Ingredients Palette

The kukui tree is also known as the candlenut tree (in Hawaii) or Indian walnut. It can grow up to 30m (98 ft) tall and is found throughout the tropics, including Hawaii, India, and Southeast Asia. The nuts are used in cooking, and the oil has been used in candles to provide light.

Kukui nut oil is high in essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds. It balances deficiencies in the skin and can help with eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis. It is absorbed quickly, and thus conditions, moisturises, repairs, and protects the skin.

The argan tree, once common in North Africa, now mostly grows in southwestern Morocco. It is an extremely hardy tree, able to withstand extreme heat, drought and poor soil conditions. The fruit pulp can be used as animal feed, the wood as fuel, and the oil is eaten in place of olive oil.

Argan oil contains oleic acid and essential fatty acids. It is absorbed quickly into the skin and is good for very dry skin conditions. It is high in antioxidant compounds, like vitamin E and carotenes, and calms inflamed and reddened skin.

The almond tree originated in the Middle East, and does well in moderate Mediterranean-type climates with hot summers and cool winters. Almonds are thought to be one of the earliest domesticated fruit trees as they are easy to cultivate, give good harvests, and are hardy. They grow up to 3-4.5m high and produce fragrant blossom, similar to cherry trees.

Almond oil is a wonderful general purpose carrier oil that is high in essential fatty acids, oleic acid, vitamin E and minerals. It also contains plant sterols that calm redness and support collagen production in the skin. Overall, it is gentle, mild, nourishing and conditioning to the skin.

Jojoba typically grows as a shrub or bush, about 1–2 meters (3.3–6.6 ft) tall, It thrives in areas with low rainfall, coarse soil, and warm temperatures.

Jojoba oil is chemically not an oil at all, but a long chain wax easter that has a similar structure to the skin’s natural sebum. It is easily absorbed into the top layer of skin and is high in antioxidant vitamin E. As a consequence it is a very stable oil, with protective and reparative properties in the skin.

The mango tree is a large evergreen tree prized for its fruit. It can grow up to 15-30m (100 ft) tall and is found across southern Asia and the tropics, including the Caribbean and India.

Mango butter is cold pressed from the seed and is high in oleic and stearic acid. It supports skin elasticity and suppleness, and is highly emollient and softening, helping dry skin and stretch marks.

Cupuaçu is a tropical tree related to cacao that occurs throughout the Amazon basin, including Brazil, Colombia and Peru. The pulp of the fruit is eaten and the butter can be made into confectionary, much like white chocolate.

The butter is cold pressed from the seeds, and is high in oleic, stearic, and arachidic acids, as well as antioxidants. It is soft, emollient, and softening, and supports skin elasticity. It is great for sore chapped skin or inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

The shea tree is common throughout the dry savannah belt of Africa and has many uses. The fruit is used for food, and the butter once extracted is commonly used in baking/cooking, waterproofing, hairdressing, cosmetics, and soaps.

It is high in oleic and stearic acids, and is thought to relieve rheumatism and joint pain, heal wounds, swellings, and skin ailments and is an ingredient in many medicinal ointments.

Kokum, also known as the wild or red mangosteen, is endemic in many parts of tropical India. It has a wide range of applications and produces a distinctive red colour and sour flavour when used to make drinks, curries and confectionary.

It is high in oleic and stearic acids and helps to support the skin’s natural barrier function. It is antioxidant, protective and emollient, supporting wound healing and reducing inflammation.

Alkanet is a herbaceous flowering plant in the borage family. It is an attractive low-growing bush with hairy, mildly irritant stems. The plant itself contains many chemical compounds that are thought to have
antimicrobial, wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties.

However, it is mostly used for its roots which yield a dusky pink/deep red/purple colour when heated and used to dye cosmetics, soaps, wood, and fibres. Oils infused with alkanet root are emollient and aid collagen synthesis, helping with dry or irritated skin.