Ingredient Library
“EACH INGREDIENT SERVES ITS OWN UNIQUE, EFFECTIVE PURPOSE.”
Our team at Herb Market honours our principles which we have built this company on, and we want to ensure our customers feel educated about each of the ingredients we use.
We consolidated the 'Ingredient Library' to provide a deeper dive into all of our ingredients, giving you a better understanding of their purpose and benefits.
Below is a complete list of each ingredient used within our formulas.
Derived from the inside pit of the apricot fruit, the apricot kernels are cold-pressed to extract a gentle, lightweight oil containing high amounts of antioxidant vitamins and essential fatty acids. Rich in healthy fats like oleic and linoleic acid, the oil replenishes and softens skin, while aiding in the rejuvenation of skin’s elasticity.
Qualities: nourishing, moisturizing, boosts elasticity
Sodium bicarbonate, or more commonly known as baking soda, helps restore our body’s PH levels, which naturally alkalizes our body to help neutralize skin’s acidity. When used in baths, baking soda absorbs toxins like heavy metals and radiation, making it an effective and natural detoxifier.
Qualities: detoxifying, cleansing, PH adjuster, skin-softening
Extracted from the seeds of the (Camellia oleifera) tea plant, which grows mainly in Asia. Camellia seed oil is rapidly absorbed, deep within the layers of the skin, providing outstanding moisture-retaining abilities. Used as part of the Geisha’s ancient beauty secrets, due to its high antioxidant content, which help protect and restore skin from external toxins and pollutants, keeping it looking youthful and radiant. The oil has a balancing effect, great for both dry and oily skin types.
Qualities: antioxidant-rich, rejuvenating, restorative, nourishing, moisturizing, quickly absorbing
Extracted from the seeds of the castor bean plant (Ricinus Communis), cold-pressed castor oil is full of skin-loving essential fatty acids, and is an excellent oil for moisturizing skin. Due to its fatty acid composition, castor oil can help reverse the signs of aging and stretch marks. The use of castor oil goes back thousands of years when the Egyptians and Indians used it in natural treatments around the eyes and part of various health and skincare remedies. Made up of between 80 and 90% ricinoleic acid, which is an uncommon fatty acid responsible for most of its benefits. As the oil penetrates deep within the layers of the skin, it helps to fight microbials responsible for acne and other bacteria overgrowth.
Qualities: moisturizing, reduces fine lines, prevents stretch marks, reduces breakouts
The Dead Sea is one of the planet’s saltiest bodies of water, known to be 10 times saltier than the ocean, and contains a high amount of minerals. The salts from the Dead Sea are highly therapeutic for the body. Soaking regularly in water enriched with Dead Sea salt helps to soothe and cleanse the skin. The absorption of the minerals helps to improve various skin conditions and imbalances. The salts are also deeply hydrating for the body and help to purify pores.
Qualities: mineral-rich, hydrating, purifying, cleansing, replenishing
Magnesium sulfate, more commonly known as Epsom salt, is a pure mineral compound of magnesium and sulphate harvested from dry crust formations within rocks, caves, coal mines, and dried up lake deposits. Magnesium is one of the most abundant elements found in the Earth’s crust and is an essential mineral used by the body for many different functions; like muscle contraction and relaxation, proper nerve functioning, production of certain proteins and activation of enzymes. Epsom salt can be absorbed through the skin, making it an ideal addition for baths to help relieve muscle aches and pains, tension, and overall inflammation in joints.
Qualities: skin-softening, replenishing, mineral-rich, anti-inflammatory
Evening primrose oil is derived from the seeds of the flowering evening primrose plant (Oenothera Biennis). This precious oil is naturally rich in gamma linoleic acid, a crucial fatty acid for the support of overall hormonal function in the body. The fatty acids in the oil help stimulate and regenerate skin cells, and reduce moisture loss, inflammation, and swelling.
Qualities: hormone-supporting, moisturizing, regenerating, soothing, anti-inflammatory
Derived from naturally occurring deposits in France, French green clay is rich in an array of minerals and trace elements, as well as decomposed plant matter. French green clay is highly absorbent and has a natural, negative charge, which attracts positively charged toxins and impurities from the body. The clay helps to pull them from skin tissues and cells, resulting in a highly beneficial detox experience.
Qualities: absorbing, detoxifying, rejuvenating, reduces skin irritations, mineral-rich
Known as one of the purest salts on Earth, Himalayan salt is harvested from the ancient salt beds of the Himalayan Mountains, rich in over 80 minerals and trace elements. Himalayan bath salt allows the body to absorb the many nutrients deep within the cells, helping to re-mineralize the body. The salts help to maintain the protective barrier of the skin while improving texture and overall appearance. They also aid in pulling toxins from the body and contain profound antibacterial, antiseptic and circulation-boosting properties.
Qualities: mineral-rich, absorbing, replenishing, detoxifying, rejuvenating, antibacterial, antiseptic
Jojoba oil comes from cold-pressing the seeds of the Jojoba (Simmondsia Chinensis) plant, a shrub native to the Sonoran desert. Although known as an oil, jojoba oil is a liquid plant wax closely resembling the sebum of our skin. When applied to the skin, jojoba oil forms a thin, porous layer that provides exceptional moisturizing and softening properties. A non-greasy, highly absorbent oil with deep cleansing abilities, as jojoba oil can penetrate deep into the skin glands and help clear blockages caused by bacterial growth.
Qualities: balancing, non-greasy, quickly absorbing, moisturizing, skin-softening, antibacterial, cleansing
Meadowfoam oil is extracted by cold-pressing the seeds of the Meadowfoam (Limnanthes Alba) plant, native to some parts of Canada. Unrefined meadowfoam oil is rich in antioxidants, providing exceptional skin-rejuvenating properties. These antioxidants help resist the natural oxidation processes, giving forth a long shelf life for the oil. It contains over 98% long chain fatty acids which deliver a barrier formation for the skin, helping to lock in moisture to prevent dryness, while also boosting skin-softening properties. Meadowfoam oil is quickly absorbed by the skin, which further helps deliver nutrients deep into the dermis, resulting in replenished and balanced skin.
Qualities: antioxidant-rich, skin-strengthening, skin-softening, nourishing, replenishing, quickly absorbing
The gem-like, ruby red seeds of the highly nutritious pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit yield a rich, deeply nourishing oil. Cold-pressed pomegranate oil retains the oils enzymes, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants. These nutrients help boost collagen production, enhance elasticity, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The high antioxidant profile stimulates the production of new skin cells, helping to reverse the appearance of scarring, various skin damage, and aging.
Qualities: collagen boosting, regenerating, reduces scarring, helps reverse skin and sun damage, skin-protecting, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant-rich
Derived from the seeds of red raspberries (Rubus Idaeus), this delicate, cold-pressed oil is antioxidant-rich, known as a super food for the skin. Red raspberry seed oil is remarkably high in antioxidant vitamins like tocopherols (vitamin E), carotenoids (vitamin A), and rich in essential fatty acids which provide exceptional regenerating and rejuvenating properties. Its high anti-oxidant content helps reduce oxidative damage on the skin. High in alpha linolenic acid and phytosterol content, red raspberry seed oil is known to possess super anti-inflammatory and moisture-retaining properties.
Qualities: antioxidant-rich, regenerating, repairs skin damage, anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, natural SPF, rejuvenating
Unrefined and cold-pressed, rosehip (Rosa Canina) oil is extremely nutrient rich. Derived from rosehips, the small spherical fruits, or seed pods, known as the ‘hips’ that remain on the rosebush after the roses have bloomed. Rosehips have been used for thousands of years by the Egyptians, Mayans, Native Americans, Indians and other ancient civilizations for various skincare applications. Known as the “Oil of Youth,” mainly due to its rich antioxidant content of vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin E, which help to accelerate skin cell regeneration and promote skin-brightening properties, working to reduce the appearance of unwanted dark spots, scars, and blemishes. Rich in essential fatty acids, this replenishing oil deeply restores the skins moisture barrier, soothing dry and irritated skin, ideal for mature skin.
Qualities: antioxidant-rich, reduces look of fine lines, regenerating, moisturizing, reduces blemishes and dark spots, replenishing, nourishing, soothing
The sea buckthorn plant (Hippophae Rhamnoides), is a shrub-like tree that produces bright yellow-orange, nutrient-rich berries. These berries are harvested to extract a very high-quality oil from the flesh and pulp of the fruit using a CO2 extraction method. The oil is extremely high in antioxidants like beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E, which help to combat the signs of aging. Rich in fatty acids, tocopherols, carotenoids and plant sterols, sea buckthorn oil is abundantly high in many nutrients, with incredible nourishing and restorative properties. It's known to be highly effective for dehydrated skin and also inflammatory skin conditions.
Qualities: anti-inflammatory, nourishing, restorative, antioxidant-rich, skin-strengthening
Shea butter is extracted from the shea nuts of the African shea tree (Vitellaria Paradoxa). Our organic shea butter comes completely raw, unrefined, and unprocessed, which helps retain its nutritive properties. It’s part of the Global Shea Alliance sustainability program, which ensures the protection of eco-systems, decent working conditions and wages. Pure shea butter is rich in antioxidant vitamins A and E, and contains a high amount of skin-softening fatty acids, which help renew and rebuild skin cells to improve the look of stretch marks, blemishes, fine lines, and wrinkles. Extremely moisturizing, known to reverse dry skin.
Qualities: moisturizing, skin-softening, restorative, skin-protecting, nourishing
Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), is a shrub native to North America which contains an effective, nourishing extract, derived from the leaves and bark of the shrub. Witch hazel has been used for centuries for its clarifying, toning and cleansing properties. It helps minimize the look of enlarged pores, by tightening and toning, while also working to reduce blemishes and breakouts, by purifying pores and helping to regulate skins oil production. Witch hazel soothes itchy, inflamed or irritated skin and protects it against environmental damage, while balancing skins natural PH.
Qualities: soothes irritated skin, astringent, purifying, cleansing, balancing, toning
Aromatherapy involves the practice of using pure essential oils for their aromatic properties and therapeutic benefits. Balancing and nourishing for the body, mind and spirit, essential oils are the natural extracts and essences from plants, fruits and seeds. They are made by using mainly steam distillation, without use of any chemicals or synthetics to extract the oil. These pure oils are potent and very aromatic, which allows the aroma to enter the nasal cavity. When inhaled, some oils help relax and de-stress due to their calming or sedative properties, whereas others contain mood and energy enhancing properties. Using essential oils in skincare incorporates nature’s purest essences to help enhance body and mind well-being.
Below is a complete list of each essential oil used within our formulas.
A citrus fruit grown from the Citrus Bergamia tree, native to Italy. It has a clean, refreshing scent of citrus with a spicy undertone, which helps bring upon a balancing and toning effect. Used to relax, soothe and balance mental state. Can be both energizing and relaxing, as bergamot is a balancing oil.
Qualities: balancing, energizing, soothing, citrus scent
Distilled from Roman chamomile flowers, a daisy-like herb with many medicinal and therapeutic benefits. There are different varieties of chamomile, like German or Moroccan chamomile, however these are inferior quality oils. Roman chamomile on the other hand, is dry, and has a mildly sweet apple-like scent with herbaceous undertones. Roman chamomile is known for its sedative and calming properties. Used in ancient times as a natural remedy, and medicinal herb to help with allergies, stomach aches, insomnia, skincare, swelling, and inflammation.
Qualities: calming, sedative, prevents swelling, anti-inflammatory, sweet scent
Steam-distilled from the leaves of the evergreen tree (Eucalyptus Globulus), native to Australia. The oil boasts a deeply refreshing, camphoric scent with decongestant properties, helping to clear sinuses when its vapour is inhaled. The oil contains antiseptic properties and promotes mental clarity.
Qualities: decongestant, refreshing, promotes mental clarity, clarifying, camphoric scent
Steam distilled from lavender flowers, the oil contains a floral, herbaceous scent with balsamic, and woody undertones. Lavender oil has impressive calming and sedative properties, helpful for calming nerves, bringing upon a relaxed mental state, and improving sleep quality. Highly regarded for use in baths and skincare.
Qualities: calming, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, clarifying, herbaceous scent
Used for centuries, lemon is a powerful, aromatic oil with energizing and detoxifying properties. As a natural disinfectant, lemon oil works to eliminate air-born toxins and microbials. When inhaled, its essence works to enhance energy and concentration, while boosting mood.
Qualities: cleansing, energizing, disinfecting, lemon scent
Distilled from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree, neroli is a luxurious oil, as it takes an incredible amount of blossoms to yield just a small amount of oil. A fragrant oil with the perfect balance of bitter-sweet, and floral notes. The oils high antioxidant content provides an array of benefits for skin, including regenerating skin cells, helping to improve skin texture, and reduce scars and wrinkles. The oil works as a balancing agent for either dry or oily skin types. Neroli oil is mood enhancing and also deeply supports skin tissues and cells.
Qualities: rejuvenating, regenerating, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, mild floral, bittersweet scent
Patchouli is a very fragrant herb, native to Eastern regions of the world. It’s frequently used in fragrance due to its enticing musky and earthy scent, that actually enhances with age. Its main component is patchoulol, responsible for the oils grounding effect to help stabilize, and balance mood and emotions. In skincare, its properties help contribute to a glowing, smooth complexion.
Qualities: balancing, grounding, anti-fungal, deodorizing, earthy, musky scent
One of the world’s most popular flowers, the rose is beautiful in both appearance and aroma. Pure rose oil, also known as, rose otto oil, is deeply nourishing and has been used for centuries due to the skin rejuvenating properties. The scent of rose is known to promote harmony and helps uplift the heart and emotions. It’s a natural aphrodisiac with soothing and calmative properties, helping to reduce stress and tension. A truly robust floral scent that is known to bring upon a positive mind-set.
Qualities: anti-inflammatory, skin rejuvenating, calming, soothing, floral rose scent
A deeper more powerful scent than actual rosemary, this oil’s aroma has a herbaceous, woody scent with evergreen-like undertones. Alpha-pinene, a natural terpene, is the main component in the oil, which gives it its strong scent. When inhaled, the aroma is known to have a positive effect on memory and helps to open the conscious mind, allowing us to be more aware. Supports healthy respiratory health and reduces tension.
Qualities: stimulating, disinfecting, boosts mental clarity, herbaceous and woody rosemary scent
Orange essential oil has a sweet, citrus scent like the orange peels from which it is derived, but more intense and concentrated. It contains about 95% of the fragrant terpene d-limonene which helps to give it its citrus scent. The oil is known to calm and uplift while reducing worries and promoting cheerfulness. A great mood-enhancing oil that also contains anti-inflammatory and anti-septic properties.
Qualities: uplifting, anti-inflammatory, nourishing, antimicrobial, antiseptic, citrus scent