Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)

The Bergamot is a globoid fruit up to 7.5cm wide. The peel is thin, tough, smooth and green turning yellow when the fruit is ripe. The fruit is too sour to eat and so it is primarily cultivated for its essential oil. The oil produced by cold expression from the peel of nearly ripe fruit to give an oil with a sweet fruity odour with a herbaceous after scent. Bergamot has properties that make it useful in the treatment of eczema and psoriasis; we use the oil in our skin cream for sensitive skin.

 

Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)

Geranium oil is steam distilled from the leaves and branches of the plant giving an oil with a sweet, rosy, herbaceous odour. In skin care geranium is considered to have a balancing action on the production of sebum making it suitable for all skin types.

 

Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)

Lavender is an aromatic evergreen shrub with linear or lance-shaped leaves. The oil is distilled from the freshly cut flowering tops and stalks. We use lavender essential oil from France where the plants are grown at a higher altitude.  This results in an oil with more of the ester lavendulyl acetate which is thought to contribute to the aroma of the oil. Lavender is suited to all skin types and is a useful oil to have in the house for treating minor burns and insect bites.

 

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus)

Lemongrass is a tufted perennial grass with stiff stems rising from a short rhizome rootstock. Lemongrass oil is steam distilled from fresh or partly dried leaves. We use lemongrass in our hand cream for its astringent properties and clear fresh fragrance.

 

Jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum)

The Jasminum species are evergreen deciduous shrubs or shrubby climbers with white, pink or yellow very fragrant flowers. Jasmine absolute is made from flowers which are picked early in the morning as the buds open. There is a rapid loss of essential oils from the flowers once they are open. The intense floral fragrance of the absolute makes a wonderful addition to our skin care products with the properties of the oil being suitable for dry and irritated skin.

 

Mandarin (Citrus reticulata)

Mandarin is a small evergreen tree with small round fruit, slightly flattened, with a yellow to deep orange-red peel. Mandarin oil is expressed from the rind of the fruit and has an intensely sweet odour. We use mandarin in our skin cream to provide a soothing, uplifting fragrance.

 

Neroli (Citrus aurantium)

Neroli essential oil is produced from the freshly picked flowers of the sweet orange tree. It has a powerful, light and refreshing floral odour. The oil is suitable for all skin types and is considered to be non-allergenic.

 

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)

Patchouli oil is extracted from the leaves of this aromatic shrub by steam distillation. The resulting oil has a distinctive rich, sweet, spicy odour. Antimicrobial properties have been reported for patchouli oil making it a useful addition to our foot cream.

 

Rose (Rosa centifolia)

There are thousands of rose varieties and it is Rosa centifolia that is used to make the rose absolute found in our products. Rose absolute is made from rose flowers picked early in the morning to ensure the maximum oil content; is has a sweet, warm, rich odour. The historical uses of rose oil are numerous with the symbol of the rose coming to represent beauty, love, youth and perfection. We use rose oil for its moisturising and softening properties which, when accompanied by its stimulating and antiseptic qualities, make it ideal for all skin care and especially for mature, dry and sensitive skin.

 

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Rosemary is a small evergreen shrub with thick aromatic linear leaves. Rosemary oil is distilled from the leaves, flowers and twigs. We use the verbenone chemotype in our products as a gentle essence.