In the Witoxicity and MuLondon giveaway that just ended, I asked for suggestions of natural fragrances to use in my upcoming products. Here are all the suggestions and my answers:

Vanilla and Cocoa - My "White Chocolate Truffle" moisturiser contains Organic Vanilla Bourbon extract and an exclusive Cocoa Extract, so this would be an ideal cream for all those in love with these fragrances.

Strawberry, Cherry, Mango, Peach, Pineapple, Magnolia, Fig, Pear - No natural essential oils or extracts exist that could be used preservative-free in my moisturisers, as far as I know. These may all be available in a different form that could be suitable for other products that I'm working on. If you have some information - please contact me!

Fennel, Yarrow, Tea Tree, Coconut, Geranium, Neroli (Orange Blossom), Patchouli, Pomegranate, Almond, Coffee - Lovely fragrances, thanks so much for the suggestions! I better start mixing and testing soon.

Citrus - There are some issues with citrus oils and phototoxicity, please see my blog post here for more details: http://www.mulondon.com/blog/questions_1/

Sandalwood - The geuine Indian Mysore sandalwood is not only impossible to get by, but also endangered. I am looking into Australian Sandalwood, which is a lovely sustainable alternative.

Green Tea - This may be coming very soon, but not in a moisturiser. That's all I can say for now!

Jasmine & Lilac - These have only been available as "absolutes", i.e. solvent-extracted, until very recently. I am experimenting with new organic extracts of these flowers, as I never use any petroleum solvent-extracted ingredients in my products.

Mint, Cinnamon, Lemongrass - May be a bit difficult to use in a facial cream, as these natural oils can irritate the sensitive skin around the eyes and can make them teary. However, they could all be great in a feet moisturiser.

Honey - This is an animal product, and I do not use any animal products in my MuLondon range. There are some fab vegan alternatives that I am looking into!

Rosewood - This lovely oil has also been on the endangered list, but sustainable sources are appearing. I am looking into this.

What great suggestions - thanks so much for each and every one of them! Do you have any ideas not already on this list? Or do you have an opinion about the ones mentioned above? Please let me know by leaving a comment below!

Hi,

Let me answer a couple of very interesting questions that some of you have asked recently.

 Question: I think a citrus based face moisturizer would be awesome...would energize you in the morning!

Answer: The problem with some natural citrus oils is that they can be phototoxic - i.e., when exposed to the sun, they can react with your skin, making it burn more easily. All citrus oils also oxidise and deteriorate quite easily, and would need stabilising.

As all my products are 100% free from all artificial additives, this presents a slight problem, but I'm working on it, naturally. There are a couple of citrus oils that can be suitable, and I'm experimenting with those. Also, there will probably be a citrus face and hands wash coming soon.

More on citrus oils and their phototoxicity here:

http://www.westcoastaromatherapy.com/index.cfm?page=176

 Question: Have you ever considered making an almond face lotion? I love the smell of almonds and they are supposedly very good for your skin when mixed with honey or milk.

Answer: Natural almond oil oxidises relatively easily, and people that do not tolerate nuts can react to it.

As I formulate my products without any harsh stabilisers, this presents a slight problem. That is why I have decided to use only highly-stable oils for now, like shea butter, jojoba and coconut.

Regarding honey or milk - these are animal products, and I only use vegetable ingredients. There are, however, some great alternatives to these that you will see in my new products soon.

 Question: Every product sounds so nice, I am hoping to see something with Lilly of the Valley soon :)

Answer: There is no natural Lilly of the Valley fragrance. All fragrances currently on the market that are Lilly of the Valley are artificial (i.e. chemicals) or blends of natural oils designed to somewhat mimic the original fragrance. If the product does not state anything, you can be sure that it contains the chemical sort, which usually contains endocrine disruptors.

As you know, MuLondon products are free from all added man-made chemicals. The other option of using a natural blend of oils to mimic the original fragrance is something I will look into. Many thanks for suggesting this!

About endocrine disruptors:

http://www.thecanaryreport.org/2009/05/08/the-endocrine-system-and-endocrine-disruptors/

Read more about Lilly of the Valley on this very interesting blog post here:

http://laureninjapan.blogspot.com/2006/10/perfume-school-101.html

That's it for now!

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Thank you all once again for taking the time to leave your feedback - that is much appreciated!

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I discovered this on a trip to Madrid. The jar did not look very exciting, but I was bored and hungry. I did not open it until I came back home to the UK.

BIG MISTAKE!

This tastes like heaven. Almond heaven. It's got a soft, milky toffee flavour, smooth and thick texture and is absolutely scrumptious! Almendrina is a thick paste made from almonds and sugar. Sounds simple. But tastes...like nothing I have tasted before.

And it's not available in the UK, as confirmed by the manufacturer. I have heard rumours that jars of Almendrina have been spotted at Wholefoods market, but I need to look into that.

If you travel to Spain, get a jar or two, or even the big 1kg tin. It's just a couple of euros, and totally worth it.

The Almendrina website states:

"The most common use of ALMENDRINA is in the preparation of almond milk.  To prepare, you only have to mix one or two soupspoons of ALMENDRINA with ten tablespoons of hot or cold water.  If you use cold water, you’ll get a very pleasant refreshing drink that is also nutritious.  You can also add coffee, tea, malt,instant coffees or coffee substitutes.

Because of its creamy texture, it can also be used straight from the jar like a jam, or in baking recipes:  for cakes, ice creams, puddings, custards, and so on."

Ah - they are so right. Straight from the jar. A teaspoon when you're feeling down. Heaven.

The Almendrina website is below:

http://www.almendrina.com/