What goes into every jar

The botanical library

• Frankincense

  Slow-infused resin

  Golden resin tears with a clear, almost citrus-bright top note over something woody. Traditionally appreciated in botanical preparations.

• Myrrh

  Slow-infused resin

  A dark resin with a warm, faintly bitter aroma, known in herbal traditions for a very long time. Broken by hand before infusing so the oil can work into it properly.

• Plantain

  Infused leaf

  The broad-leafed plant of lawns and path edges, not the fruit. Long-standing in herbal practice. Dried thoroughly before it goes into the oil.

• Chamomile

  Infused flower

  Small dried flowers with a soft, hay-like sweetness. One of the gentlest botanicals we work with at VeritaBalm.

• Pine Needle

  Infused needle

  Gathered whole, dried slowly, then broken by hand and infused in olive oil. The aroma is resinous and cold-air clean. Employed for centuries as a protective skin tonic and a revered forest botanical.

• Patchouli

  Infused leaf

  Deep, earthy and unmistakable scent. A deep fragrance that evokes damp soil, ancient woods and sweet rain. Considered a grounding, stabilizing herb.

• Geranium

  Infused leaf and flower

  Rose-scented garden geranium, green and floral at once.

• Red Clover

  Infused flower

  Field clover blossoms, dried and infused whole. Long revered for its properties, clover lends a faintly sweet warmth leaving your skin feeling deeply nourished and protected.

• Prunella Vulgaris

  Infused flowering herb

  A low purple-flowered plant of meadows and verges that has a long place in herbal practice. Infused whole in olive oil.

• Olive Oil

  Carrier oil

  One of the two carrier oils every infusion starts from. Heavier and greener than avocado oil, and the better choice for delicate botanicals. Four to six weeks in a cool dark cupboard.

• Avocado Oil

  Carrier oil

  Richer and more luxurious in feel than olive oil, with a deep colour of its own before anything is added. Used where we want a balm to melt more readily against the skin.

• Castor Oil

  Blending oil

  Thick and glossy, used in small proportion to give a balm slip and a subtle sheen.

• Vitamin E

  Blending ingredient

  Tocopherol, added at the blending stage. It is an antioxidant that helps the infused oils keep their character for longer in the jar, which is the same reason we use brown glass.