The main purpose of our soap is to clean your skin!
Our biggest challenge is to do so gently, it is all down to the choice of quality ingredients and the experience we have in formulating balanced recipes.
We would like to share the properties of some of the ingredients you will find in our products. If you see something below that suits your needs, we are sure you will find it listed as an ingredient on our Soaps page!

Vegetable oils & butters

• Camelina oil: one of the richest oil for omega-3. Origin: France, direct from producer, organic.
• Argan oil: No no longer included in our soaps. Women at work: The truth about argan oil
  
  Despite its recent popularity and its undisputable culinary, therapeutic and skincare properties, argan oil has been left out of our list by choice. During our last visit to Marocco, specifically to the region that grows the famous Argan tree, we noticed a « new » economic pressure on the co-operatives by the local authorities to « grow » at an unrealistic pace. Tempted by generous public grants (un-knowingly financed by European importers), they were rapidly entering a new « production » demand that was infringing on the intimate and friendly workspace created by the women and the quality and purity of the oil itself. On top of this, french importers were now importing the nuts (and not the oil) to be transformed in a French factory, therefore, reducing the added value to the argan production. We, at aromaNature, are for protecting this ancestral activity and the maroccan women. We are for creating fair trading methods that are more respectful to the work of the women and the environment. < why?
• Safflower Oil*: This oil is dedicated to oily or mixt skins. Origin: EC, organic
• Beeswax*: Protects and softens the skin. Subtitute for petroleum based mineral oil in our balms, as well as in our honey soap. Origin: France, direct from producer, organic
• Castor oil*: A natural humectant and extremely moisturizing. organic
• Cocoa Butter*: Soothes and softens skin. Included in our lip balm. organic
• Hemp Seed Oil*: High in essential fatty acids, composition similar to borage oil. - Direct from French organic grower (Lot & Garonne, France)
• Olive Oil: Very mild and moisturizing. Rich in vitamins and minerals. 30% minimum in all of our recipes. Origin: Spain, direct from producer, organic
• Palm oil*: There has been a lot of controversy over this oil over the past few years. Origin: Colombia, fair trade organic SOAPMAKING & PALM OIL
  
  aromaNature is on the topic of intensive palm culture for years. Here are some facts:
  
  Palm oil is used in soapmaking for 2 centuries. When slavery was abolished, it was then imported by merchants from Nantes soon as 1840 to replace slaves cargo in the slavery trade.
  
  It use in world food industryexploded from 2010 (soap market never experienced such a boom).
  
  90% of the world palm production comes from Malaysia and Indonesia. Whence this massive deforestation!the trend is spreading in South America in a lesser way.
  
  60 % palm production goes to food industry. 35 % for biofuel, then the rest for cosmetics, fine lub oils,..and soap (1 to 3%).
  
  aromaNature is a tiny family run activity, caring for the origin of its ingreidents - our palm oil comes from a south America sustainable farming-. In the 50% of our recipes incorporating it , palm oil is second or third in quantity rank (25% max). In commercial vegetable soaps, palm oil comes 1rst (including organic bars!).
  
  We do the same with our other tropical fats (shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut facts). Since 2015, we can notice same devastating effects of deforestation for cocoa beans in several African countries. We have also noticed the drop in shea butter price related to the expand of world demand, and its production . Complex choices are to be made, even in organic production.
  
  We consider palm oil improves the quality of our soaps. Less rich animal fats can do the job. They are a local waste out of our meat diet and are recycled in industrial soap. A grass-fed animal fat is almost as rich as a good olive oil. Are you ready for it?
  
  Don't get confused!
  Carefully read food labels, buy from local producer/artisan for better transparency in practice and ingredients.
  Read how we feel about it
• Huile d'Argan: absente de nos savons Click here to read how we feel about it.
• Rapeseed oil*: very similar to the structure of olive oil. Origin: France, direct from producer, organic
• Shea Butter*: Emollient and nourishing, high in unsaponifiables. Good for all skin types, especially sensitive skin. organic
• Huile de palme*: cette huile est sur la sellette

Essential oils (on average 2% - 4% in our scented soaps)

• Cedar*: Antiseptic, mild astringent, acne, tonic
• Eucalyptus*: Anti-bacteria, insect repellent, anti-viral, antiseptic, sore muscles
• Lavender: Too many properties to list! Great for all skin types, sensitive skins, babies
• Litsea Cubeba*: Oily skin and acne, deodorant, antiseptic, fresh lemon scent
• Lemongrass*: Stimulating, antiseptic, deodorant, refreshing
• Palmarosa*: Hydrating, stimulating, anti-bacteria
• Patchouli: Helps regeneration of cells, acne, dermatitis
• Peppermint*: Cleansing, acne, antiseptic, stimulating
• Rosemary*: Mental stimulant, antiseptic
• Sweet Orange*: Anti-depressant, sunny scent
• Tea-tree*: Acne, anti-viral, anti-fungal, cold sores
• Ylang Ylang*: Improves the balance in sebum secretion, a very sweet flower note

Other natural additives

• Glycerin (naturally present): byproduct of the saponification process, glycerol is a wonderful skin softener. Extracted from the industrial soap process (for its high commercial value), glycerin naturally remains in cold process soap (8-10%) for an extraordinary effect on your skin.
• Ewe's (or sheep's) milk: the richest farm animal milk (8/10% fat content)- the fat turns into soap during chemical process and has a very rich softening effect on the skin. Origin: France, direct from producer, organic
• Honey: Nourishing and hydrating, full of vitamins and minerals, healing. - Direct from our village beekeeper.
• Carrot juice: Rich in Vitamins A & C. Gives a nice orange color to our carrot soap. Direct from local farmers (or the garden).
• Calendula: The Calendula extract (botanical name for marigold) has interesting healing and anti-inflammatory properties. We use it on insect bites or stings, burns, abces, irritations, rashes, cuts, scratches, eczema,etc. Our calendula salve contains a powerful calendula extract (CO2 extraction) in a natural base of beewax and hemp seeds oil. Direct from our garden!
• Flaxseeds, ground almonds: Used as naturel exfoliants
• Clays: Cleansing properties and a natural colorant. Also adds "slip" to our shaving soaps. We use all sorts of clays: greeen, red, white and pink. Origin: France, direct from producer, organic

*certified orgarnic agriculture

For obvious financial reasons and because we exclusively use essential oils in our soaps, we are unable to offer many natural fragrances that delight our soul: camomille, jasmin, neroli, lemon verbena, sandalwood and rose to name a few.
Be very cautious with cosmetic claims and adverts widely advertising essential oils but whose products actually contain just a tiny portion of the great substance (so they can make this claim), the majority of the scent being synthetic which is much much cheaper.