I will begin with the oils. These are my emollients. I particularly like Jojoba oil (can you tell from the number of bottles I have?). I haven’t been able to use the sesame seed oil in any of my formulations as I have a hard time being able to deal with the smell.
Then I have essential oils. Some I got from Europe (hence the non-English language on the bottles) and others from Whole foods in America. I also have carrot seed oil essential oil and some others I can’t remember now.
My powders and clays. The Mehendi came from an Indian shop in Lagos. It is Henna mixed with other herbs. I used that for my daughter’s hair because I did not want my red highlights in my hair. The neutral Henna (also known as Cassia Obovata) is for me. It leaves no color behind. The French Green clay I use to prepare a mask for my face.
The Aloe Vera below needs to be refrigerated at all times. That can be a pain given our power problems in Nigeria but I love, love, love using this. We grow Aloe Vera at home so I always have access to the actual leaf but this is quicker to use.
I bought the Lecithin to use as an emulsifier but I have never gotten round to using it as I have other emulsifiers. It is food grade so I might find some other use for it.
These bottles I use for when I make massage oils that have essential oils in them.
And that folks, is a peep into my “raw materials/ingredients” closet.
Update: You can now buy most of these essential oils and more. Click here for more more information.
