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Avocado
Rich in oleic acid (monosaturated fat) and potassium and once reserved as a luxury food for the tables of royalty only, avocado has been a popular ingredient for Indonesian spa treatments. Avocado butter in particular is recognized for its skin-beneficial properties due to its content of phytosterols, an important component of the skin's own protective barrier and repair mechanism. |
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Banana
Rich in Vitamins B6, A and F, as well as a variety of fortifying minerals, bananas are one of the most nourishing fruits available. When applied topically, bananas have been shown to help maintain skin's moisture level, making it an excellent ingredient to hydrate all skin types. |
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Candlenut
Also known as kukui nut oil, candlenut oil is one of the finest and most elegant plant oils available. It contains glycerides of linoleic, oleic and various linolenic acids, which are essential to skin health. Known for its exceptionally velvety feel, candlenut oil is easily absorbed and deeply penetrates the skin, making it an excellent conditioning agent for dry, rough skin. |
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Cinnamon
Commonly used in Indonesian herbal treatments, cinnamon has special healing effects and natural anti-bacterial properties. Cinnamon is also high in manganese, iron, and calcium which are important in skin cell health.
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Coffee
Known for its energizing aroma and stimulating properties, coffee has been an important element in the culinary landscape of Indonesia (Indonesia is the largest coffee producer in the Asia-Pacific region). While the skin-exfoliating benefits of fresh ground coffee beans have made it a popular ingredient in body treatments, recent research suggests that caffeine provides powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties when applied topically. |
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Cucumber
Cucumber, a member of the squash family, is very high in water (95%) that is infused with vitamins and minerals considered important for a healthy complexion. Its Vitamin C and caffeic acid content help soothe skin irritation and reduce swelling, making this plant an ideal element in the care and management of oily, sensitive skin types and skin conditions such as burns and dermatitis.
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Ginger
One of the oldest and most important ingredients in Indonesia medicine. Ginger, an antioxidant, is known for its purifying properties and for increasing circulation. Ginger also acts as a gentle astringent to refine and rid pores of excess oil and impurities, while decreasing pore size over time. |
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Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a protein naturally found in the skin that helps retain the skin’s own moisture. With age, the amount of hyaluronic acid in the skin decreases. This highly effective humectant holds 500 times its own weight of water, therefore attracting moisture to the skin and having a “plumping-effect” when applied to the skin. Recent studies indicate that hyaluronic acid may enhance skin healing and minimize irritation (Dermatology Times, September 2006). |
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Lime
Native to Indonesia and many parts of Asia, lime is rich in natural fruit acid, a gentle exfoliant that helps remove dead surface skin cells, therefore aiding in the care of oily and acne-prone skin. Its high content of Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, also helps improve the overall texture of skin by supporting the skin's regeneration process.
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Milk
Milk protein has excellent water-binding properties, making this ingredient an ideal moisturizing agent. It also has film-forming capacity, which helps give skin radiance and a soft touch. When milk protein is hydrolyzed, its smaller components are also referred to as milk amino acids or casein amino acids.
Part of the alpha hydroxy acid family (AHA), lactic acid is naturally found in milk and has intense hydrating benefits as well as exfoliating properties. By gently removing the dry, clean outermost layers of skin while moisturizing the new layers, lactic acid has the ability to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and help promote a radiant, more even-toned complexion. |
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Rice
Rice bran oil is extracted from the outer hull ("bran") of the rice grain. Rich in Vitamin-E group anti-oxidants Tocopherol, Oryzanol and Tocotrienol, rice bran oil has been used for centuries throughout Asia to treat dry skin, enhance skin health and maintain a youthful appearance.
Rice starch has clinically-proven (Archives of Dermatology and Venereology, 2002) soothing and softening benefits for dry and stressed skin, including eczema. By forming a fine protective film over the skin, rice starch counteracts dryness. In addition, rice starch contains natural proteins and amino acids that act as effective humectants and are essential building blocks for the skin. |
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Sandalwood
Sandalwood has been used in Southeast Asia for centuries as a topical anti-inflammatory agent to help treat skin conditions including acne, eczema, sunburn, or whenever skin suffers from itching and irritation. These calming and cooling properties have made sandalwood powder an ideal remedy for delicate and sensitive skin, or any skin type stressed by environmental aggression. |
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Sweet Black Tea
Kombucha, also known as fermented sweet black tea, is a new, patented ingredient that is clinically proven to significantly soften and smooth, minimize imperfections and enhance overall skin radiance and luster. Rich in vitamins and organic acids, Kombuchka is produced from the fermentation of sweet black tea by two symbiotic organisms. Historically, kombucha, the beverage, has been known throughout Asia as a miracle drink promoting health and longevity. |
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Tamarind
The "Date of India" is a curved brown bean-pod from the tamarind tree and has long been used in Indonesia to address various health conditions, particularly stomach ailments and respiratory disorders. Extract of tamarind seed has been found to increase hydration of skin, improve its smoothness and stimulate skin's regenerative process. |
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Tea
Tea drinking can be traced back to China as early as the 6th century, from which it spread to other parts of the Far East before it was adopted in Europe toward the end of the 16th century. Tea is a major part of Indonesian culture, with tea plantations found in many provinces including Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi. Green, white and black teas all come from the Camellia sinensis plant. While black tea has been fully fermented during processing, green and white tea both have not been fermented at all. To produce white tea, the leaves are picked and harvested before they open fully, when the buds are still covered by fine white hair. Teas are high in compounds that have been shown to decrease the risk of free radical damage to the body and the skin and help stimulate cell and DNA repair. |
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Turmeric
Turmeric, a member of the ginger family, has been one of the most important healing ingredients in Indonesian medicine since time immemorial. Known for its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, turmeric helps maintain skin health by neutralizing toxins and fighting off free radical damage, a key cause of premature aging. In addition, topical turmeric is clinically proven to even out and brighten the complexion.
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