Gluconolactone
In water it gradually forms gluconic acid and works with sodium benzoate as part of the preservation system.
Ingredient transparency
Ingredients, clearly explained
Learn what our ingredients are, why we use them and how to read the INCI names on our product labels.
Everyday nameThe name most families recognise.
INCI nameThe standard cosmetic name you may see on a label.
Typical originWhere the material usually begins before cosmetic processing.
Why it is thereA plain-English explanation of its job in the formula.
Always check the exact product + blend.
The base formula and aromatic ingredients can vary between products. The full ingredient declaration on the individual product page and packaging is the final reference.
Explore productsThe foundations
Butters + plant oils
These are the rich, oil-based ingredients that give many of our products their texture and slip.
Butters
Solid or semi-solid plant fats that give richer products their body, melt and protective feel.
Shea Butter
INCI: Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Typical origin: Plant-derived fat pressed from the kernels inside shea fruit.
How it is prepared: The kernels are dried, crushed and processed to separate the butter. Colour and natural aroma can vary according to refining and crop.
Why we use it: It gives balms and lotions richness, structure and an emollient layer that helps hair and skin feel softer.
Kokum Butter
INCI: Garcinia Indica Seed Butter
Typical origin: Plant-derived fat obtained from kokum fruit seeds.
How it is prepared: Fat is separated from the dried seeds and may be refined for a consistent cosmetic colour, odour and texture.
Why we use it: Kokum is naturally firm, so it helps a balm hold its shape while still melting with warmth.
Cocoa Butter
INCI: Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Typical origin: Plant-derived fat pressed from cocoa beans.
How it is prepared: Cocoa beans are processed and pressed to separate their solid fat. Refined and unrefined versions can have different colours and aromas.
Why we use it: It adds body, firmness and a smooth melting feel to selected balm formulas.
Aloe Vera Butter
INCI: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Typical origin: Our material is an oil-based blend of aloe leaf extract and hydrogenated coconut oil.
How it is prepared: Aloe extract is dispersed through a coconut-oil base that has been hydrogenated so it becomes a soft solid butter.
Why we use it: It brings an aloe ingredient into an oil-based balm without adding water. It is not the same material as aloe vera gel.
Labelling note: The exact final INCI will follow the supplier declaration and approved product safety assessment.
Oils + vitamin E
Liquid plant oils provide glide and conditioning. Vitamin E supports the oil phase as an antioxidant.
Coconut Oil
INCI: Cocos Nucifera Oil
Typical origin: Plant oil obtained from coconut kernel or flesh.
How it is prepared: Oil is pressed or extracted from dried or fresh coconut material, then may be refined for cosmetic consistency.
Why we use it: It contributes emollience, spread and a softer after-feel in selected formulas.
Argan Oil
INCI: Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Typical origin: Plant oil pressed from kernels of the argan fruit.
How it is prepared: The kernels are pressed and the oil may be filtered or refined.
Why we use it: It provides conditioning and glide without giving the same solid structure as a butter.
Jojoba Oil
INCI: Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Typical origin: A liquid plant wax pressed from jojoba seeds.
How it is prepared: Jojoba seeds are pressed and the liquid wax is filtered or refined.
Why we use it: It supports slip, spreadability and conditioning in hair and skin formulas.
Castor Oil
INCI: Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Typical origin: Plant oil pressed from castor seeds.
How it is prepared: The seeds are pressed and the oil is purified for cosmetic use.
Why we use it: Its naturally thicker feel adds richness, coating and glide to selected formulas.
Vitamin E
INCI: Tocopherol
Typical origin: Natural tocopherol is commonly separated from vegetable oils; the precise crop source depends on the supplier.
How it is prepared: Tocopherols are concentrated and purified from the source material to create a consistent cosmetic ingredient.
Why we use it: It helps slow oxidation within the oil phase. It is an antioxidant, not a substitute for a preservative in a water-containing product.
Supporting ingredients
The ingredients that help a formula work
Not every ingredient is there to be a headline ingredient. Water-based products also need ingredients that help with texture, mixing, cleansing and preservation.
Aloe Vera Gel — what is actually in it?
Main aloe INCI: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
A prepared cosmetic aloe gel is not simply aloe squeezed from a leaf. The current supplier material is made with aloe juice plus ingredients that create and preserve the gel.
See the complete supplier declaration
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Aqua, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Decylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate.
Where do those ingredients typically come from?
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice: plant-derived juice processed from aloe leaves.
Aqua: purified water.
Carbomer: a manufactured acrylic polymer used to create the gel texture.
Phenoxyethanol: a manufactured preservative used in cosmetic raw materials and finished products.
Benzyl Alcohol: an aromatic alcohol that can occur in nature but is commonly manufactured for consistent cosmetic quality. The exact source is supplier-specific.
Caprylyl Glycol: a manufactured moisturising and preservative-support ingredient. Its starting fatty material may be plant-derived or synthetic, so supplier confirmation is needed.
Sodium Benzoate: the manufactured sodium salt of benzoic acid, used as a preservative.
Sodium Hydroxide: an inorganic pH adjuster commonly manufactured from salt water.
Citric Acid: commonly produced by fermenting sugar-based feedstocks and used to adjust pH.
Decylene Glycol: a manufactured multifunctional glycol; the precise starting feedstock depends on the supplier.
Potassium Sorbate: the manufactured potassium salt of sorbic acid, used as a preservative.
Why this matters: an ingredient we buy can have its own supporting ingredients. Those ingredients still need to be considered when the finished product ingredient list is prepared.
Understanding Geogard Ultra™
INCI: Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate
Current status: This preservative is being assessed for future water-based formulas. It should not be read as the preservative used in every current Our Tiny Blends product.
Water-containing cosmetics need an effective preservation system because water can allow bacteria, yeast and mould to grow. A preservative is there to protect the formula during its intended shelf life and use.
Where do its three components typically come from?
Gluconolactone: begins with glucose and is commonly produced through fermentation before purification.
Sodium Benzoate: a manufactured sodium salt of benzoic acid. Although benzoic acid occurs naturally, cosmetic-grade sodium benzoate should not be described as fruit-extracted unless the supplier documents that source.
Calcium Gluconate: a manufactured calcium salt of gluconic acid. The gluconate portion begins with glucose; the precise calcium and glucose feedstocks are supplier-specific.
What does each component do?
Sodium Benzoate
The antimicrobial preservative partner in the blend.
Calcium Gluconate
Present at a small level to support the supplied mixture; it is not the main preservative on its own.
Why are we assessing it?
Geogard Ultra is water-soluble and designed for broad-spectrum preservation across water-based formats. We are assessing whether it can meet the stability, sensory and preservation needs of the final formulas while keeping the ingredient declaration clear.
What must happen before it is used?
The complete formula still needs suitable pH control, stability work, microbiological challenge testing, compatibility checks and approval within the product safety assessment. A preservative name alone does not prove that a finished product is adequately preserved.
Water
INCI: Aqua
Typical origin: Purified water prepared to the quality required for cosmetic manufacture.
Why we use it: It forms the water phase of selected lotions, washes and conditioners and carries water-soluble ingredients.
Glycerin
INCI: Glycerin
Typical origin: Cosmetic glycerin can come from vegetable oils or be manufactured synthetically. Our exact source must be confirmed from the supplier documentation.
Why we use it: It is a humectant used in selected water-based formulas to help attract and hold moisture.
Olivem® 1000
INCI: Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate
Typical origin: A plant-derived emulsifying system based on olive-oil fatty-acid chemistry.
Why we use it: It helps the oil and water phases remain evenly combined and contributes to a consistent lotion or conditioner texture.
SCI
INCI: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Typical origin: A manufactured surfactant made by combining coconut-type fatty acids with sodium isethionate. Exact fatty-feedstock origin must be confirmed with the supplier.
Why we use it: It helps selected solid cleansers lift oil and dirt so they can be rinsed away.
Our ingredient choices
Why we choose some materials over others
These are formulation and sourcing choices, not claims that every alternative is unsafe. We look at purpose, texture, traceability, environmental impact and the needs of the complete formula.
Palm-derived materials
Where they come from: Palm oil and palm-kernel oil come from oil-palm fruit. Their fatty components can also be used as starting materials for processed cosmetic ingredients.
Why the impact matters: Poorly managed expansion of oil-palm plantations can contribute to deforestation, habitat loss, biodiversity loss and greenhouse-gas emissions.
Our approach: We prefer clearly traceable materials and ask suppliers to identify whether processed ingredients use palm, coconut or another feedstock. We will not describe the whole range as palm-free until every relevant raw material has been documented.
Mineral oil
Where it comes from: Cosmetic mineral oil is a highly refined petroleum-derived material rather than a plant oil.
Why we choose differently: Our formulas are built around identifiable plant oils and butters because they fit our ingredient story, product textures and sourcing direction. Petroleum is also a non-renewable fossil resource.
Important context: This is a brand and formulation choice—not a claim that permitted cosmetic-grade mineral oil is automatically unsafe or harmful.
Alcohols
Why the name can be confusing: “Alcohol” describes a large chemical family. Ethanol or Alcohol Denat. behaves differently from fatty alcohols such as cetyl or cetearyl alcohol, and differently again from benzyl alcohol.
Our approach: We assess the exact alcohol, its purpose and its concentration. We do not use a blanket “alcohol-free” claim while a supplied raw material lists benzyl alcohol, and we do not describe fatty alcohols as though they are the same as drying volatile alcohols.
Acids
Why the name can be confusing: Not every cosmetic acid is an exfoliating acid. Citric acid can be used in a small amount to adjust pH, while gluconolactone has a different role within the Geogard Ultra system.
Our approach: We avoid broad “acid-free” language. Each acid must be considered by identity, concentration, pH and purpose within the complete safety-assessed formula.
Aromatic blend guide
What is inside each blend?
The blend name is the easy-to-read version. Below it, you can see the individual aromatic ingredients and their INCI names.
Lavender + Chamomile
A soft floral blend built from lavender and chamomile with bergamot adding a brighter citrus note.
Lavender: Lavandula Angustifolia Oil — typically steam-distilled from lavender flowers and flowering stems.
Chamomile: Anthemis Nobilis Oil — typically steam-distilled from chamomile flowers.
Bergamot: Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil — obtained from the peel of bergamot citrus fruit.
Lemon + Amyris
A fresh citrus-led blend balanced with rosemary and the softer woody aroma of amyris.
Lemongrass: Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil — typically steam-distilled from the grass and leaves.
Rosemary: Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil — typically steam-distilled from rosemary leaves and flowering tops.
Amyris: Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil — distilled from the wood or bark of the amyris tree.
Vanilla + Mint
A sweeter aromatic blend led by vanilla and peppermint, with tea tree and eucalyptus adding a fresher green note.
Vanilla: Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Oil — derived from the fruit or pods of the vanilla orchid.
Peppermint: Mentha Piperita Oil — typically steam-distilled from peppermint leaves and flowering tops.
Tea Tree: Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil — typically steam-distilled from tea-tree leaves and small branches.
Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil — typically steam-distilled from eucalyptus leaves.
Fragrance-Free
No added aromatic essential-oil blend is used to create a scent. The base ingredients can still have their own natural aroma, so check the exact product ingredient list before choosing.
Explore fragrance-free care →Need the exact formula?
Check the product before you buy
Open the Full ingredients (INCI) section on the individual product page for the exact product and selected blend.