Everything we do has a purpose and a root story.
So naturally, our choice of ingredients is no different.
Read more about our intentionally chosen ingredients and why we love them:
Genuine Olive Oil
Did you know not all olive oil is pure, genuine olive oil? Many large brands are adulterated with cheap oils such as canola, soybean or other cheap fillers. We know exactly how to determine genuine olive oil from cheap imitations and we’ll do this to make sure you get the best quality to deliver the best nutrients.
Pure olive oil is rich in antioxidants, healthy fats, and vitamins E and K, making it deeply nourishing for the skin. It helps strengthen the skin’s natural barrier, lock in moisture, and protect against environmental damage and premature aging. Its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties can soothe irritation, support healing, and keep skin soft, smooth, and resilient. It contributes gentle cleansing and rich nourishment to soaps, and we’d never make soap without it!
High Oleic Sunflower Oil
Superior to regular sunflower oil and super rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid, which deeply nourishes and softens the skin without feeling greasy. It helps strengthen the skin’s barrier, lock in moisture, and protect against environmental stressors. Its light, non-comedogenic texture makes it suitable for all skin types, promoting smooth, hydrated, and resilient skin. High-oleic sunflower oil doesn’t rancidify or oxidize nearly as quickly as regular, therefor keep the soap fresher for longer. A far superior sunflower oil!
Purified Lard
A rich, nourishing white fat that produces hard, long-lasting bars with a creamy, stable lather. It’s high in oleic and palmitic fatty acids, which are easily absorbed and help moisturize and soften the skin. Because it’s an animal fat that closely resembles the skin’s natural sebum in composition, we love it in soaps for making a beautifully hard, long-lasting bar that gently cleanses and nourishes, while rinsing clean- leaving no weird residue.
Naturally Mined Baking Soda
No- not all baking soda is equal! Naturally mined baking soda is prized in our deodorant for its gentle, minimally processed nature, often containing trace minerals that can benefit the skin, making it ideal for our popular natural deodorant. In contrast, Arm & Hammer baking soda is highly processed for consistency and predictability, with food-grade purity, but may include additives and lacks the natural trace elements, making it better suited for household use than delicate skincare formulations.
Tallow
Tallow is rich in fatty acids and deeply nourishing, supporting skin repair and barrier function and unparallelled at softening skin, which is why we use it in our Hand Rescue. But- some people are sensitive, as it can be “too rich” and clog pores, causing breakouts, so we never use this in face products.
Phthalate-Free Fragrance Oils
Phthalates are a synthetic compound, a solvent added to plastics and fragrances as a fixitive (help the scent last longer) and they’re often what people are sensitive or allergic to regarding fragrances and they come with a list of health warning, specifically listed as endocrine disruptors. Phthalate-free fragrances provide beautiful, long-lasting scent without the hormone-disrupting chemicals often found in conventional perfumes, making them safer for everyone and overall health.
Local Beeswax
Local beeswax forms a protective barrier on the skin while locking in moisture. It’s soothing, gentle, and slightly anti-inflammatory, making it ideal for balms, creams, and salves.
Frankincense Resin-infused oil
Frankincense-infused oil supports skin tone, regeneration, and healing, helping reduce the appearance of scars, fine lines, and inflammation while promoting healthy, resilient skin. It offers a wide range of benefits to essential oil and imbibes a heavenly scent to the oil and the product in which it’s used. We rely on it in our Skin & Hair Elixir.
Oxide Powders
Naturally derived oxide powders, such as zinc or iron oxides, add safe, stable color to products while offering mild UV protection and soothing benefits. They’re gentle on sensitive skin and free from synthetic dyes.
Colloidal Silver
Colloidal silver is antimicrobial and calming, ideal for blemish-prone or irritated skin. It’s non-drying and may help reduce inflammation, fight bacteria, and support skin repair.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is mildly moisturizing and protective, helping to soften, soothe, and shield the skin. Its emollient properties make it excellent for dry or rough areas, though it can feel heavy on some skin types and doesn’t absorb deeply. We love it mostly for its antioxidants and for adding a rich lather and cleansing properties to our soap.
Chaga Extract
Chaga is a powerful antioxidant-rich mushroom that helps protect the skin from oxidative stress and environmental damage. It supports collagen production, soothes inflammation, and promotes a healthier, more radiant complexion. Used in our Face Cream and Body Creme.
Essential Oils
Concentrated plant extracts that deliver powerful therapeutic and aromatic benefits to the skin and senses. Some can calm inflammation, balance oil production, promote healing, and support overall skin health, while others enhance circulation, tone the skin or add potent antibacterial and antioxidant protection. Let’s not forget the therapeutically natural, uplifting scents that can affect our emotional and mental states. Every essential oil has unique properties and rest assured we’re aware of the benefits and dangers of what we use! Please also do your own research on specific essential oils.
Fir-Infused Oil
We personally harvest fir needles from local trees to create fir-infused oil, which is refreshing, soothing, and stimulating and supports circulation while also offering mild antiseptic and skin-healing benefits. It can help calm minor irritations, soothe redness, and promote healthier-looking skin. We add this to our Hand Rescue.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil closely mimics the skin’s natural sebum, providing lightweight, non-greasy hydration. It helps balance oil production, soften skin, and protect against moisture loss. This is an essential ingredients in our Skin & Hair Elixir.
Preservatives
In our natural creams, we must use a preservative to keep the formulas safe and mold-free, so we use GeoGard- a Skin Potion-approved natural preservative that keeps products safe from microbial growth, extending shelf life without harsh chemicals.
Sea Buckthorn Oil
Sea buckthorn oil is packed with antioxidants and essential fatty acids, helping to repair, nourish, and soothe the skin. It supports healing, reduces inflammation, and promotes a radiant complexion. This is what gives the Skin & Hair Elixir its radiant orange color!
Calendula
Calendula-infused oil is a gentle, nourishing ingredient prized in skincare for its soothing and healing properties. Rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, it helps calm irritated or sensitive skin, reduces redness, and supports skin repair. In serums and lotions, calendula oil hydrates deeply, promotes elasticity, and can assist in healing minor cuts, dry patches, or blemishes. Its mild, skin-loving nature makes it ideal for everyday moisturizing and restorative formulations. We use this in our Face Cream, Body Creme, Skin & Hair Elixir, Lip Rescue and Hand Rescue.
Ingredients we strictly avoid:
Canola & Other Seed Oils
The junk of all oils, they’re often mistakenly marketed as nutrient-rich. High in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which oxidize easily, leading to rancidity with a bad odor and oxidization (expired). When oxidized, they create inflammatory compounds that irritate or prematurely age the skin and increase risk of sun damage. In soap, these oils can make bars soft, slimy, stinky or prone to spoilage, and in lotions or serums, they can destabilize emulsions and lose potency quickly. Canola oil and regular sunflower oil are junk that we will NEVER use in our products.
Palm Oil
When we discovered how destructive harvesting palm oil is to certain parts of the world, we immediately boycotted it (since 2014). For that reason, we will never use it, not to mention “sustainably harvested” is overly expensive and we refuse to pass on that markup to you, our beloved customers. There are better oils we can use.
Sweet Almond Oil
It’s derived from nuts- posing a risk for those with allergies, and its high PUFA content means it oxidizes quickly, reducing product stability and shelf life and has a very strong odor. It can also clog pores for some skin types and doesn’t add much hardness or lather stability in soap. For long-lasting, well-designed formulations, we choose healthy, stable oils with mild scents.
Non-Organic Soy, Gluten, Corn, Oats
Because we have enough exposure to glyphosate already, we avoid all soy and corn products.
We do not add gluten to any product, and our workshop is separated from living quarters. We only use organic oats in two soaps, which can be questionable, considering the manufacturing plant they’re processed in and could be cross-contaminated.
And in our natural deodorant, we use arrowroot powder instead of the inferior cornstarch for wicking moisture.