Ingredients Glossary/Lexicon:
Allantoin - Derived from Comfrey root. Humectant, anti-irritating and soothing. Speeds up cell repair and wound healing.
Almond oil, sweet - Sweet almond oil is pressed from almond kernels. The almond tree is cultivated in Southern Europe, the Mediterranean countries and California. It is a light, nearly odorless oil. Sweet almond oil is said to have great nutritional value for all skin types. It has a similar make up to baby's sebum; the oil naturally produced by the skin to protect it and is easily absorbed. It contains high levels of vitamin E. This is a key ingredient in many of our soaps, body lotions and massage oils(helps to relieve achy joints and sore muscles); sweet almond oil hydrates and moisturizes the skin, is great for dry and/or itchy skin and may even help to relieve some skin conditions such as eczema. Almond oil's scent is know to have calming qualities that may actually help reduce stress levels.
Aloe vera gel or juice - Expressed from the aloe vera plant. Aloe vera improves hydration is soothing and healing to all skin types. Aloe vera is composed of water, the enzyme’s catalyst and cellulose, minerals, calcium, aluminum, iron, zinc, magnesium, sodium, 20 amino acids and carbohydrates. Aloe vera also contains he "youth mineral" potassium. It has renowned healing properties, is anti-inflammatory and can soothe the skin and help heal cuts, burns and insect bites. You will see Aloe vera juice as our second ingredient in many of our body lotions and creams.
Ammonium lauryl sulfate - One of the milder detergents used in shampoos as a foaming and cleaning agent. NOT contained in ANY of Emz Blendz products.
Apricot kernel ground - Used as a gentle exfoliate.
Apricot kernel oil - Apricot kernel oil comes from the large pits of apricots that yield up to 45% oil. Apricot kernel oil has 30% unsaturated essential fatty acid content. The oil is similar in weight to human sebum. It is extremely nourishing to the skin and excellent around the eyes and neck. Apricot kernel oil is an excellent oil for sensitive skin, is an emollient and helps the skin to feel softer and smoother and may possibly retard the fine wrinkles of aging. This is a key ingredient in many of our facial products, body lotions and massage oils.
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) - Anti-oxidant, pH adjuster.
Avocado oil - Emollient, hydrating, nourishing and moisturizing. Avocado oil is rich in beta-carotene, vitamins D and E, protein, lecithin and fatty acids. Excellent for eczema or dry, dehydrated or mature skin. This is a key ingredient in our Jojoba & Avocado Body Lotion and our Baby Soap.
Beeswax – Beeswax is a natural wax produced in the bee hive of honey bees. It has a protective action and is used to seal in moisture. All of our balms and salves are made with this ingredient.
Bergamot orange essential oil – Has refreshing, uplifting and antiseptic properties. Scent: citrus, sweet, spicy floral undertone, light top note. Found in our Uplifting / Mood Elevating massage oil.
Borage oil (Starflower) – Borage oil has the highest known content of essential unsaturated fatty acids. It makes an excellent skin conditioner and is a humectant. Borage oil is a key ingredient in all of our facial lotions.
Calendula absolute (Marigold) – Soothing, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. Useful for burns, cuts, eczema, rashes, wounds, cracked dry skin and diaper rash. Excellent for irritated and delicate skin. An essential ingredient in Emz Baby Bum & Boo Boo Cream.
Carrot seed oil- Is rich in beta carotene, vitamins A & E and pro-vitamin A which help heal dry, chapped, cracked skin. Carrot oil helps to balance the moisture in our skin and conditions hair. A great oil for the face. Carrot seed oil is a key ingredient in our Organic Facial Soap and our Face Food.
Castile soap - Castile soap was originally 100% olive oil soap. It got its name from the Castileregion in Spain. All of our liquid soaps are made with 85% olive oil which makes for an extremely mild soap. Because our soap is naturally made without thickeners or detergents, it has a liquid with water like consistency.
Castor oil - Derived from the seed of an annual shrub. Castor oil creates a protective barrier on the skin and is very soothing and moisturizing.
Cedarwood essential oil- Cedar oil, also known as cedarwood oil, is used for insect repellent, arthritis, congestion, stress, oily skin and nervous tension. Avoid during pregnancy. Scent: woody, warm, soft middle note. Blended with Indian Sandalwood and Lavender essential oil in our Meditative / Relaxing massage oil.
Cetearyl alcohol - Fatty alcohols are components of all natural waxes. Derived from plant oil and used as an emulsifier, emollient and thickener. Not to be confused with Ethyl alcohol.
Chamomile essential oil - This herb has been used for medicinal purposes for over 2000 years. It is used for allergies, burns, dermatitis, eczema, inflammations, wounds, headache, insomnia, and stress. This is a key ingredient in our Chamomile Rose Facial Cream, Chamomile Mint Facial Cleanser and Baby Bum & Boo Boo Cream.
Cinnamon leaf oil – Cinnamon leaf oil has anti-microbial, antiseptic, and antifungal properties. It is known as an aphrodisiac and antidepressant. Avoid during pregnancy and with small children. May cause skin irritation. Scent: sweet, spicy, warm base note.
Citric acid - From citrus fruits, pH modifier.
Clary sage essential oil - Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea) is used for acne, wrinkles, hair growth, muscular aches and pains, depression, exhaustion, stress, PMS. Scent: herbaceous, peppery, nutty, heady base note. This ingredient is found in our Uplifting / Mood Elevating massage oil.
Cocoa butter - Cocoa butter is the solid fat expressed from the roasted seed of the cocoa seed (or beans). It is highly protective and acts as a water repellant. It contains about 5 IU of vitamin E per ounce. Cocoa Butter softens and lubricates the skin. This is a key ingredient in all of our soaps, balms and salves.
Cocoamidopropyl betaine- Derived from coconut. This is a mild cleansing and foaming agent.
Coconut oil - An excellent emollient widely used in the manufacture of soap.
Color– To add color to our soaps we use clays, cocoa, cinnamon, citrus peel grounds, ultramarine and iron oxide pigments. We may use a small amount of food coloring in our tub truffles and in our mango tea and strawberry sugar scrub.
Cucumber distillate – cucumber distillate gives skin a cool soothing feeling. A mild astringent, aids in removing dead skin cells, alleviates inflammations and irritants. Cleopatra was said to have used cucumber juice to preserve her skin. This is a key ingredient in our Face Food.
Decyl glucoside - An extract from corn with exceptional foaming power. Non-toxic, non-irritating and will not block the pores.
Detergent(foaming agent)- These ingredients enable a product to cleanse grease and oil from the hair and body. There has been concern recently about some detergents commonly found in everyday products as they may negatively affect the skin by stripping all natural oils causing dryness, irritation and allergic reactions. Anything that foams is either a detergent or a true natural soap.
Emollient - Substance which prevents water loss from the skin and keeps it soft.
Emulsifier - Agent used to mix oil and water together, so that they don't separate. An emulsifier is essential for the manufacture of creams and lotions.
Emulsifying wax– An emulsifier. Our emulsifying wax is plant based. It is used to create a bond between water and oil.
Essential fatty acids (EFA's) - About 20 specific fatty acids are used by the body to maintain normal function. All but 2 can be synthesized by our bodies. These 2 essential fatty acids belong to the Omega-3 and Omega-6 groups, and must be obtained in proper balance from foods or supplements. EFA's function is as building blocks in membranes of every cell in the body. They also produce 'prostaglandin families', hormone-like substances necessary for energy metabolism, cardiovascular and immune health.
Essential oils - Essential oils give plants and flowers their specific scent and flavor. They play an important role in the life processes of a plant by protecting against disease and by attracting or repulsing certain insects or animals. Aromatic plants and oils have been used for thousands of years as perfumes, incense, cosmetics and for their medicinal qualities. Essential oils are steam distilled from plants including their parts such as seeds, bark, leaves, stems, roots, flowers and fruits. Producing the purest oil can be very costly because it may require distilling several hundred pounds of plant material to produce a small amount of oil. For example, it takes one ton of rose petals to produce about 10 ounces of pure rose oil.
Almost all of our products are scented with only pure and natural therapeutic quality essential oils. Some very desirable scents are simply not available in essential oil form. For a list of non-essential oil fragrances used in our products, see Fragrance.
Eucalyptus globulus - A warming, antiseptic oil. Eucalyptus is used as an insect repellent, muscle aches and pains, sinus and chest congestion, flu, hay fever, acne, to purify the air, expectorant.
Evening primrose oil - A rich source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Excellent for dry skin. This is a key ingredient in our facial lotions.
Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) - d-alpha-tocopherol - Naturally sourced vitamin E is called d-alpha-tocopherol; the synthetically produced form is dl-alpha-tocopherol. Used as an antioxidant to protect oils from becoming rancid.
Fennel oil - Antiseptic, anti-microbial. Freshens breath.
Fragrance - A blend of synthetic and/or natural ingredients creating a specific scent. Used in a few of Emz Blendz products. The products we make, that do contain fragrance, contain only a tiny amount of fragrance oil - 1% or less, because they are meant to be nutritive body treatments rather than “perfumes”.
When a desiredscent is not availableas a natural essential oil, is severelyover cultivated as an essential oil, isunstable in preparations, or is extremely uneconomical,we use only, high quality, cosmetic grade fragrances. These are: