Composition: Glycerin (vegetable Derived), Purified Water, High concentration fruit extract.
Background Information: Capturing the remarkable energy, magic and power of plants in order to find the secret to ever lasting beauty is an age-old quest the power of which hasn't been overlooked by our modern day cosmetics industry. In ancient Egypt we see plants used to help prepare and pave the way to the next world or afterlife.Papyrus or reeds of the Nile became a symbol of freshness and vigor, the white lotus a symbol of fertility and the onion symbolic of universal wisdom. Moving on to Ancient Greek mythology and we again find many plant references with Athena, goddess of wisdom choosing the olive as her tree, Zeus the Oak and Demeter, goddess of agriculture the corn poppy. European mediaeval literature shows herbs in an altogether different light and rather than glorifying them as healing elixirs shrouds them in mystery and magic as integral parts of the witches garden! Of course rather than being the spell binding creatures of another time and place it is probably more accurate to think of them as the first incarnation of the pharmaceutical industry offering medication to 'cure all ills' in the form of special brews, decoctions, tinctures and extracts. However, given that during this time sickness was seenas punishment handed down from the Gods it makes sense that the 'healers' were seen as being in some kind of pact with those higher powers. | The familiar image of witches cooking up exotic concoctions over a steaming cauldron might sounds a bit far fetched but scientifically it makes sense. Water was probably the very first medium used to make plant extracts and while cold water is OK, hot water is a great choice - think of how this relates to the humble cup of tea! However over time it was realized that even greater potencies could be achieved with different solvents including alcohol and glycerin. The power of steeping botanical in an alcohol solution was known by the Ancient Egyptians, Chinese and Indian cultures not least because drinking alcohol at that time was often safer than drinking water due to the potential for microbial contamination of water. However, alcohol wasn't and still isn't without its problems or concerns and as such, modern alchemists seek a gentler alternative to work with. Glycerin fills the gap between water and alcohol extraction due to its inert and skin-compatible nature and high solubilizing power. Extracting plant material with glycerin is not a new thing and have a history of use in herbal medicine and are particularly prized in the medicine of the American Indians so while it is fair to say that the glycerin doesn't release as much or as diverse a range of actives from the plant material as alcohol if produced correctly it provides a gentle yet powerful alternative for those needing the alcohol free option. |
Key Product Attributes • Preservative Free • Gentle and Moisturising • Good for all skin types • Pure and natural Skin Care • Antioxidant properties • Free radical scavenging • Irritation reduction • Increase blood flow for skin healing Hair Care • Reduces oxidative stress • Moisturising • Volume building | Applications: Skin Care: Anti-ageing care, night cream,antioxidant serums, environmental protection creams,clarifying cleansers, soothing after-sun gels for skin repair, eye serums. Hair Care: Daily use anti-oxidative shampoo and conditioner, leave-in treatment for stressed scalp. |
Typical Properties:
Bearberry Extract is most commonly used in preparations for skin brightening as the plant contains a natural source of hydroquinone called Arbutin, an active that works on keratinocytes to reduce pigmentation. Unlike synthetic hydroquinone plant extracts such as the Bearberry have a gentler action on the skin and also have the added benefit of delivering trace minerals and vitamins into the formulation. As a general rule Bearberry fruit contains approx. 12% arbutin although this level can vary depending on the age of fruit and growing conditions. There is always some batch-to-batch variation in natural extracts. The recommended level of bearberry in a cosmetic formula is between 0.01-0.15% for daily use or up to 2% for speciality products. This would equate to between 0.2-3% as per our recommendations above. Water soluble. Add to water based products after cooling. Not soluble in oil but can be used in an emulsion.
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References: 1) Magic and Medicine of Plants, Readers Digest, 1994. 2) Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Andrew Chevallier. 3) Plant Genetic Resources: Characterization and Utilization, Volume 3, Issue 2 August 2005 pp 304-313. 4) Evaluation of the Efficiency of Three Different Solvent Systems to extract triterpene saponins from roots of Panax Quinquefolius using high performance liquid chromatography. J.Agric.Food Chem 2004, PP 1546-1550. Stefan Gafner, Chantal Bergeron, Megan M McCollom, Lorena M Cooper, Kerry L McPhail, Willian H Gerwick and Cindy K Angerhofer.Toms of Maine. 5) Anti-collagenase, anti-elastase and anti-oxidant activities of extracts from 21 plants. Tamsyn SA Thring, Pauline Hill, Declan P Naughton. School of Life Sciences, Kingston University, Longon KT1, 2EE, UK. |
Please note: Glycerine based extracts are sold in grams/kilograms and not millilitres/Litres. Glycerine extracts have a specific gravity greater than 1.00, this means that they are more dense or heavier than water and 1g/1Kg will not equal 1ml/1Lt.
New Directions Australia Pty Ltd. does not supply food grade raw materials and therefore cannot waive GST.
Prior to use: Customers should always refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet / Specification Sheet OR the ingredients label as affixed to each product which are current at the time of supply of the product.
The information provided is for educational purposes only. Individuals receiving this information must exercise their independent judgment in determining its appropriateness for a particular purpose or use.
As the ordinary or otherwise use(s) of products is outside the control of New Directions Australia Pty Ltd., no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to the effect(s) of such use(s), (including damage or injury), or the results obtained. New Directions Australia Pty Ltd. expressly disclaims responsibility as to the ordinary or otherwise use(s). Furthermore, nothing contained herein should be considered as a recommendation by New Directions Australia Pty Ltd. as to the fitness for any use. The liability of New Directions Australia Pty Ltd. is limited to the value of the goods and does not include any consequential losses.