and so able to calm and soothe skin irritations, scarring, rosacea, acne, spots and blemishes. Brimming with antiseptic, antibacterial and antibiotic properties this oil will help fight infection. Being an antioxidant, chamomile oil will also help fight those damaging free radicals and help maintain youthful skin.
Cocoa butter is a solid-at-room-temperature butter, that is extracted from the cacao bean, which grows on the cacao tree. The cacao pod is a large, gourd-shaped fruit; inside the pod are 30 to 40 cocoa seeds. These seeds are dried, roasted, and pressed and the fat is then extracted from the beans giving us this beautiful cocoa butter. That fat is what we know as cocoa ‘butter’. What is left over from this process is ground down to become cacao powder.
We’ve chosen to use cocoa butter in our hand and foot balms as a main ingredient due to its ability to hydrate and nourish the skin and improve elasticity. The fat in cocoa butter forms a protective barrier over skin to hold in moisture. Anti-oxidant rich, free radical fighting & anti-aging vitamin E, cocoa butter is rich in natural plant compounds called phytochemicals. These substances may improve blood flow to the skin and slow skin aging by protecting against damage from the sun’s harmful UV rays.
It also contains polyphenol CMP, which has been found to suppress active oxygen, a factor in cancer. Polyphenol CMP also inhibits the production of an immuno-globulin that aggravate dermatitis and asthma, which would account for the incredible feedback we’ve had from customers reporting that our hand balms (containing 80% cocoa butter) have helped clear up their skin conditions.
Cocoa butter is well known for helping to prevent stretch marks, heal scarring and for its excellent moisturising and anti-inflammatory properties. Abundant in minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, copper and iron. It also contains tryptophan, involved in the formation of serotonin, the ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter, that makes us feel happier. It’s no wonder we love it so much.
Eucalyptus essential oil is extracted from those beautiful leaves of the eucalyptus tree, native to Australia. Eucalyptus boasts a wide array of benefits and many of those are perfect for the feet: It is anti-inflammatory rendering it ideal for swollen, tired and aching feet; antiseptic, antibacterial, antimicrobial and a disinfectant so perfect for cleansing the feet and ridding them of bacteria; relieves itchiness and pain.
Grapeseed oil is a non comedogenic oil (non pore clogging) and is rich in vitamin E which helps prevent damage to the body from free radical damage. Some natural oils are good for your hair, but they can also leave it feeling oily and weighed down. Grapeseed oil is lightweight and doesn’t have that effect. When applied to your hair, grapeseed oil adds moisture, strength, and shine. Grapeseed oil contains high levels of linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid that can help control acne by decreasing clogged pores. It has been said that acne-prone skin has been found to be deficient in linoleic acid which can cause the skin’s natural oil (sebum) to become thicker thus leading to clogged pores. Therefore, with it being excellent for both the hair and skin is the reason why we chose this special oil for use in our beard and shaving oils.
Grapefruit Essential oil is mentally uplifting & stimulating citrus oil that is anti-oxidant, antiseptic and anti-microbial which makes it perfect for cleansing the skin. With its anti-viral properties, it boosts the lymphatic system so can help with freeing the body of toxins. Oily skin can benefit from grapefruit as it helps reduce the overproduction of sebum. Excess sebum is oily skin. By aiding the skin to regenerate, grapefruit can help maintain youthful and glowing skin.
Illite clay has strong absorption properties and is ideal for normal to oily skin. With its high mineral content it both nourishes the skin whilst drawing out impurities simultaneously. Illite gains its green colour from the presence of decomposed algae and plant matter – rich in vitamins and minerals. Green clay can appear different depending on where it’s purchased. The darker the clay the higher the quality. With its astringent, pore tightening qualities, this clay really gets to work on your skin and you will feel the difference immediately after use. Illite contains anti-inflammatory properties making it ideal for calming inflamed, red and spotty skin. It draws out toxins and impurities whilst soothing the skin simultaneously.
Jojoba. Native to southern Arizona and California, jojoba oil has been used in skincare for centuries. Extracted by cold pressing the jojoba seed, jojoba oil, whilst called an oil, it is actually a liquid wax ester. Another non-comedogenic oil, jojoba oil is so alike to the skin’s own naturally produced oils (sebum) that it is readily absorbed without any oily residue and will consequently help regulate and balance excessively oily skin. Rich in vitamins A and E, and omega-6 fatty acids which are essential components of the skin’s barrier. This barrier protects on the skin’s surface and combined with the anti-inflammatory effects of the vitamin E, allows the skin to heal and regenerate its cells. It also acts as a humectant, meaning it works to retain moisture in the skin. Rich in antioxidants and with high anti-bacterial properties, jojoba oil is excellent in promoting skin health and combatting the ageing process and of course fighting skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis.
Juniper Berry essential oil is a powerfully cleansing and detoxifying oil. Helping with fluid retention and preventing formation of cellulite, juniper berry really is an incredible oil. It is also a natural anti-oxidant, antifungal and anti-inflammatory and can work wonders on the skin to help combat an array of conditions such as acne and eczema.
Kaolin clay is a mineral rich, light clay and extremely soft in texture. Kaolin gets its name due to the clay first being taken from the hills in Gaoling, China. Kaolin can come in slightly different shades of white – sometimes pink or greenish but the whiter the clay, the purer it is. With its neutral Ph, kaolin does not dry your skin out. However, it still has powerful and beneficial properties with its ability to gently extract impurities making it ideal for tackling spots and acne and also removing excess oil from the skin. Not only does this soft clay cleanse the skin without irritation, it also soothes inflammation.
Kelp. Our UK sourced organic kelp powder with its luxurious deep green colour is rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids and trace elements: Vitamins B12; C; E; omega 3; potassium; iron; iodine; choline; copper; zinc; sulphur; magnesium and zinc. All of these have numerous benefits to the skin such as soothing, calming, fighting free radicals with its antioxidants. This is skin and hair food at its best. The omega 3 in particular stimulates hair growth whilst iron and zinc help maintain healthy hair production. Vitamins A B,& C, E and calcium naturally abundant in seaweed help maintain a healthy hair structure and natural shine.
Lemon essential oil. Antibacterial and antimicrobial lemon essential oil is an astringent and detoxifying. Coming from the peel of the lemon, not the juice, lemon essential oil is really rather powerful. Its antiseptic properties help in treating and clearing skin and reducing excessively oil skin. Research has shown that lemon oil contains powerful antioxidants and helps fight inflammation. Lemon is also an uplifting oil so will help elevate your emotions. It is even thought to help aid better concentration.
Lemongrass essential oil comes from the tall grass that grows in tropical climates is added to this body butter blend to create something quite wonderful. This fresh and zesty oil gives a gentle citrusy aroma and has a vast array of benefits too. Lemongrass is antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory which renders it yet another healing and calming essential oil. Lemongrass is a popular ingredient for massages due to its anti-inflammatory properties but also because of containing eugenol which is known to have similar effects as aspirin. It can be used to help relieve headaches and migraines as well as muscle and stomach aches. Furthermore, lemongrass is an anti-oxidant which can help fight the free radicals that can wreak havoc on our bodies. It even has antidepressant qualities. Lemongrass is frequently used as natural insect repellent making it an excellent holiday companion.
Lime essential oil does not only emit the most heady and uplifting scents, it also has wide ranging benefits for the skin: antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial and a disinfectant – we adore this oil. The oil we use is produced from steam distillation as opposed to cold pressing and is therefore not phototoxic and doesn’t cause photosensitive reactions in the skin.
Olive Oil (Extra Virgin) contains as least four different types of antioxidant: vitamins A & E, polyphenols, phytosterols and avenasterol to help maintain a healthy body. The antioxidants in the olive oil work by neutralising damaging free radicals that can lead to skin aging and skin cancer. Chlorophyll is also present in olive oil – a photosynthetic pigment found in plants and algae – the life giving part of the plant. It is an anti-aging substance that promotes the healing of skin conditions and wounds.
Orange essential oil boosts the mood and is an anti-depressant and even an aphrodisiac. It is excellent for the skin with its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties making it ideal for acne, dermatitis and uncomfortable skin conditions. It even aids the reduction of dark spots, thanks to the vitamin C content. Orange essential oil promotes circulation whilst simultaneously reducing enlarged pores and firming the skin.
Patchouli essential oil – many of our customers tell us how much they love patchouli and how it evokes such warming nostalgic emotions and memories. But patchouli is not only evocative but it is excellent for skin conditions such as chapped skin eczema and psoriasis, as well as calming with it stress relieving properties.
Peppermint essential oil is an analgesic, meaning it has pain killing properties. The menthol naturally within peppermint is a refrigerant. This provides a cooling sensation that is activated by the cold sensors within the skin. This is what makes peppermint so refreshing for the feet. Peppermint helps improve circulation too and is antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic and reviving too. So peppermint is ideal to soothe painful, tired and aching feet and revive them leaving them feel refreshed.
Rhassoul clay. This reddish brown wonder of nature, rhassoul clay hails from the mountainous regions of Morocco, formed by a natural combination of volcanic activity and geothermal changes; it has been a skincare staple for Moroccans for centuries.
Nourishing the skin due to its richness in magnesium, silica, potassium, zinc and calcium. Whilst purifying pores, it helps detoxify the skin and if you have sensitive skin that needs detoxifying this Rhassoul Face Mask would be ideal where the Bentonite Face Mask may be too intense. Helping reduce excessively oily skin and balances out sebum secretion with its natural astringent properties, it really is a true gem. Soothing and evening out the skin tone, the mask will help unblock pores and eliminate black heads and combat spots and acne.
Rose Geranium essential oil – not only is this versatile oil anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-septic with its ability to treat acne, blemishes, cellulite, scarring, varicose veins, rosacea and dull skin, it is also uplifting, rejuvenating and can help with anxiety and depression.
Rosemary essential oil is extracted from the small leaves of the rosemary shrub. Giving a wonderful and refreshing scent, rosemary comes packed with benefits too. With its anti-inflammatory components, this special oil will help calm and soothe tired and aching feet (we currently only use rosemary essential oil in our foot scrub & soak). It also boosts circulation, is stimulating and energising and even said to relieve stress and anxiety.
Shea butter is the fat that is extracted from the nut from the shea (Karite) tree, mainly grown in West Africa and is the African treatment for skin conditions such as eczema, scarring, stretch marks, sunburn, itching, insect bites & ski n blemishes. Shea butter is the key ingredient our body butters & hand & body creams. With its creamy texture it is a delight to apply to the skin. Scientific investigations have found that shea nut butter does not pose any known or likely allergy risk to consumers, including those with peanut or tree nut allergies.
We use organic and fair trade shea butter which contains naturally occurring vitamins A, E & F, helping to maintain optimum skin health. Improving elasticity and abundant in fatty acids that help with collagen production, to help maintain youthful skin and with its mild SPF (thought to range from 4-6 SPF, naturally), anti-inflammatory properties and ability to reduce skin irritation shea butter is a true skin healer. Shea butter not only works on the surface of the skin, creating a protective barrier but it also penetrates deeply into the dermal layers of the skin to heal within.
Our sunflower seed oil is cold pressed and organic for the ultimate in skincare. Sunflower seed oil is non-comedogenic and therefore does not clog the pores (which can create break-outs). Anti-oxidant rich sunflower seed oil helps neutralise free radicals which can damage our skin cells. Helping promote cell regeneration, this wonder oil is anti-inflammatory and is therefore ideal for many a skin condition where the skin becomes inflamed. The vitamin E that is naturally abundant in sunflower seed oil helps protect the collagen and elastin in the skin and is therefore considered anti-aging. This light and golden oil is also high in vitamin A which is a natural anti-oxidant and like vitamin E helps regenerate the skin cells.
Tea Tree essential oil has been used for centuries to clean wounds and treat a wide variety of skin conditions. It is a popular go to choice of oil for those prone to spots due to its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral and even antifungal properties. Tea tree will cleanse the skin, help eradicate any infection and calm inflammation.
Unrefined Sea Salt used in our face and body scrubs is Soil Association certified. We use fine grain sea salt as we find this the ideal grain to exfoliate the skin effectively without any abrasive harshness that often comes from course grain salt.
There you have it! Our guide to the organic, natural ingredients in our vegan skincare products! If you have any questions about our products, please don’t hesitate to contact us!