Ingredients Glossary

A

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is a specially processed form of carbon with a highly porous structure.

Why you’ll love it:

Activated charcoal is known for its ability to adsorb substances onto its surface, which makes it a popular ingredient in cleansing products. We especially love it for the rich, dramatic black color it gives our soaps and facial products.

Tags: Vegan · Gluten-Free

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Agave

Agave is a sweet, plant-derived ingredient obtained from the agave plant.

Why you’ll love it:

Agave can help support a rich, satisfying lather in soap while adding a naturally derived ingredient to the bar.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a succulent plant traditionally used in skin-care products.

Why you’ll love it:

In soap, aloe vera provides a gentle slip that helps the bar glide comfortably across the skin. In facial masks, it contributes a soft, soothing feeling that makes the mask feel especially comfortable on the skin.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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Amla

Amla, also called Indian gooseberry, is a botanical fruit naturally rich in phenolic compounds and other antioxidants.

Why you’ll love it:

Amla is especially interesting for facial care because of its naturally occurring antioxidant compounds. Research has found antioxidant activity in amla extracts, and topical studies have explored benefits related to skin hydration, elasticity, and overall skin appearance. (PubMed)

Tags: Vegan · Organic · Plant-Based

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Annatto Seed

Annatto seeds come from the fruit of the achiote tree and contain naturally occurring pigments.

Why you’ll love it:

Annatto gives products beautiful warm shades ranging from yellow to orange and golden tones. It allows us to bring color from a recognizable botanical source into select products.

Tags: Vegan · Organic · Plant-Based

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Apricot Kernel Oil

Apricot kernel oil is a lightweight plant oil pressed from apricot kernels.

Why you’ll love it:

Apricot kernel oil has a soft, silky feel that spreads easily over the skin. It is especially nice in products where you want moisturization without a particularly heavy or greasy feeling.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is a rich plant oil obtained from avocados.

Why you’ll love it:

Avocado oil is naturally rich in fatty acids and has a more substantial, conditioning feel than many lightweight oils. It is a beautiful choice when you want skin to feel soft, nourished, and moisturized after using a product.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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B

Biodegradable Glitter

Biodegradable glitter is a sparkle alternative made from cellulose derived from eucalyptus trees.

Why you’ll love it:

A little sparkle makes bath time more fun. Biodegradable glitter gives us a way to add that playful touch while choosing an alternative to conventional plastic glitter. It is designed to biodegrade rather than remain as traditional plastic glitter.

Tags: Biodegradable · Plant-Based · Skin-Safe

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BTMS-50 (Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol)

BTMS-50 is a conditioning ingredient commonly used in hair and body products.

Why you’ll love it:

BTMS-50 gives products a smooth, creamy feel and helps them glide easily across the skin or hair. It is particularly appreciated for the soft, conditioned feeling it leaves behind.

Tags: Vegan

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C

Calendula

Calendula, commonly known as pot marigold, is a flowering botanical traditionally used in skin care.

Calendula contains naturally occurring compounds including flavonoids, triterpenoids, carotenoids, phenolic acids, and other plant constituents. Research has demonstrated antioxidant activity and has investigated calendula’s effects in topical skin care. Clinical findings for specific skin conditions have been mixed, so its benefits are best described as cosmetic rather than therapeutic. (PubMed)

Why you’ll love it:

Calendula is valued for its antioxidant-rich botanical profile and its long history in skin care. We love including it in facial and body products when we want the experience of a thoughtfully chosen botanical ingredient with a gentle, skin-focused character.

Tags: Vegan · Organic · Plant-Based

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Capric Triglyceride

Capric triglyceride is a lightweight emollient typically derived from plant oils such as coconut or palm.

Why you’ll love it:

It has a silky, lightweight feel that helps products spread easily over the skin without leaving the heavy, greasy feeling associated with some richer oils.

Tags: Vegan

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Carrot Extract

Carrot extract is a botanical extract made from carrots.

Carrots naturally contain compounds such as carotenoids, including beta-carotene, as well as other antioxidant compounds.

Why you’ll love it:

Carrot extract gives skin care the benefit of a botanical source of naturally occurring antioxidants and carotenoids. It is a lovely ingredient for facial products when we want to incorporate plant-derived skin-conditioning ingredients without adding the texture of the whole vegetable.

Tags: Vegan · Organic · Plant-Based

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Carrot Juice

Carrot juice is the liquid obtained from carrots and naturally contains plant compounds and pigments.

Tags: Vegan · Organic · Plant-Based

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Castor Oil

Castor oil is a thick vegetable oil pressed from castor beans.

Why you’ll love it:

Castor oil is especially loved in soap for the rich, creamy lather it helps create. It also helps bubbles last longer, giving you a fuller, more satisfying lather when you wash.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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Chamomile

Chamomile is a flowering herb traditionally used in skin-care preparations.

Why you’ll love it:

Chamomile is known for its gentle, soothing character and naturally occurring plant compounds. It is a natural fit for products created around a soft, comforting skin-care experience.

Tags: Vegan · Organic · Plant-Based

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Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter is a rich plant butter obtained from cocoa beans.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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Cocoa Pod Ash

Cocoa pod ash is made from the ash of cocoa pod shells.

Cocoa pod ash is traditionally used as an alkaline ingredient in African black soap, particularly in Ghanaian soapmaking traditions.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based · Traditional Ingredient

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Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is made from the white flesh of coconuts blended with water.

Why you’ll love it:

Coconut milk gives soap an especially creamy, rich-feeling lather. It adds a softness to the overall washing experience that makes a coconut milk bar feel a little different from an ordinary bar of soap. Plant-based alternative from traditional goat's milk soap.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a plant oil obtained from coconut.

Why you’ll love it:

It gives a bar that satisfying clean, bubbly feeling many people love in the shower.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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Coconut Shell

Coconut shell is a plant-derived material that can be finely ground for use as an exfoliant.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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Colloidal Oatmeal

Colloidal oatmeal is finely ground oatmeal prepared so that its components disperse throughout a product.

Why you’ll love it:

Colloidal oatmeal is known for its soft, comforting feel and is often used in products designed for gentle skin care.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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D

Dried Lavender

Dried lavender consists of the dried flowers of the lavender plant.

Tags: Vegan · Organic · Plant-Based

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Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate

Disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate is a plant derived cleansing agent and foaming surfactant used in personal-care products.

Why you’ll love it:

It creates rich, creamy foam and helps give cleansing products a soft, pleasant feel. It is especially useful when you want a cleanser that feels luxurious and foamy without relying on traditional soap alone.

Tags: Vegan · Organic · Plant-Derived · Sulfate-Free · Petroleum

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E

Emulsifying Wax

Emulsifying wax is an ingredient that allows oil and water to remain blended together.

Tags: Vegan

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Essential Oils

Essential oils are concentrated aromatic extracts obtained from plants.

Why you’ll love them:

Essential oils allow us to create naturally derived scent experiences ranging from bright citrus and fresh herbs to warm, earthy aromas. For those who enjoy botanical scents, they offer a different kind of fragrance experience.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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F

Fragrance

Fragrance is a blend of aromatic ingredients used to give a product its scent. In the ingredients list, both essential oils and fragrances are listed as "fragrance".

Why you’ll love it:

Infusion selects only high quality, clean fragrances that are safe to use in bath and body products. 

Tags: Vegan · Phthalate-Free · Paraben-Free · Cruelty-Free · Mutagen-Free · Carcinogen-Free

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G

Glycerin

Also known as vegetable glycerin, this  humectant attracts and helps hold moisture.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Derived

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Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil is a lightweight oil obtained from grape seeds.

Why you’ll love it:

Grapeseed oil has a light, silky texture that makes it particularly appealing in facial and body products. It spreads easily and leaves the skin feeling soft without the heavier feel of richer oils.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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I

Indigo Powder

Indigo powder is made from the leaves of the indigo plant.

Why you’ll love it:

Indigo creates beautiful blue shades in soap and other products. Its natural botanical origin makes it a particularly beautiful choice when we want color with a connection to the plant world.

Tags: Vegan · Organic · Plant-Based

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Iron Oxide

Iron oxides are mineral-based colorants used to create shades such as red, yellow, brown, and black.

Tags: Vegan · Mineral-Based

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J

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil is a liquid wax obtained from the seeds of the jojoba plant.

Why you’ll love it:

Jojoba has a silky, lightweight feel that spreads beautifully over the skin. 

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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K

Kaolin Clay

Kaolin clay is a naturally occurring soft mineral clay.

Tags: Vegan · Mineral-Based

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Kale

Kale is a leafy green botanical containing naturally occurring plant compounds.

Our kale is used specifically in African black soap sourced from Ghana.

Tags: Vegan · Organic · Plant-Based · Traditional Ingredient

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L

Lye / Sodium Hydroxide

Lye, or sodium hydroxide, is the alkaline ingredient required to make true soap.

Why you’ll love it:

Lye is essential to turning oils and fats into soap through a process called saponification. Although “lye” can sound intimidating, it is a necessary part of making true soap and is transformed during the soapmaking process.

Tags: Soapmaking Essential

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M

Mango Butter

Mango butter is a rich plant butter obtained from mango seeds.

Why you’ll love it:

Mango butter gives body products a rich, creamy texture and leaves skin feeling soft and conditioned.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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Manganese Violet

Manganese violet is a mineral-based purple colorant.

Tags: Vegan · Mineral-Based

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Mica

Mica is a mineral-based colorant that can provide color and shimmer.

Why you’ll love it:

Bath time should be beautiful, too. Mica allows us to create the soft pinks, cheerful yellows, rich blues, purples, and pretty shimmers that make Infusion products fun to look at and fun to use.

Tags: Vegan · Mineral-Based · Dye-Free

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Mother’s Milk

Mother’s milk is human breast milk used as a specialty soapmaking ingredient.

Why you’ll love it:

The natural fats and sugars in breast milk contribute to a creamy, gentle-feeling lather. When customers provide their own milk for a custom soap, it also transforms an everyday bar of soap into something deeply personal and meaningful.

Tags: Custom Ingredient

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O

Oat Extract

Oat extract is a concentrated botanical extract derived from oats.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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P

Palm Oil

Palm oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of oil palms. Infusion uses Responsibly Sourced Palm Oil 

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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Phenoxyethanol

Phenoxyethanol is a cosmetic preservative used in many water-containing personal-care products.

Why you’ll love it:

Products containing water can support the growth of unwanted microorganisms like mold. Phenoxyethanol helps protect the product from microbial contamination and supports the product’s intended shelf life when used as part of a properly preserved formula.

Tags: Vegan · Formaldehyde-Free

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Poppy Seeds

Poppy seeds are small seeds from the poppy plant.

Why you’ll love them:

Poppy seeds provide a naturally textured exfoliating experience. They also give soap a distinctive appearance and a satisfying scrubby feel.

Tags: Vegan · Organic · Plant-Based

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R

Rhubarb

Rhubarb is a botanical plant known for its colorful stems.

Why you’ll love it:

Rhubarb can provide naturally occurring red and purple color, giving select products beautiful botanical shades without relying solely on synthetic colorants.

Tags: Vegan · Organic · Plant-Based

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Rice Bran Oil

Rice bran oil is a plant oil obtained from the outer layer of rice grains.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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S

Sea Clay

Sea clay is a naturally occurring mineral clay obtained from marine or coastal deposits.

Why you’ll love it:

Sea clay is especially valued in facial masks for its ability to absorb excess oil and help lift away impurities from the skin’s surface. Its naturally mineral-rich character makes it a wonderful choice for a refreshing, deep-cleansing mask that leaves skin feeling clean and refreshed.

Tags: Vegan · Mineral-Based

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Shea Butter

Shea butter is a rich plant butter obtained from the nuts of the shea tree.

Why you’ll love it:

Shea butter gives skin a rich, buttery feeling and is loved for its moisturizing and conditioning qualities. In soap, it contributes to a creamy, luxurious-feeling bar.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based

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Shea Husk Ash

Shea husk ash is traditionally used as an alkaline ingredient in African black soap, including Ghanaian soapmaking traditions.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Based · Traditional Ingredient

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Sodium Chloride

Sodium chloride is ordinary salt.

Tags: Vegan · Mineral-Based

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Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

Sodium cocoyl isethionate is a mild cleansing ingredient derived from fatty acids, commonly from coconut.

Why you’ll love it:

It creates a rich, creamy lather and gives solid cleansing products a smooth, pleasant feel. It is particularly useful for creating a soft, cushiony cleansing experience.

Tags: Vegan · Coconut-Derived

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Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate

Sodium lauroyl isethionate is a mild surfactant used in cleansing products.

Why you’ll love it:

It creates creamy, abundant foam and helps give solid cleansing products a smooth, comfortable feel.

*A note: Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate is not the same ingredient as Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA). Despite the similar names, they are different ingredients.

Tags: Vegan

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Sorbitol

Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol commonly used in personal-care products.

Why you’ll love it:

Sorbitol can help products feel smooth and comfortable and can contribute to a moisturized-feeling finish.

Tags: Vegan · Plant-Derived

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Stearic Acid

Stearic acid is a fatty acid naturally found in many fats and oils.

Why you’ll love it:

Stearic acid helps give lotions a rich, substantial texture. In body products, it contributes to a thicker, creamier feel.

Tags: Vegan

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T

Titanium Dioxide

Titanium dioxide is a mineral-based white colorant.

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Tin Dioxide

Tin dioxide is a mineral used in some cosmetic color formulations.

Why you’ll love it:

Tin dioxide can help enhance the appearance and finish of certain mineral colors, contributing to brighter or more distinctive visual effects.

Tags: Vegan · Mineral-Based

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Turmeric

Turmeric is a botanical root traditionally used as a spice and plant ingredient.

Why you’ll love it:

Turmeric is valued for its antioxidant-rich botanical profile and is especially interesting in facial care. It gives us a way to incorporate a familiar plant ingredient with naturally occurring compounds that have been studied for their role in supporting healthy-looking skin.

Tags: Vegan · Organic · Plant-Based

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V

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a naturally occurring antioxidant commonly used in oil-based personal-care products.

Why you’ll love it:

Vitamin E is valued for its antioxidant properties and is a natural fit for oil-rich facial and body products.

Tags: Vegan