This site provides a glossary of ingredients that will tell you a little bit about each ingredient and may indicate why it is used.


Fixed Oils

Avocado: Good for dry and dehydrated skin, eczema
Castor: Fluffy lather: conditioning
Coconut: Fluffy lather: conditioning  (Learn more about Virgin Coconut Oil)
Cocoa Butter: Conditioning, emollient
Emu Oil: Soothing, nourishing, emollient, fluffy lather, proven effective against eczema  (Learn more about Emu Oil)
Hemp Seed Oil: Soothing, nourishing, emollient, conditioning, fluffy lather
Olive: Soothing, conditioning, nourishing, produces a hard bar of soap
Palm: Hard bar, stable lather, conditioning in small amounts  (Learn more about Virgin Palm Oil)
Palm Kernel: Cleansing, fluffy lather, conditioning
Shea Butter: Conditioning, hard bar, stable lather, SPF of about 15

Miscellaneous Ingredients

Coffee: Odor absorber, exfoliant
Cucumber: Astringent, soothing
Goats Milk: Soothing, emollient
Honey: Soothing, emollient, humectant
Oatmeal: Exfolient, soothing, oil absorber
Vitamin E: Antioxidant

Herbs

Calendula: Emollient, soothing
Chamomile: Soothing, emollient, sedative, nervine
Chickweed: Astringent, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, demulcent, refrigerant, emollient
Comfrey: Also known as “knitbone”. emollient, refrigerant, vulnerary (promotes new cell growth)
Lavender: Lavender is known as a panacea. When in doubt, use lavender.
Dill: Aromatic, sedative
Goldenseal: Used primarily for it’s antibiotic properties
Hops: Soporific. Used in sleep pillows to promote deep, healing dreamless sleep
Kelp: Anti bacterial, antioxidant, emollient, nutritive
Passion Flower: Anodyne, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, nervine, sedative
Lemon Verbena: antibacterial, aromatic, sedative
Plantain: Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, astringent, mucilaginous, refrigerant
Spearmint: Aromatic, Stimulant, vasodilator
Parsley: Antiseptic, used primarily for color in soap

Essential Oils

Balsam Peru: Anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, balsamic, scent fixative
Cedarwood: Astringent, circulatory stimulant
Cinnamon: Antiseptic, astringent, circulatory stimulant
Clary Sage: Antiseptic, astringent, deodorant, seborrhoeal regulator, euphoric
Cypress: Antirheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, deodorant
Elemi: Antiseptic, balsamic
Eucalyptus: Analgesic, antineuralgic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, balsamic,
decongestant, deodorant, depurative, hypoglycaemic, parasiticide, vermifuge
Geranium: Antidepressant, anti- inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, fungicidal, balancing and revitalizing
Ginger: Antiseptic, stimulant, warming
Grapefruit: Antiseptic, astringent, bactericidal
Lavender: Anti-microbial, antiseptic. Lavender is the panacea of essential oils. When in
doubt, use Lavender

Myrtle: Astringent, aid for irritated, inflamed, devitalized skin,  emotionally cleansing.
Patchouli: Antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, deodorant, helps heal chapped
skin, helps prevent wrinkles
Peppermint: Anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, may sooth and cool skin
Rosemary: Anti-bacterial, anti-infectious, antiseptic, circulatory stimulant

Sandalwood: This rich and sweet scented oil is known as an aid to meditation, spiritual growth , and a aphrodisiac.
Sandalwood essential oil acts as a tonic to the immune system, is often used in treating urinary tract problems. Maggie Tisserand says that it is effective against Strep Throat. It balances both dry and oily skin, is useful in treating acne, and useful in soothing barber's rash. Emotionally, it relaxes stress, soothes irritation, and lifts depression. It is a wonderfully balancing oil.
Tea Tree: Anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory antiseptic, antiviral, bactericidal
Vetiver: Antiseptic, calming, grounding, circulatory stimulant
Wintergreen: Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, antiseptic, disinfectant, warming
Ylang Ylang: Aphrodisiac, anti-depressant, anti-infectious, anti-seborrhoeric (regulates
activity of sebaceous glands), antiseptic