When Michaela started boep during her first pregnancy, she knew exactly that she wanted to produce well-tolerated natural cosmetic products without synthetic fragrances, mineral oils and parabens. From her medical studies she knew how sensitive baby skin (and also adult skin) can be and which ingredients are good for the skin. To this day, we only use selected, high-quality ingredients for our products. Here we would like to introduce you to some of our ingredients and their properties in more detail.
ALMOND OIL
PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS OIL
Almond oil is obtained by pressing and filtering the ripe fruit of the almond tree. Pure almond oil is ideal for skin care because it naturally contains saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, which are very similar to the fat in the skin. (1) (2) Due to the high proportion of oleic acids, the almond oil penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin and helps the skin to build up effective protection. Almond oil also contains linoleic acids, which are also found in human skin. Lino lesions ensure sufficient moisture in the skin and make it more resistant to irritation in the long term. The palmitic acid from the almond oil has a similarly positive effect on the protective acid layer of the skin. (2) Precisely because of these excellent properties, almond oil forms the basis of most boep care products.
MARIGOLD
CALENDULA OFFICINALIS
Marigold is an impressively versatile natural remedy whose wound-healing and anti-inflammatory effects were confirmed by the Federal Health Office in the 1980s. But since the Middle Ages, the marigold has been cultivated and used in cosmetics and medicine. (3) (4) Marigold essential oil can be extracted from the marigold. In care products, however, mainly dried marigold blossoms and extracts obtained from them are used; as in all our boep Creams , ointments and lotions. Applied externally, the ingredients allantoin, calendulin, flavoninoids and carotenoids help with wound healing and cell renewal. They also have an antibacterial, decongestant and moisturizing effect. (5) (6)
APRICOT KERNELS
PRUNUS ARMENIACA KERNEL OIL
As the name suggests, apricot kernel oil is not obtained from the pulp, but from the pressed kernels of the apricot. Apricot kernel oil for consumption is made from the kernels of sweet cultivated apricots because of its taste; the somewhat bitter wild apricot is usually used for cosmetic purposes. Wild apricot oil is ideal for skin care products like ours Baby almond oil , as it contains a higher concentration of active ingredients than the oil from farmed apricots. (7) Apricot kernel oil is similar to almond oil in its properties and also has a high concentration of valuable unsaturated fatty acids and oleic acid, linoleic acid and palmitic acid. Supported by tocopherol/vitamin E, which has an antioxidant effect, these acids have a positive effect on the resilience, moisture and wound healing of human skin. (8th)
SHEA BUTTER
BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER
Shea butter is made from the kernels of the sweet-tasting shea fruit that grows on the karité tree in North and West Africa. After the pulp has been removed, the kernel, the shea nut, is ground with a mortar and then infused with hot water. The fat, the shea butter, settles and floats to the surface of the water where it is skimmed off. Unrefined shea butter can be used in cooking and can even replace cocoa butter in chocolate making! (9) However, its main use is in cosmetics, like ours baby cream and Baby lotion , as it provides lasting care and protection for the skin with its ingredients such as oleic acid, allantoin, vitamin E and beta carotene. Shea butter penetrates deep into the skin, provides it with moisture, promotes regeneration and increases resistance - perfect for particularly dry and sensitive (baby) skin! (10) (11)
OLIVE OIL
OLEA EUROPAEA FRUIT OIL
Olive oil is not only a popular and healthy food, but is also ideal for skin and hair care. Olive oil for consumption and olive oil for cosmetic use are obtained at the same time: the fruits of the olive tree are crushed and pressed, including the stone. The product must then rest until the fat content has separated from the water content. (12) Olive oil consists of up to 85% unsaturated fatty acids, which are not only important for a healthy diet, but also have a positive effect on the condition of the skin. It can be used pure or as part of care products like ours baby lotion and ours wound cream , be. (13) Like almond oil and apricot kernel oil, olive oil is high in linoleic acid, found in human skin, and vitamin E and chlorophyll. These ingredients provide the skin with moisture, promote cell renewal and prevent skin aging. (14)
COCOA BUTTER
THEOBROMA CACAO SEED BUTTER
Cocoa butter is not only an important part of high-quality chocolate, but also ours baby balms ! To make cocoa butter, the cocoa beans are first roasted and broken open. The cocoa nibs are freed from the fruit pulp and pressed so that a cocoa mass is created, the fat content of which is removed from the remaining components by a fat press. The resulting pure cocoa butter shares many of the properties of shea butter and, with its ingredients such as oleic acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid and linoleic acid, offers very rich, moisturizing care. Vitamin K and E can also be detected; they ensure increased elasticity and resilience of the skin. (15) Shea butter and cocoa butter are particularly good for creams and lotions because they have a low melting point around human body temperature. As a result, they melt when applied to the skin and are wonderfully easy to spread. (16)
ALOE VERA
ALOE BARBADENSIS
The aloe vera plant has been a versatile natural remedy for centuries, which is now cultivated on all continents in tropical and subtropical regions. (17) Aloe vera juice and aloe vera gel can be obtained from the leaves. The aloe vera juice is found between the leaf bark and the pulp (gel) and is used to produce certain medicines (e.g. laxatives). The transparent aloe vera gel is pressed from the leaves and is known for its anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. (18) The aloe vera gel can be used internally and externally and comes as a pure gel or as part of care products, such as in our mild baby shampoo . As an ingredient in our shampoo, aloe vera, with its many polysaccharides, ensures mild cleansing and care for the scalp in particular, as it can alleviate symptoms such as dry, sore or burned skin, psoriasis and sunburn. (19)
