Our Ingredients - Benefits & Clinical Trials

Castor Oil

Used in: All You Need Is Me

Castor oil has been used as a skin and hair cosmetic for thousands of years, starting from the Ancient Egyptians. Using castor oil for skin problems and for dry skin is becoming increasingly popular because of the oil’s emollient properties. It is very beneficial during wintertime in preventing dry skin. Castor oil aids in purifying the skin and can eliminate acne, blemishes and rashes like from shaving.

Chlorella

Used in: Sea Me Mask

Seaweed is rich in beneficial minerals, vitamins, amino acids and trace elements. In fact, seaweed contains virtually every mineral found in the ocean - a concentration nearly identical to the minerals found in human blood. Seaweed has a wonderful effect on any skin type. In particular, it is recommended for mature skin. This plant has regenerative properties which remove dead skin cells and skin becomes fresh and taut. At the same time it possesses smoothing and tightening effect and it is visible on flabby and sluggish skin.

• Benefits of oral and topical administration of ROQUETTE Chlorella sp. on skin inflammation and wound healing in mice. Hidalgo-Lucas S et al., Antiinflamm Antiallergy Agents Med Chem. 2014;13(2):93-102.

Beeswax

Used in: All You Need Is Me

One of the best benefits of using beeswax on the skin is the moisturizing and the softening. Unlike the artificial and often petroleum-based chemicals added to many moisturizers and skin care lotions to aid in absorption, beeswax contains Vitamin A and provides long-term moisturizing, actually locking moisture into the skin. Unlike petroleum-based parabens, beeswax remains biologically “alive” even after it is processed! Non-allergenic, beeswax also sustains sunscreen action with its water repellent properties, combines well with multiple ingredients, contains elasticity and provides greater permanence on skin or lip surface. Beeswax locks in moisture and protects skin from damaging environmental factors.

Besides offering your skin a natural moisture and glow, the anti-allergenic properties of beeswax can actually soothe easily affected skin, making it one of the best skin care ingredients. It is one of the best ways to keep your lips from getting chapped during these cold and windy winter months! Beeswax has many of the same health benefits when applied to the hair as it does when rubbed into your skin. If you want to be healthy and natural, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to rub chemicals into your skin, so why rub artificial ingredients into your hair and your scalp? Beeswax not only moisturizes hair, it also keeps moisture from getting out of the hair.

• The safety and efficacy of a mixture of honey, olive oil, and beeswax for the management of hemorrhoids and anal fissure: a pilot study - Al-Waili NS et al., ScientificWorldJournal. 2006 Feb 2;6:1998-2005.

• Clinical and mycological benefits of topical application of honey, olive oil and beeswax in diaper dermatitis - Al-Waili NS, Clin Microbiol Infect. 2005 Feb;11(2):160-3.

Olive Oil

Used in: All You Need Is Me

Using olive oil for skin is an ancient beauty secret, discovered thousands of years ago. Once called “liquid gold” by Homer, olive oil was a commonly used skin care product by Phoenicians, Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. Olive oil has vitamin E and oleic acid, which are both beneficial to the skin. Olive oil’s oleic acid helps to soften the skin, and the vitamin E improves the elasticity of the skin.

Because extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants, which are known to help slow aging, it has been widely used for centuries as both a food and a skin care product. The oils obtained from olives is mild and nutritious and is hence suitable for all skin types. Using olive oil for various skin problems has proven to be beneficial in their cure and prevention as well. It can also be used as a natural remedy for skin disorders like skin rash, wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots, sunburn.

• Virgin olive oil as a fundamental nutritional component and skin protector - Viola P & Viola M, Clin Dermatol. 2009 Mar-Apr;27(2):159-65. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2008.01.008.
• The effect of daily treatment with an olive oil/lanolin emollient on skin integrity in preterm infants: a randomized controlled trial - Kiechl-Kohlendorfer U et al., Pediatr Dermatol. 2008 Mar-Apr;25(2):174-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1470.2008.00627.x.
• The use of deep friction massage with olive oil as a means of prevention and treatment of sports injuries in ancient times - Nikitas N. Nomikos et al., Arch Med Sci. 2010 Oct; 6(5): 642–645. Published online 2010 Oct 26. doi:  10.5114/aoms.2010.17074
• The safety and efficacy of a mixture of honey, olive oil, and beeswax for the management of hemorrhoids and anal fissure: a pilot study - Al-Waili NS et al., ScientificWorldJournal. 2006 Feb 2;6:1998-2005.
• Clinical and mycological benefits of topical application of honey, olive oil and beeswax in diaper dermatitis - Al-Waili NS, Clin Microbiol Infect. 2005 Feb;11(2):160-3.

Shea Butter

Used in: All You Need Is Me

Shea Butter comes from the nut of the Shea tree. The cream itself is extracted from the nut without any chemicals or chemical processes, to ensure it is organic and all natural. The people of Central and Western Africa, as well as other parts of Africa, have been aware of the wonderful properties of this natural oil from this unique tree species for thousands of years. The positive psychological and biochemical effects that the butter has on the skin makes it ideal.
There are numerous benefits of Shea butter. One of the most important benefits of Shea butter is that it’s naturally rich in vitamins A, D, E, and F. Shaving with it creates a smooth silky shaving experience.

• Anti-inflammatory effects of shea butter through inhibition of iNOS, COX-2, and cytokines via the Nf-κB pathway in LPS-activated J774 macrophage cells - Verma N et al., J Complement Integr Med. 2012 Jan 12;9:Article 4. doi: 10.1515/1553-3840.1574.

• Preliminary studies on nasal decongestant activity from the seed of the shea butter tree, Butyrospermum parkii - A Tella, Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1979 May; 7(5): 495–497.

Vitamin E

Used in: All You Need Is Me & Face It

In terms of skin health and skin care, vitamin E benefits are numerous. In fact, skin care products that contain vitamin E have become an essential part of healthy skin care. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects and repairs your skin. Vitamin E prevents free radical damage.

Vitamin E is helpful for scar healing and prevention because it goes beneath the surface of skin to block free radicals. When applied topically to brown spots on the skin, it helps to lighten and smooth the rough skin. Vitamin E is extremely versatile. Vitamin E is an active ingredient in many products available for skin and nails. Vitamin E is an effective treatment for dry, cracked cuticles. Vitamin E is a strong antioxidant that prevents premature aging. Vitamin E provides the skin with necessary moisture as well as antioxidants.

• Vitamin E ointment at high dose levels suppresses contact dermatitis in rats by stabilizing keratinocytes - Kuriyama et al., Inflamm Res. 2002 Oct;51(10):483-9.

• Vitamin E gel reduces time of healing of digital ulcers in systemic sclerosis - Fiori G et al., Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2009 May-Jun;27(3 Suppl 54):51-4.

• Topical vitamins - Burgess C, J Drugs Dermatol. 2008 Jul;7(7 Suppl):s2-6.

• Topical antioxidants protect the skin from chemical-induced irritation in the repetitive washing test: a placebo-controlled, double-blind study - Schempp CM et al., Contact Dermatitis. 2012 Oct;67(4):234-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0536.2012.02114.x. Epub 2012 May 25.

• Topical alpha-tocopherol acetate in the bulk phase: eight years of experience in skin treatment - Panin G et al., Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004 Dec;1031:443-7.

• Antioxidants used in skin care formulations - Bogdan Allemann I & Baumann L., Skin Therapy Lett. 2008 Sep;13(7):5-9. 

Blueberry Seed Oil

Used in: All You Need Is Me

One of Nature’s most potent antioxidants, an excellent choice for skin rejuvenation blends.

Blueberry Seed oil (Vaccinium myrtillus) is naturally rich in Vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols). Tocotrienols are a sub-group of Vitamin E and differ from the better known tocopherols by their unsaturated side-chain. Because of this structural difference, tocotrienols move faster in cell membranes, and results in higher antioxidant and radical scavenging properties & especially important for the skin.

In addition to natural antioxidants, Blueberry Seed Oil is an excellent source of essential fatty acids and plant sterols, essential nutrients regulating moisture and sensitivity of the skin. This excellent combination of actives makes Blueberry Seed Oil a unique ingredient for nourishing and protecting the skin.

Excellent for treating sensitive and oily skin, skin with large pores as well as helping to treat all kinds of skin problems, such as acne, pimples and boils. Its consistency is dry to very dry and blueberry seed oil is a very good anti-wrinkle oil. It soothes the fine wrinkles, especially around the eyes and mouth. It gives elasticity to the skin and helps against skin aging.
The oil is light in viscosity, slightly greenish-yellow in hue, penetrates quickly and possesses a very pleasant, fresh, sweet and subtle fruity aroma.

• Wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) consumption improves inflammatory status in the obese Zucker rat model of the metabolic syndrome - Vendrame S et al., J Nutr Biochem. 2013 Aug;24(8):1508-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2012.12.010. Epub 2013 Mar 1.
• Composition and antioxidative activities of supercritical CO2-extracted oils from seeds and soft parts of northern berries - Baoru Yang et al., Food Research International, Volume 44, Issue 7, August 2011, Pages 2009-2017
• Studies on Vaccinium myrtillus anthocyanosides. I. Vasoprotective and antiinflammatory activity - Lietti A et al., Arzneimittelforschung. 1976;26(5):829-32.
• Antioxidant action of Vaccinium myrtillus L

Sunflower Oil

Used in: Face It

Perhaps the most important aspect of sunflower oil is its extremely high vitamin E content. Sunflower oil is a natural and healthy way of maintaining a great skin due to its calming and emollient (moisturizing) properties. It is rich in nutrients and antioxidants. Sunflower oil helps skin to retain moisture and prevents sun damage to skin.

Due to its light texture and mild flavour, sunflower oil softens the hair and adds a delightful sheen to it. Sunflower seed oil helps to control frizz, tackles dryness and damage and makes your hair manageable.

•  Coenzyme Q10 protects against oxidative stress-induced cell death and enhances the synthesis of basement membrane components in dermal and epidermal cells - Muta-Takada K et al., Biofactors. 2009 Sep-Oct;35(5):435-41. doi: 10.1002/biof.56.

 Aloe Vera

• The Review on Properties of Aloe Vera in Healing of Cutaneous Wounds - Seyyed Abbas Hashemi et al., Biomed Res Int. 2015; 2015: 714216. Published online 2015 May 19. doi:  10.1155/2015/714216
• Evaluation of biological properties and clinical effectiveness of Aloe vera: A systematic review - Maharjan H. Radha & Nampoothiri P. Laxmipriya, J Tradit Complement Med. 2015 Jan; 5(1): 21–26. Published online 2014 Dec 23. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2014.10.006

Chia seed oil 

Used in: Face It

Rich in omega 3 fatty acids and is loaded unusually high levels of phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidants. In fact, chia seeds have more 30% more cell-protecting antioxidants than blueberries. Whether you have acne or wrinkles, chia seed oil will help. 

Thistle oil 

Used in: Face It

Rich source of omega 6 essential fatty acid, it adds a great skin-loving boost when partnered with other oils and fats. It is incredibly well tolerated and ideal for problem skin, mature skin and normal-to-oily skin. Thistle oil also helps to reduce the size of the pores, helping to rebalance skin. 

Rose hips oil 

Used in: Face It

The anti-aging benefit from using rose hip oil on your face comes about due to the antioxidants and the oil’s ability to penetrate into deeper layers of skin. The vitamin C antioxidants stimulate collagen production. It also helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles. The oil can penetrate due to the vitamin A, which has small enough molecules to go deeper into the skin. Vitamin A improves the skin’s moisture levels and reduces wrinkles and fine lines.

Bergamot and Geranium essential oils 

Used in: Face It

Both beneficial for troubled skin.

Potassium Alum

Alum has a long history of safe use as a deodorant ingredient and is a traditional alternative to many modern deodorants. Our deodorant Undercover agent is made from just a solid moulded lump of crystallised alum, which is a naturally mined mineral salt.

Used in: Undercover Agent

• Effect of an alum-containing mouthrinse in children for plaque and salivary levels of selected oral microflora. - Olmez A et al., J Clin Pediatr Dent. 1998 Summer;22(4):335-40.