Our Ingredients
Here you can find out about the ingredients we use, where they come from, and why we use them! We also have some fun facts about the ingredients,extracts and infusions that we make in-house!
Common Name: Yarrow
Scientific Name: Achillea millefolium
Parts Used: Flowers, Leaves, Essential Oil
Where it Comes From: Hungary (flowers), Bucks County, PA, USA (leaves), Bulgaria (essential oil)
It's named after Achilles... and for good reason! This fluffy leafed plant is a packed full of nutrients to help you fight the most vexing or irritating of skin types! Tannins, alkaloids and salicylate work to calm and reduce acneic conditions; folic acid, sterols and Vitamin C tone and rejuvenate the skin to keep it feeling happy; while coumarin and azulene (which give the essential oil it's vivid blue color) pair up to intensely calm and soothe the skin. You can find fresh local yarrow swirled into the seasons Super Green products, And we doubled up the yarrow in the Hex Breaker products, using the essential oil in the scent and the dried herb extract in each of the products!
Common Name: Calamus; Sweet Flag
Scientific Name: Acorus calamus
Parts Used: Roots
Where it Comes From: Poland
The smell of calamus root is something very special; buttery, sweet and slightly spicy. We don't use it because it smells nice, though (although it certainly doesn't hurt...)! Calamus root possesses some amazing soothing properties. It's packed with calming azulene, eugenol and camphor, which work together to calm skin irritations and to soothe agitations; meanwhile choline and cineole help to tone the skin and smooth the complexion! We use an in-house extract of calamus root in the Marquis & Baron product range, as well as the Libertine range. We think that they are both pretty special!
Common Name: Agrimony
Scientific Name: Agrimonia eupatoria
Parts Used: Leaves
Where it Comes From: USA
Traditionally used in Afro-Caribbean herbal spiritual practices to turn back curses to the sender, agrimony is also a super star when it comes to calming skin irritations and soothing acne and eczema. It boasts two powerful antioxidants to help tone the skin - catechin and tannins; the quercitrin helps to balance and rejuvenate the complexion, while the ursolic acid offers invigorating rejuvenation! We use an in-house extract of this wonderful herb, which can be found in all of the Hex Breaker products!
Common Name: Alkanet
Scientific Name: Alkanna tinctoria
Parts Used: Roots
Where it Comes From: Pakistan
A botanical dye that offers a vivid red, we use alkanet root to achieve bright bubble gum and rose colors where clays won't work. You can find alkanet extract in the Nefertiti Skin Parfait and Skin Tonic, as well as in The Red Room Whipped Buttercream, Body Frosting and Skin Tonic. The color may be bright, but don't worry- it won't stain your skin! Alkanet root is very pH sensitive, so we are looking forward to to playing with it to try and get some fun new colors from this lovely root!
Common Name: Aloe
Scientific Name: Aloe barbadensis
Parts Used: Gel, Leaves
Where it Comes From: India (dried leaves), USA (fresh gel)
We've all slathered on soothing aloe goo after rocking some sunburn at the beach. And there's good reason for it! Aloe is loaded with polysaccharides, which help to draw moisture into the skin and keep it hydrated; acemannan to revive damaged and extremely irritated skin; aloin and salicylic acid, which tag team to offer intense calming and soothing properties; and Vitamins A, C, and E work together to tone your skin and keep it feeling happy and healthy! We use fresh aloe juice in the Green Nile Body Balm and Aftercare Body Balm. Plus we pack tons of dried aloe into the remaining Aftercare products, for some serious soothing after a long night! ;)
Common Name: Marshmallow
Scientific Name: Althaea officinalis
Parts Used: Roots, Leaves
Where it Comes From: USA (roots), Hungary (leaves)
It's a plant. I promise. It's also one of our heavy-hitters, so get ready to be "WOW"ed by the plant you did know existed! The root is a boon for irritated, dry or damaged skin, with soothing, hydrating and cooling mucilage, tannins and phenolic acid; toning and rejuvenating pectin and phytosterols; and polysaccharides to help deeply hydrate the skin! The leaves are something special, too! Coumarin, scopoletin and salicylic acid work together to soothe irritation and discomfort, while kaempferol and quercetin keep the skin toned and feeling happy!
We use fresh marshmallow root extract as one of the star ingredients in our Marshmallow Creams & Close Shaves, helping to minimize razor burn by keeping the skin happy. We also swirl it into the Aftercare products, and in the seasonal Strawberry Shortcake Skin Parfait! The leaves can be found in the seasonal Super Green products, and the Cleopatra Face Steam. We like to keep this super soothing ingredient just for skin that needs extra special care!
You can find out more about why Marshmallow is so awesome on our WTF is Marshmallow Post!
Common Name: Burdock
Scientific Name: Arctium lappa
Parts Used: Roots
Where it Comes From: USA
It's super tasty, but it's not just good for your stomach (although we NEVER suggest eating any of our products)! It is boasts a trio of antioxidants - luteolin, queretin and tannins - to keep your skin feeling happy and healthy; polyacetylenes and polyphenolic acid to soothe and calm skin irritations; and inulin, which acts a skin conditioner and humectant to help hydrate, smooth and soften the skin! You can find burdock root in the Cleopatra Gelly Masque, and the Hex Breaker Shower Potion!
Possibly the most ubiquitous of natural skin care ingredients, the humble oat is one heck of rock star when it comes to skin! It boast soothing antioxidants like saponins, to keep your skin happy, healthy and calm; silicic acid to intesely soothe skin irritation, agitation and redness; Vitamin A to rejuvenate your skin and keep it healthy; Vitamin B to help hydrate your skin while also making it feel softer and smoother; and flavonoids to calm agitation and redness!
We put oats in a LOT of things! It is highlighted in the Cleopatra product line, specially formulated for dry and sensitive skin; it's mixed in to many of the Nefertiti products; and we swirl out milk into the Strawberry Shortcake facial products and Blueberry Cobbler facial products!
Check out our blog post, WTF are Oats?!, to find out more about this humble ingredient!
Common Name: Oats
Scientific Name: Avena sativa
Parts Used: Straw, Meal, Milk, Tops
Where it Comes From: USA
Common Name: Birch; Silver Birch
Scientific Name: Betula pendula
Parts Used: Leaves
Where it Comes From: Bulgaria
Birch is a surprisingly useful tree, although most of us really don't think about it much. The leaves of the Betula pendula are loaded with betulin, which helps to even the skin tone and brighten the complexion; betulinic acid, to revive and rejuvenate damaged and extremely irritated skin; intensely soothing salicylate; and saponins that work double to time to back up the soothing of the salicylate, while also working to keep your skin feeling happy and healthy!
We currently use birch leaf exclusively in the Super Green products, which are formulated to cool, calm and sooth compromised and deeply irritated skin.
Common Name: Shea Butter
Scientific Name: Butyrospermum parkii
Parts Used: Fruit
Where it Comes From: Burkina Faso
Here at The Raw Spa, it should be no surprise that we use unrefined, or raw, shea butter. There's something about the rich, creamy texture and the slightly nutty smell that we just can't get enough of! This butter melts easily at body temperature, and helps to deeply condition and revive dry or damaged skin. Shea butter serves as the backbone for the Hatshepsut products, the Green Nile Body Balm, Blueberry Cobbler products, and our Whipped Butter Creams & Body Armours!
Common Name: Calendula
Scientific Name: Calendula officinalis
Parts Used: Flowers
Where it Comes From: Egypt
COMING SOON
Common Name: Caprylyl Glycol
Scientific Name: Caprylyl glycol
Derived From: Coconuts (Cocos nucifera)
Where it Comes From: USA
This chemical is derived from caprylic acid in coconuts, and is technically an alcohol. That's a lot of potentially scary words, so let's start by clarifying that it is not inherently evil by being a chemical- water is a chemical! It's also not the same type of alcohol as isoprpyl alcohol- this type of alcohol is derived from fatty acids. It is a humectant,which helps to draw moisture into the skin, as well as a skin conditioner, which we think most skin could use! It is one of the ingredients in our preservative system, so in addition to being nice for skin, it helps to keep your favorite lotions bacteria and micro-organism-free!
Common Name: Cornflower/Bachelor's Buttons
Scientific Name: Centaurea cyanus
Parts Used: Flowers
Where it Comes From: Albania
Call them whatever you want - these vivid blue flowers carry the name of Chiron, so you know it's a heavy hitter! It is jam packed with antioxidants that all pull double duty: the Vitamin A helps to tone your skin a keep it feeling happy and healthy; coumarins calm irritation from acne and help to reduce redness; while Vitamin C and anthocyanins work together to tone and rejuvenate the skin! We've paired the awesome benefits of cornflower with purifying charcoal and seriously toning Meyer lemon extract, in the Marquis & Baron products, which is something special for anyone with acneic, or otherwise troublesome complexions!
Common Name: Beeswax
Scientific Name: Cera alba
Where it Comes From: West Grove, PA, USA
The foundation of any good hive, we use local beeswax to stabilize our Anointments. You can also find a touch of beeswax in the Jewel of the Nile lotions: Cleopatra Skin Parfait, Egyptian Cucumber Quench Cream, Green Nile Body Balm, Hatshepsut Skin Parfait, Nefertiti Skin Parfait, Oasis Body Butter and Selene Skin Parfait. We like that it can help create a moisture barrier, to help you skin stay hydrated and happy! :)
Common Name: Cetearyl Alcohol
Scientific Name: Cetearyl alcohol
Derived From: Palm (Elaeis guineensis)
Where it Comes From: Malayasia (sustainably harvested)
COMING SOON
Common Name: Activated Charcoal
Scientific Name: Charcoal
Derived From: Coconut (Cocos nucifera)
Where it Comes From: USA
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Common Name: Chrysanthemum
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum sinense
Parts Used: Flowers
Where it Comes From: China
COMING SOON
Common Name: Citric Acid
Scientific Name: Citric acid
Derived From: Buds, Essential Oil
Where it Comes From: USA
COMING SOON
Common Name: Coconut
Scientific Name: Cocos nucifera
Parts Used: Pulp, Charcoal, Oil, Milk
Where it Comes From: Malaysia (oil), Sri Lanka (charcoal), Phillipines (grated coconut), In-House (coconut milk, coconut flour)
COMING SOON
Common Name: Cilantro/ Coriander
Scientific Name: Coriandrum sativum
Parts Used: Leaves, Seeds, Essential Oil
Where it Comes From: Ramblin's Roots Farm, PA (leaves), Egypt (seeds), Hungary (seed essential oil), Egypt (leaf essential oil)
COMING SOON
Common Name: Cumin
Scientific Name: Cuminum cyminum
Parts Used: Seeds
Where it Comes From: Egypt (seeds)
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Common Name: Artichoke
Scientific Name: Cynara scolymus
Parts Used: Leaves
Where it Comes From: Germany
COMING SOON
Common Name: Cardamom
Scientific Name: Elettaria cardamomum
Parts Used: Seed Pods, Essential Oil
Where it Comes From: Guatamala (seed pods), India (essential oil)
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Common Name: Clove
Scientific Name: Eugenia caryophyllata/Syzygium aromaticum
Parts Used: Buds, Essential Oil
Where it Comes From: Sri Lanka (buds), Indonesia (essential oil)
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Common Name: Gelatin
Scientific Name: Gelatin
Where it Comes From: USA
COMING SOON
