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(NOTE: While Herbs of Grace, Inc no longer manufactures products that use the ingredients listed in this article, I feel that the information is important, so I have left the article on the website for educational purposes.)
New to herbalism or just want to learn more? This glossary provides information about the traditional uses and beliefs about the herbs and oils we use in our products and explains some of the technical terms used in describing the preparation of soaps and toiletries.
Please note that the Herbs of Grace Glossary is provided “as is,” for informational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Herbs of Grace does not make any medicinal claims for any of its products.
| Item | Traditional Uses |
|---|---|
| Almonds | Emollient, exfoliant and cleansing |
| Aloe | Used for burns, cut, bruises and irritated skin. Soothing and moisturizing, stimulates growth of new skin cells |
| Baking Soda/ | Soothing, deodorizing, draws oils and impurities from the skin |
| Balsam Peru | Vanilla-like scent, warming and disinfecting, a potent fixative in perfumery |
| Beeswax | Natural thickener and emulsifier |
| Bergamot | Anti-depressant, for insomnia, uplifting |
| Burdock | A nourishing herb full of minerals, has been used extensively for skin problems of all kinds |
| Calendula | Calendula said to be very healing to the skin |
| Carnation Petals | Easing to headaches |
| Castor Oil | An humectant, moisturizing and emollient. Very good in shampoo |
| Cedarwood | Antiseptic and calming also good for acne prone skin |
| Chamomile | A gentle herb great for sensitive skin and stressfull conditions and also has anti-inflammatory properties |
| Cinnamon | Cinnamon is said to be astringent and therefore good for oily skin. It is also know to be soothing to sore muscles |
| Cocoa Butter | Emollient, skin softener |
| Coconut Oil | Emollient, skin conditioner, produces a hard soap with lots of lather |
| Comfrey | One of the best known healing herbs, it is rich in allantoin, is emollient and said to regenerate cells |
| Cornmeal | Exfoliating and cleansing |
| Cornstarch | Emollient and a thickener |
| Dandelion | Good liver herb, good for skin eruptions and sensitivities |
| Dead Sea Mineral Salt | Soothing and healing to the skin. Dead Sea Minerals are said to be healing to many different ailments of the body |
| Epsom Salt | Relieves aches and pains, stimulating, draws oils and impurities from the skin |
| Essential Oils | The part of a plant that possesses the fragrance of that plant, is usually extracted by steam distillation |
| Frankincense | Skin tonic, anxiety and nervous tension, soothing |
| Geranium | Both sedative and uplifting, refreshing, relieves tired and aching limbs. Traditionally used for skin problems, also for circulatory conditions |
| Glycerine | A byproduct of soapmaking, is a viscous humectant and an emollient |
| Grape Seed Oil | Emollient, non-greasy, nonallergenic |
| Honey | Soothing and nourishing to the skin, it is also cleansing and moisturizing |
| Infused Oils | Herbs are steeped in oil and then strained out, leaving the properties of the herbs in the oil. |
| Jojoba | Similar to natural human sebum, emollient, moisturizing, humectant |
| Lavender | Relaxing, anti-infectious, anti-inflamatory, antiseptic and healing to the skin and may also provide headache and stress relief. |
| Lemon Essential Oil | lemon is known for its energizing properties, it is also astringent and antiseptic. |
| Lemongrass | Lemongrass is known to be cooling, antiseptic and deodorizing, also an insect repellent |
| Licorice Root | Emollient and soothing when used topically |
| Neroli | Said to relieve nervous tension, depression and anxiety. Promotes healthy skin cells |
| Oatmeal | Oats are commonly prescribed for dry skin conditions as they are very soothing and softening to the skin |
| Olive Oil | Emollient, restorative, soothing, mild, cleansing and very moisturizing |
| Orange Peel | Aromatic, antiseptic |
| Palm Oil | Mild, cleansing, produces a hard bar of soap |
| Parsley | Cleansing, soothing and healing |
| Peppermint | Peppermint is said to be calming, head-clearing and soothing to sore muscles |
| Poppy Seeds | Poppy seeds are exfoliating |
| Red Clover | Stimulating, promotes healing |
| Rose | Mild astringent and moisturizer – especially good for mature skin |
| Rosemary | Rosemary is known to be an astringent, helps relieve headaches and is said to improve memory. Is also used for muscular aches and pains |
| Rosewood | Anti-depressant, cell stimulant, uplifting |
| Sage | Sage has been used since the roman empire as an effective natural deodorant and antiperspirant |
| Saponified Oils | Saponification is the process of lye and oils combining to create soap |
| Sea Salt | Soothing and healing to skin |
| Spearmint | Aids indigestion, fevers and nausea, and is stimulating and deodorizing |
| St. John’s Wort | Infused in oil is good for sore muscles, is said to be a cell regenerant |
| Sweet Almond Oil | Emollient, good for all skin types |
| Tangerine | Mild, uplifting, calming, good for nerves and skin |
| Tea Tree Essential Oil | Is known to be antiseptic, antibiotic, and anti-fungal, with insect repellent qualities. |
| Vitamin E | Preservative, helps prevent scarring, is said to slow aging of the skin |
| Walnut Oil | Good for all skin types, emollient, penetrating |
| White Clay | Gently draws oils and impurities from the skin |
| Witch Hazel | Astringent |
©2014, Herbs of Grace.
This article is copyrighted by Vanessa Nixon Klein, the proprietor of Herbs of Grace, who is a Traditional Naturopath specializing in medicinal herbalism, nutritional therapy, homeopathy and aromatherapy. If you would like to reprint this article, either online or in print, please contact us. vanessa@herbsofgrace.com