The monk’s pepper (Vitex agnus-castus) belongs to the Lamiaceae family of plants and is also called chaste tree, sweet pea bedstraw or chaste mud. The plant originates from the Mediterranean region and southwest Asia. It prefers streams, where the violet-blue flowers often line the banks, and dense forest soils. Monk’s pepper can grow up to…

Moringa oil and other active ingredients come from the moringa tree. This tree is now considered an Ayurvedic miracle tree, even though it has only recently caused a sensation in this country. Originally native to the Himalayan region, the tree can grow up to 30 metres high and has played an important role in Ayurvedic…

Mulberry extract is obtained from the white mulberry tree (Morus Alba). This tree originally comes from China. It has been cultivated there for hundreds of years so that its fruits can feed the silkworms. In cosmetics, the extracts of the white mulberry tree, as an active ingredient, have a number of proven effects that are…

Myrrh, the resinous extract of the tree Commiphora myrrha, has a history thousands of years old in traditional medicine, aromatherapy and cosmetics. Today, the versatile active ingredient is experiencing a renaissance, especially in skin care. In this article, we will shed light on the origin, production, advantages and disadvantages of myrrh extract, as well as…

Beautiful nails are no coincidence, but the result of careful and regular care. This nail care involves several steps, which in turn require different utensils. At the beginning of every nail care is always a thorough cleaning. A hand bath in a bowl with warm water and a few drops of shower gel as well…

Nara oil is extracted from the fruits of the nara, which is a gourd plant belonging to the genus Acanthosicyos and is endemic to Namibia. The correct spelling should actually be !Nara, where the exclamation mark stands for a particular clicking or snapping sound used by the indigenous Damara and Nama ethnic groups. The plant…

There are now three product categories on the shelves of drugstores and cosmetics shops: conventional cosmetics, natural cosmetics and near-natural cosmetics. Everyone knows what conventional cosmetics are. But how does near-natural cosmetics actually differ from natural cosmetics? For one thing, “real” natural cosmetics are always certified and thus recognisable by various labels and quality seals.…

The use of soaps is a natural part of our everyday life. But hardly anyone knows that the soaps available in supermarkets are usually mixtures of sodium or potassium salts of higher fatty acids. Components of solid soaps such as curd soaps are usually sodium oleate, sodium stearate and sodium palmitate, while soft soaps (also…

Unfortunately, cosmetic products cannot do entirely without thickeners and nowadays we use typically natural thickener. They ensure that the products always have an optimal consistency and increase the viscosity. For example, they make lotions more viscous and creamy, which makes them easier to apply and gives the skin a soft feel. Many manufacturers still rely…

New active ingredients score particularly well in that they use natural raw materials, are environmentally friendly and sustainable, come from upcycling processes, usually do not require preservation and, of course, optimise the efficiency, skin feel and application properties of cosmetic products.   New active ingredients: pre- and postbiotics against wrinkles The active ingredients Probiolift® and…