Ingredient Glossary

“In the vast northern Ghana, fourth largest shea kernel producing country in the world, shea is an economic opportunity for 470,000 women farmers.”

Each harvest season women and girls walk parkland groves gathering ripe shea fruit that fall like small apricots. The fruit pulp is removed, kernels are sun-dried, sorted, and parboiled or roasted before being cracked open by hand. Kernels are then milled or roasted and pressed; the oil and butter are collected, cooled, and traditionally filtered by gravity or cloth. Community cooperatives and responsible sourcing programs now add training, improved drying racks, and better transport so kernels reach buyers without quality loss, and so raising incomes while protecting the shea parklands that sustain both ecosystem and culture.

“Ripe fruits of Calophyllum inophyllum are first sun dried for one to two months … Dried nuts are deshelled and submitted to a mechanical cold pressure to yield a viscous virgin ‘tamanu oil’ (40-60 % by weight).”

In coastal groves the tamanu tree’s round fruits fall when ripe; harvesters collect them from the ground under wild stands, then sun-dry the husked kernels. Once fully dried they’re cracked open, the kernels pressed (cold-press method) to extract the thick, dark oil. The result is filtered and packed as virgin tamanu oil, preserving the bio-active compounds.

“Extracted through a Kolhu (wooden press) using the Kachi Ghani (cold-press) technique, this safflower oil retains all its essential nutrients.”

Smallholder farmers harvest safflower heads when the seed heads are dry, thresh and clean the seeds, then sell them to local processors or community presses. At village presses the cleaned seeds are cold pressed using traditional wooden or mechanical presses; the oil is decanted, filtered and bottled locally, while the seed cake is returned to farms as compost or livestock feed. This simple local processing keeps value in the region and preserves the oil’s linoleic profile because no high-heat extraction is used.

“Glycyrrhiza glabra (Liquorice) is grown in well-drained soil in South Africa, harvested after three to four years when root quality is high.”

In certain regions of South Africa small farms plant licorice roots into deep, loose soil, then allow the plants to mature over several seasons. When the roots are fully developed the underground parts are dug up, gently washed, chopped, and then extracted using low-heat methods to preserve active flavonoids. The extract is filtered, standardized and packed. Local processors ensure that value remains in the region rather than simply importing raw bulk.

“After a year, the tree will begin to produce seeds of its own. Harvest. When the seeds are mature, the farmers will collect their moringa seeds and sell them back to the Agricultural Extension Agent at a fair price… In Accra, Ghana’s capital city. There they are cold‑pressed for oil, and the shells are recycled and remain in Ghana for further agricultural use.”

Smallholder farmers in Ghana plant moringa trees on lands that require little input. Once the trees mature and produce seed pods, the seeds are collected, sun‑dried and delivered to a processing facility near Accra. At the facility the seeds are cold‑pressed without chemicals, the oil is filtered and bottled locally. The leftover seed shell and cake is returned to farms or used for compost. Because all processing happens in‑country, value remains in the region and supports local farmers and youth employment.

In South Africa in mountainous or wild‑rose habitats farmers or harvesters collect rosehip fruits when ripe, remove the pulp to access seeds, then the seeds are cleaned, sun‑dried and sent to a cold‑press facility in country. At the facility the seeds are mechanically pressed (without chemical solvents) and the resulting oil is filtered and bottled locally. Because the harvest happens from wild or semi‑wild stands rather than large monoculture farms, the livelihood of local harvesters and small processing plants remains embedded in the region’s economy.

“Though it is not indigenous to South Africa, the jojoba cultivated by Camphill Village West Coast is well suited to the soils and rainfall pattern of South Africa’s Western Cape. The plantation is grown without the use of pesticides or herbicides.”

In the Western Cape region of South Africa a dedicated farm grows jojoba bushes adapted to semi‑arid conditions. When the seed pods mature the seeds are harvested, cleaned and cold‑pressed in a nearby small processing facility. The resulting oil is filtered, packed and shipped, while the residual seed cake often returns to the land or is used as compost or livestock feed, hence keeping value in the region and supporting sustainable agriculture and local labour.

Our squalane is derived from sugarcane grown in South Africa’s Mpumalanga region. Local farmers cultivate the cane with sustainable practices. The squalene is extracted and hydrogenated into squalane at nearby processing facilities. This approach ensures traceable, eco-conscious production that supports regional livelihoods while delivering a lightweight, highly skin-compatible emollient.

“Vitamin E is extracted from vegetable oils such as wheat germ, sunflower, and soybean oils. The oil is refined to isolate tocopherols, which are then concentrated and stabilized for cosmetic use.”

Globally, farmers cultivate sunflower, wheat, or soybean crops. The seeds are pressed to yield vegetable oils rich in tocopherols. These oils are then refined to extract and concentrate Vitamin E, which is stabilized for use in skincare. This method preserves antioxidant activity while providing a traceable, plant-based ingredient. Brands can highlight the renewable nature of the source, the antioxidant benefits, and the sustainable production practices behind the ingredient.

In the Western Cape and neighbouring provinces of South Africa commercial blueberry farms harvest fruit for fresh export. Rather than discarding the seeds, processors in the region or adjacent agribusinesses collect cleaned seed kernels from the berry packing process. These seeds are sun‑dried or gently dried, then cold‑pressed in local or regional extraction facilities to yield blueberry seed oil. The resulting oil is filtered and packaged with minimal refining to preserve its active profile. This sourcing model keeps value within the region and supports the expanding blueberry farming infrastructure in South Africa.

“South Africa’s grape vines are of the healthiest in the world … we extract the oil from the grape seed using cold pressing rather than chemical extraction, the oil is not pre‑heated and the natural goodness is preserved.”

In the Western Cape region and other viticulture zones of South Africa, grape bunches are harvested for wine or table consumption. After the grapes are processed, the seeds that remain are collected and sorted. These seeds are then cleaned, dried if needed, and sent to a cold‑press facility where oil is mechanically pressed from the seeds without heat or solvent. The extracted oil is filtered and bottled locally. The remaining seed cake is often used for compost, animal feed or energy logs, thereby keeping value within the local agricultural ecosystem.