Ingredients
The whole point of an unscented base is that you know what's in it. Everything we use is listed here by name — the bases, and all 27 oils.
Last updated 21 July 2026
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How to read a label
Ingredients are listed the way regulators require: in descending order by weight, using INCI names. INCI is the international naming standard, which is why water appears as Aqua and shea butter as Butyrospermum Parkii Butter. It looks clinical, but it means the same ingredient has the same name on every product in the world.
Your oils are added to the base after it's made, so a scented bottle contains everything in the base list plus the oils you picked, and nothing else. There's no separate fragrance, no masking agent, and no carrier we haven't told you about.
The unscented bases
Unscented Shampoo
A gentle, sulfate-free wash built on coconut-derived surfactants:
Aqua (Water), Decyl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sodium Alginate, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Glycerin.
Unscented Conditioner
Slip without heaviness, with no fragrance of its own:
Aqua (Water), Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Keratin.
Unscented Body Wash
A mild everyday cleanser, also built on coconut-derived surfactants:
Aqua (Water), Coco-Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin.
Unscented Hand Cream
Thick and fast-absorbing, with shea and glycerin"
Full INCI list goes here.
Unscented Body Lotion
Lighter than the hand cream and made to cover ground:
Aqua (Water), Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Panthenol.
Unscented Massage & Body Oil
Jojoba and sweet almond, with a long glide:
Full INCI list goes here.
Nut allergies. The massage and body oil contains sweet almond oil, a tree nut derivative. If you have a nut allergy, avoid it and check with us before ordering anything else — we'd rather answer the question than have you guess.
The essential oils
All 27 oils we stock, with the botanical name of the plant each one comes from. Trade names are loose — several different species get sold as “eucalyptus” or “cedarwood” — so the Latin name is the one that actually tells you what you're getting.
The note column is where an oil sits in a blend: top notes open and fade, heart notes carry it, base notes linger longest.
| Oil | Botanical name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lavender | Lavandula angustifolia | heart |
| Peppermint | Mentha × piperita | top |
| Tea Tree | Melaleuca alternifolia | top |
| Eucalyptus | Eucalyptus globulus | top |
| Lemon | Citrus limon | top |
| Orange | Citrus sinensis | top |
| Frankincense | Boswellia carterii | base |
| Rosemary | Salvia rosmarinus (syn. Rosmarinus officinalis) | heart |
| Lemongrass | Cymbopogon flexuosus | top |
| Patchouli | Pogostemon cablin | base |
| Cedarwood | Juniperus virginiana | base |
| Ylang-Ylang | Cananga odorata | heart |
| Bergamot | Citrus bergamia | top |
| Grapefruit | Citrus paradisi | top |
| Clove | Syzygium aromaticum | heart |
| Cinnamon Leaf | Cinnamomum verum (leaf) | heart |
| Geranium | Pelargonium graveolens | heart |
| Jasmine | Jasminum grandiflorum | heart |
| Roman Chamomile | Chamaemelum nobile | heart |
| Clary Sage | Salvia sclarea | heart |
| Vetiver | Chrysopogon zizanioides | base |
| Sandalwood | Santalum album | base |
| Palmarosa | Cymbopogon martinii | heart |
| Spearmint | Mentha spicata | top |
| Lime | Citrus aurantifolia | top |
| Juniper Berry | Juniperus communis | heart |
| Oregano | Origanum vulgare | heart |
Jasmine is an absolute, not an essential oil. Jasmine flowers don't survive steam distillation, so the material is solvent-extracted instead. It's the standard way jasmine is produced and it smells like nothing else, but it is a different kind of product from the rest of this list, and worth knowing about if you avoid solvent-extracted materials.
Using oils safely
Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts. Most people use them without trouble, but a few carry real cautions that are worth knowing before you choose a blend.
Patch test first
Put a small amount on the inside of your forearm and leave it a day before using anything on a larger area. This matters most with a new blend, and most of all if you have sensitive or reactive skin.
Sunlight and citrus
Cold-pressed citrus oils can make skin burn far more easily in sunlight, an effect that lasts around 12 hours after application. Bergamot and lime are the strongest; lemon and grapefruit are milder but still worth respecting.
If your blend contains any of them, keep it off skin that will see direct sun — or use it in a shampoo or body wash, which rinses off, rather than a lotion that stays on.
The hot ones
Clove, cinnamon leaf and oregano can irritate or burn skin at concentrations other oils tolerate fine. We blend them well below the usual limits, but if you have sensitive skin, choose them for a wash rather than a leave-on product.
Pregnancy, children and health conditions
Several oils here are commonly advised against during pregnancy or around young children, including clary sage, rosemary, oregano, clove and cinnamon leaf. Advice varies between sources and depends on the individual, which is exactly why we won't give you a blanket rule.
If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, buying for a child, or managing a health condition such as epilepsy or high blood pressure, talk to a qualified professional about the specific oils before ordering.
Pets
A number of these oils — tea tree and the citrus and mint oils especially — are toxic to cats, and several are hazardous to dogs. Cats lack the liver enzymes to process them. Store bottles where animals can't reach them, and take advice before using scented products around pets.
Never take them internally
Everything we sell is for fragrance and cosmetic use on skin and hair. None of it is food-grade and none of it should be swallowed. Keep oils away from eyes and out of children's reach.
Allergens
Essential oils naturally contain compounds that are recognised fragrance allergens — among them linalool, limonene, citral, geraniol, citronellol and eugenol. They aren't added; they're constituents of the plants themselves. Lavender is high in linalool, citrus oils in limonene, clove in eugenol.
Most people never react. If you know you're sensitive to one, tell us and we'll say which oils on the list contain it so you can steer around them.
How much oil goes in
Oils go in at a concentration suited to the formula and how the product is used — a rinse-off wash tolerates more than a lotion that stays on skin all day. We work within established safety limits for each oil rather than to a single fixed percentage, which is why a blend containing a hot oil isn't simply three equal thirds.
Questions
If something here doesn't answer what you need — an ingredient you're avoiding, a supplier document, a reaction you've had — email hello@herbal-alchemist.com. We'd always rather answer first than have you find out afterwards.