Everyday we can be blinded by science about our beauty regimes and encounter yet another fancy synthesised cosmetic with incredible claims of turning back time and eternal youth.

In the short term succumbing to the latest product, full to the brim of synthetic puffers and pullers might just be the thing for your big night out. But we all know in the long run these quick fixes aren't the real answer. They are like a week long crash diet and some support pants for your face. They make you feel great for your big night but you know deep down they are just a quick fix and very often, all those synthetics are probably doing more harm than good.

So why are botanical oils any different? The practice of using plant oils for health and well being is thousands of years old, from the Ancient Greeks using olive oils for sun protection to Cleopatra, synonymous with health and beauty, using almond oil in her milk baths. And today, even if we have lost our way a little with skincare, we all still understand that to eat well, naturally, organically, is the best thing for our bodies. So the same simple science is true for your skin. Just don't be fooled into thinking that simple is ineffective.

So why are botanical oils so effective at maintaining skin health? In a nutshell they are packed full of all the vitamins and micronutrients vital for healthy skin function, and because they themselves are comprised of little things called Fatty Acids (Omegas) they are able to take all those nutrients deep into the skin where they are the most effective. Fatty acids are essential to maintaining many biological functions, from brain and organ function, to the circulatory and respiratory systems and crucially, they also make up the fatty part of the skin called the lipid barrier. It is this lipid barrier that dictates the look of our skin, keeping it looking glowing and nourished. 

Although it is intuitive to want to put water based products on dry skin, very often it is not a lack of water that is the problem, but a damaged or undernourished lipid layer. A healthy lipid barrier is essential for maintaining healthy skin for many reasons including helping to prevent damaging water loss. Botanical oils are lipophilic, they are attracted to lipids and are able to dissolve and pass through the lipid layer carrying all those vital vitamins and skin boosting nutrients deep down into the epidermis literally feeding the skin, keeping a strong healthy, plump lipid barrier.  

A well designed oil blend will also balance the skin by addressing and complimenting the Fatty Acids produced in the skin's natural sebum. For example, there is strong evidence to suggest that acne could be caused, or exacerbated, by an over production of the dryer, harder Oleic Acid, causing it to 'stick' in the pores, trapping the bacteria that causes acne. By cleansing and moisturising with a (thinner and slippier) high Linoleic Acid blend, this will help clean out the pores and balance the skin.
This is why we consider oil free skincare to be tantamount to low fat diet foods. Such a terrible idea. Packed full with all the wrong things. Just like we've been told for decades that all fat is bad in our diets we have also been brainwashed into thinking oil is bad for our skin, that it causes breakouts and greasy shine.
This couldn't be further from the truth, and now you know why.

But what are botanical oils?

Botanical oils are produced from several different elements of a plant and are divided into two families, carrier oils and essential oils. Carrier oils are made from vegetables, fruits or flowers and are pressed from the fatty portion of the plant, usually from the seeds, kernels or the nuts. They are so called because they ‘carry’ the essential oils and form the majority base of the blend and give us it’s specific profile. Premium unrefined organic oils are not for the faint hearted. They are super charged for potent results but it comes at a price. They are often heavier oils, deeper coloured and can have a heavy odour. We take extra care with our 100% organic, and wild crafted blends, ensuring that these super effective products are usable and still smell divine.

Essential oils originate from the volatile compounds that give plants and flowers their distinctive scent, but to consider them purely fragrance oils is to massively underestimate their therapeutic and cosmetic qualities and they give unparalleled depth and effectiveness to our products.

Essential oils are somewhat of a controversial subject and should never be applied neat to the skin. There are a few exceptions, but they are exceptions and not the rule. If applied to the skin undiluted essential oils can cause severe irritation and should be treated with respect. And please always consult your midwife if considering using essential oils whilst pregnant.

We use 43 different carrier and essential oils in our blends. Take a look at our incredible list here.