Mother Nature's Bounty
Not just a pretty plant or flower but so much more....
Go back a couple of hundred years and you would find in every village or town someone that people turned to for healing, either physically or spiritually. These people made use of what Mother Nature provided. They gathered the ingredients by hand, and they learned how each plant, herb, flower, root, leaf and bark was used for the relief of common ailments and deeper spiritual maladies.
In these modern times things have changed, many of these healers have been replaced by companies mass producing products based on those old recipes that were handed down over generations. The recipes were adapted, and the ingredients changed from natural to man-made in order to save time and money for the companies making the products.
Not all of this has been a bad thing, there have been some incredible creations in the laboratory that have saved millions of lives.
Sadly not all of these man-made products are good for us, our skin or our wellbeing.
Here at Anahera's Remedy we look back to these old remedies using where possible the healing properties of plants that mother nature has provided us.
That's not to say that we don't make use of modern technology (we would be silly not to) but we don't use nasty chemicals or palm oil in any of our products.
We hope you find the below interesting and informative.
Mother Nature's Cupboard
her ingredients and their benefits
These are only a few of the ingredients that we here at Anahera's Remedy use in our soaps and balms.
We are always on the lookout for new and different natural ingredients to use in our products so, if you have suggestions please get in touch. You never know you may just see a soap or balm with your suggestion added (plus you'll get a shout out in the description of the new item)
Olive Oil
Back in the days before soap was invented it was said that when ancient Egyptians wanted to clean themselves, they spread olive oil on their skin. The Olive oil stuck to the dirt and could then be scraped away. Other civilizations learned to put soda ash in Olive oil and this became the first soap. Olive oil has been used in soap making for thousands of years so it must have something going for it. Olive oil soap is very mild, long-lasting and can be used full strength on any skin type to help retain moisture and elasticity. It is no surprise that olive oil soap soothes and nourishes the skin because it takes advantage of the natural moisturising properties of olive oil.
It has been claimed that Olive Oil acts as an antioxidant and has antibacterial properties. It does however contain the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E & K which helps with its use as a natural moisturiser.
Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil is rich in saturated fat and medium-chain fatty acids especially lauric acid. It is these medium-chain fatty acids that have antimicrobial properties that effectively kill bacteria and fungi. There have been many studies that have shown Coconut oil to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties when used on the skin, and that it could help treat acne. It is an effective Moisturiser and can aid in the treatment of dry skin, eczema and may even help accelerate wound healing.
Best of all it smells so good !
Sunflower Oil
Sunflowers are more than just the gorgeous yellow blooms that make a great bouquet. These large, lovely flowers create nutrient-dense seeds whose oil has an array of different uses in skin care.
Sunflower oil has been used as a natural skin care ingredient for hundreds of years all over the world, and it boasts a whole bunch of benefits from helping you look younger to boosting nourishment to protecting skin against the elements.
The vitamin E in sunflower oil has antioxidants that help with premature aging and wrinkles, keeping your skin looking young and fresh. Sunflower oil also contains linoleic acid, which helps your skin retain moisture so it becomes less dry.
Jojoba Oil
Long used by Native Americans for its many benefits, Jojoba Oil is a highly nourishing oil produced from the seed of the Jojoba plant.
Native Americans extracted jojoba oil from jojoba seeds to treat open wounds and sores. It is known to possess not only cosmetic but medicinal properties as well, pregnant women ate jojoba seeds for smooth childbirth.
Its one of those unicorn ingredients that can literally be used from head to toe. These days, jojoba oil is mostly used for beauty and cosmetic purposes. Rich in antioxidants and fatty acids, jojoba oil is actually a wax ester that mimics the skin's natural sebum. Its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and doesn't clog your pores, so it suits acne-prone and sensitive skin.
This means that jojoba oil is able to balance out the skin helping to control excess oil & prevent the overproduction of sebum in areas where it is not needed. Jojoba oil won't clog your pores and is safe for use on acne-prone skin types.
Jojoba also contains certain compounds called tocopherols that are forms of vitamin E, which fight free radicals and eliminate them from the body. Hence, jojoba oil helps in getting healthy and younger-looking skin. Who doesn't want that !
Castor Oil
Castor Oil is used in soap to assist with a stable creamy lather. Being a humectant means it attracts moisture to your skin and its conditioning properties makes for softer skin.
Cocoa Butter
Cocoa Butter is rich, delicious, and provides many benefits to our skin.
To make cocoa butter, the seeds of the cacao bean are fermented in banana leaves. They are then dried, roasted and pressed to release the luxurious butter from the beans.
Cocoa butter is a rich moisturizer than penetrates deep into our skin to offer intense hydration and a hint of delicious chocolate. Yum! It's abundant in antioxidants that protect our skin from environmental, internal, and external forces that can cause irritation or damage to the skin.
Cocoa butter contains a blend of healthy fatty acids and antioxidants, making it the perfect choice for people who are suffering from skin inflammations, such as psoriasis, eczema, rashes, or other types on inflammation on the body. Research has also shown that cocoa butter may reduce the appearance of scars on the skin and help to boost overall skin health.
The antioxidants found in cocoa butter also help to neutralize free radicals throughout the body, particularly in the skin. By reducing the occurrence of oxidative stress, cocoa butter can help reduce the signs of aging, including those pesky wrinkles and age marks.
Cocoa butter is widely recognized to help reduce stretch marks that often come with pregnancy or fluctuations in weight.
Kawkawa
Kawakawa leaves have been used extensively in Māori medicine for their healing properties, containing soothing analgesic properties for helping to calm and heal irritations to the skin.
Kawakawa has been used for generations to calm and soothe dry, itchy, irritated skin and skin prone to eczema.
With antimicrobial and analgesic properties, Kawakawa is useful for treating infections. It is also helpful in reducing inflammation in various skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and rashes, minor cuts and burns and dry and chapped skin. With the addition of Kawakawa Chlorophyll, which supports skin repair due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
Kumarahou
Native to New Zealand, Kumerahou is quite simply the world's most natural soap. Rubbing the leaves and flowers of the kumerahou shrub together creates a natural lather to gently and effectively cleanse without damaging the skin's moisture barrier.
The flower heads lather up in water and Maori used these for washing and to alleviate and cure itchy skin.
In the 19th century, bushmen found that when its flowers are rubbed with water they foam into a natural lather, which they could use to clean the kauri gum off their skin. As a result, kūmarahou is often nicknamed 'gum-diggers' or 'bushmans' soap.
Lemon Myrtle
A powerful antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-fungal with a list of applications to assist with the treatment of throat and skin infections and boost the immune system. Lemon Myrtle essential oil is used as an antiseptic, disinfectant and expectorant and is said to be more powerful than Tea Tree. In aromatherapy, it is valued for its fresh scent with uplifting benefits on your emotions and the ability to soothe, body and mind.
Goats Milk
Goat Milk Soap is a natural, toxin-free alternative to traditional soaps
Goat milk is rich in both saturated and unsaturated fats, making it ideal for soap production. Saturated fats increase a soap’s lather — or production of bubbles — while unsaturated fats provide moisturizing and nourishing properties. It is a good source of vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin shown to have anti-aging properties .
Goat milk soap boasts high amounts of fats, particularly caprylic acid allowing for gentle removal of dirt and debris without removing the skin’s natural fatty acids. Lactic acid, a naturally occurring AHA found in goat milk soap, has been shown to gently remove the top layer of dead skin cells, allowing for a more youthful complexion
Additionally, other plant-based oils like olive or coconut oil can be used in goat milk soap to further increase the content of healthy, nourishing fats
Shea Butter
Naturally nourishing, shea butter soap has been used for centuries to moisturize and replenish the skin. Reputedly made popular by Egyptian queen Nefertiti, who is thought to credit her beauty to regular use of the plant butter, shea butter is an African treasure with fascinating origins.
The rich, ivory-colored fatty butter derived from the nuts is easily absorbed by the human body, enriching skin and hair naturally without the need for artificial chemicals.
Shea Butter gets absorbed quickly into the skin as it melts at body temperature. Its moisturizing and healing properties prove beneficial for many skin issues. It also has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that can be utilized to treat many ailments.
Shea butter is renowned as one of the world’s best natural moisturizers. Rich in skin-loving vitamins A and E, the plant-derived butter also contains Vitamin F and essential fatty acids like linolenic acid, which can help the skin recover from conditions like eczema. The acids present in shea butter are easy to absorb because they’re similar in structure to the human body’s own ebum – or oil. Protecting the skin’s natural oil, it helps prevent dry, dehydrated complexions.
Dandelion Flowers
Dandelions have amazing skin care benefits:
They’re rich in antioxidants, have anti-aging qualities, and can help protect the skin against UV damage.
Dandelion inhibits oxidation of skin cells when those cells are exposed to UV rays. Dandelion also stimulates antioxidant regeneration within the skin, further acting as a protection against UV damage. Simply put, dandelion protects your skin from the aging factors of sun exposure.
Dandelions help reduce inflammation and skin irritation, so it’s perfect for sensitive or problem skin types. It has a long history in folk medicine as a soothing treatment for eczema, psoriasis, acne, and skin rashes.
This simple herb contains the trifecta of beneficial skin care vitamins: A, C, and E. These vitamins are extremely beneficial when used topically and are proven to help prevent and reverse signs of aging.
Vitamins A, C, and E are powerful antioxidants. They help protect the skin from free radical damage, keeping the skin healthier and looking younger.
These vitamins have the combined benefits of:
Encouraging healthy skin cell production
Promoting collagen and elastin formation
Evening out skin tone
Reducing and preventing fine lines and wrinkles
Stimulating circulation
Oats
Oatmeal can soak up the excess oil on your skin and help treat acne. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties help to treat dry skin and remove dead skin cells. Oats also contain compounds called saponins, which are natural cleansers. They remove the dirt and oil that clog the pores and exfoliate the skin.
Oatmeal contains zinc that is said to reduce inflammation and kill the acne-causing bacterial action. It also helps to soak up the excess oil from the skin that may trigger acne.
Coffee
While drinking a cup of coffee can provide your body with antioxidants, the skin benefits of coffee are essentially obtained topically that one and easy way to take those advantages is using soaps made with coffee.
Coffee is rich in antioxidants that help protect your skin from free radical damage and aging.
Coffee soap can also help keep the skin hydrated by reducing moisture loss. Furthermore, it has shown to have antifungal and antimicrobial qualities, which makes it an anti-acne treatment.
Some studies have shown that coffee oil has similar effects on the skin as the anti-aging skin care ingredient hyaluronic acid because it can increase collagen and elastin, making the skin look and feel firmer.
When added to a soap bar or a body scrub, finely ground coffee beans can rid the skin of dry, dead skin cells and restore it to a more radiant and smooth appearance. Coffee, by stimulating blood flow, improves circulation and consequently the appearance of the skin!
Coffee grounds contain caffeine and antioxidants. When applied to the skin, they can help prevent aging and reduce the appearance of dark under-eye circles and puffiness
Purple Clover
The purple blossoms of the red clover make an outstanding nourishing oil that, by increasing collagen production, improves the elasticity of your skin and reduces wrinkles. Its anti-inflammatory properties can also help with eczema or psoriasis.
The isoflavonoids present in the red clover increase collagen production and make your skin youthful and soft.
There has been clinical evidence that isoflavonoids that are present in red clover help slow down signs of ageing on the skin. Isoflavonoids that act as phytoestrogens increase collagen production and add moisture to the skin. They also improve skin thickness, skin elasticity, hydration and reduce wrinkles.