Ingredient name: Cucumber Seed Oil
INCI name: Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil
Botanical source: Seeds of the cucumber plant, Cucumis sativus L.
SKAAI source: ethically sourced in India where the cucumber plant finds its origin. Certified organic.

We choose cucumber seed oil for its fresh, quickly absorbed skin feel and its ability to leave the skin feeling soft, supple and comfortable — without heaviness. It reflects SKAAI’s preservation-based approach to skincare: gentle support for the skin’s natural balance, rather than forcing change.

Cucumber seed oil is a light, elegant oil rich in linoleic acid and with a naturally meaningful level of palmitic acid, a fatty acid also present in the skin’s own lipid composition. Because the skin’s lipid profile changes with age, we value cucumber seed oil as a gentle botanical oil that helps support softness, suppleness and barrier comfort.

Cold pressed from the cleaned and dried seeds of the cucumber plant, Cucumis sativus, cucumber seed oil is a light, elegant botanical oil with a soft yellow colour and a naturally fresh, delicate scent.

Its fatty-acid profile makes it especially interesting for sensitive and dry skin: it is rich in linoleic acid, a fatty acid associated with the skin barrier, and contains a meaningful level of palmitic acid, one of the fatty acids naturally present in the skin’s own lipid composition.

In SKAAI formulas, cucumber seed oil is chosen for its fresh, quickly absorbed skin feel and its ability to leave the skin feeling soft, supple and comfortable — without heaviness. Its naturally balanced fatty-acid profile, including linoleic and palmitic acid, makes it especially interesting in formulas designed to support skin comfort as the skin’s lipid balance changes with age.

INCI: Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Botanical source: Seeds of the pomegranate fruit, Punica granatum
Source: our pomegranate is CO2 extracted in Germany

Pomegranate seed oil is pressed from the seeds of the pomegranate fruit, Punica granatum, a tree with ancient roots from north-eastern Türkiye through western and northern Pakistan, now cultivated widely in warm and temperate regions.

Rich and precious, pomegranate seed oil has a distinctive fatty-acid profile. It is especially valued for its high content of punicic acid, a rare conjugated omega-5 fatty acid that gives the oil its particular place among botanical oils. Studies of pomegranate seed oil consistently identify punicic acid as its dominant fatty acid, although the exact percentage varies by cultivar, origin and extraction method.

Pomegranate seed oil also contains naturally occurring tocopherols, phytosterols and other minor lipid components that contribute to its antioxidant and nourishing character. In SKAAI formulas, we value it as a rich, restorative-feeling oil for dry, mature or sensitive skin — not to force the skin to change, but to support softness, comfort and resilience.

Its punicic-acid-rich profile makes pomegranate seed oil especially interesting in formulas designed for skin that feels dry, fragile or unsettled. Recent skin-cell research found that pomegranate seed oil reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines under induced inflammatory conditions in human keratinocyte and fibroblast models, which supports a cautious “skin comfort” or “calming” angle — but I would avoid saying it treats inflammatory skin diseases.

Rich in rare punicic acid and naturally occurring tocopherols and phytosterols, pomegranate seed oil brings a rich, comforting quality to formulas for dry, mature or sensitive skin.

Ingredient name: Olive Oil / Saponified Olive Oil
INCI in soap: Sodium Olivate
Botanical source: Fruit oil of the olive tree, Olea europaea
Source: Spain, cold pressed, extra virgin, and organically certified,

Olive oil has a long history in traditional soapmaking. In SKAAI soap, it is used not as a leave-on oil, but as part of the soap base: during saponification, olive oil reacts with sodium hydroxide to form sodium olivate, a gentle cleansing soap ingredient derived from olive oil fatty acids.

Olive oil is naturally rich in oleic acid, which gives olive-oil soaps their characteristic mild, creamy and conditioning feel. In a handmade bar, it contributes to a smooth, long-lasting soap that cleanses without the harsh, stripping sensation often associated with stronger cleansing ingredients.

In SKAAI formulas, olive oil supports our approach to slow, careful soapmaking: a traditional botanical oil that helps create a gentle bar for everyday washing, especially for skin that prefers simplicity and restraint.

INCI: Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Botanical source: Seeds of the borage plant, Borago officinalis L.
Also known as: Borage oil, starflower seed oil
Source: United Kingdom and certified organic

Borage seed oil is pressed from the seeds of Borago officinalis, a flowering plant native to the western and central Mediterranean region and now cultivated more widely. The oil is especially valued in skincare because it is one of the richest botanical sources of gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA, an omega-6 fatty acid. Kew lists Borago officinalis as native to the western and central Mediterranean, and COSMILE lists Borago Officinalis Seed Oil as a plant-derived oil with skin-conditioning and emollient functions.

Its fatty-acid profile makes borage seed oil particularly interesting for dry, mature, sensitive or easily unsettled skin. Alongside linoleic acid and oleic acid, borage seed oil contains a naturally high level of GLA, a fatty acid associated with skin barrier support and comfort. Published analyses report GLA levels around 20% in some borage seed oils, although the exact composition varies by cultivar, origin and processing.

In SKAAI formulas, we choose borage seed oil for its rich, quietly comforting quality. It helps support a soft, supple skin feel and is especially valuable in formulas designed for skin that feels dry, fragile or out of balance. It fits SKAAI’s preservation-based approach beautifully: gentle support for the skin barrier, without forcing or overstimulating the skin.

Rich in gamma-linolenic acid, borage seed oil brings a deeply comforting, barrier-supportive quality to formulas for dry, inflamed and sensitive or mature skin

INCI: likely Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract or Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil 
Botanical source: Fruit pulp of Hippophae rhamnoides
Source: Poland, certified organic, CO2 extracted

Sea buckthorn fruit/pulp CO₂ extract is obtained from the vivid orange fruit pulp of Hippophae rhamnoides, a resilient shrub native from Europe to southern Siberia and south-central China, and naturally at home in temperate landscapes including coastal regions.

Unlike sea buckthorn seed oil, the fruit/pulp extract is especially rich in the C16 fatty acids palmitoleic acid and palmitic acid, alongside oleic acid. Published comparisons show that sea buckthorn pulp oils are dominated by palmitoleic acid, palmitic acid and oleic acid, while seed oils are richer in linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids.

The pulp oil is also valued for its high carotenoid content, which gives it its characteristic orange-red colour. It naturally contains antioxidant-associated compounds such as carotenoids, tocopherols and phytosterols, making it a particularly rich botanical oil for cosmetic formulations.

In SKAAI formulas, we use sea buckthorn fruit/pulp CO₂ extract with restraint: just enough to bring its golden colour, lipid richness and comforting skin feel. Its omega-7-rich profile makes it especially interesting for dry, mature or sensitive skin that benefits from softness, comfort and barrier support.

It fits SKAAI’s preservation-based approach beautifully: a concentrated coastal botanical, used carefully to support the skin’s natural resilience without overwhelming it.

Rich in omega-7 palmitoleic acid, palmitic acid and naturally occurring carotenoids, sea buckthorn fruit/pulp CO₂ extract brings a warm, nourishing quality to formulas designed for dry, mature or sensitive skin.

INCI: Alaria Esculenta Extract
If Kalpariane™: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Alaria Esculenta Extract
Botanical / marine source: Extract of the brown seaweed Alaria esculenta
Also known as: Atlantic wakame, winged kelp, badderlocks
Source: The Brittany coast

Alaria esculenta is a brown seaweed found in cold, wave-exposed coastal waters of the North Atlantic. It grows attached to rocks in demanding marine environments, where it must withstand movement, currents and changing light conditions. This resilience makes it a beautiful fit with SKAAI’s Wadden-inspired philosophy: coastal botanicals chosen not for drama, but for quiet strength. Alaria esculenta is described as a common edible brown seaweed of exposed rocky Atlantic shores in northern Europe and North America.

In cosmetics, Alaria Esculenta Extract is recognised as a skin-protecting ingredient. COSMILE describes this function as helping protect the skin from external influences, and the EU CosIng database lists Alaria Esculenta Extract as an extract of the alga Alaria esculenta with skin-protecting and hair-conditioning functions.

In SKAAI formulas, we choose Alaria extract for its marine, protective and firming-supportive character. It brings a refined active quality to formulas designed for dry, mature or sensitive skin that benefits from hydration, softness and resilience. Manufacturer information for Kalpariane™ describes it as an Alaria esculenta-based active developed for moisturising, firmness, tonicity and improved skin texture, so I think we can use this direction — but in softer SKAAI language.

Rather than promising “anti-aging,” I would say that Alaria extract supports skin that feels less supple, less firm or more fragile with age. It fits SKAAI’s preservation-based approach: supporting the skin’s comfort, tone and resilience without forcing change.

A skin-protecting brown seaweed extract from cold, wave-exposed Atlantic waters, Alaria brings a marine, firming-supportive quality to formulas designed for hydrated, supple and resilient-feeling skin.

INCI: Astaxanthin
Possible INCI if supplied as an algal extract: Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract
Source:

Astaxanthin is a naturally red-orange carotenoid, best known from the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. Under stress, this freshwater microalga accumulates astaxanthin as a protective pigment — a beautiful example of resilience in nature. Haematococcus pluvialis is widely described as one of the richest natural sources of astaxanthin.

In skincare, astaxanthin is valued for its strong antioxidant character. Its molecular structure, with many conjugated double bonds, allows it to neutralise free radicals, which is why it has become so interesting in cosmetic research for skin exposed to environmental stress.

In SKAAI formulas, we use astaxanthin with restraint: not as a dramatic “anti-ageing” promise, but as a concentrated antioxidant active that supports skin comfort, resilience and a healthy-looking glow. Its warm red-orange colour also brings a subtle botanical richness to the formula.

For dry, mature or sensitive skin, astaxanthin fits beautifully within SKAAI’s preservation-based approach: helping support the skin against visible signs of environmental stress, while respecting the skin’s natural rhythm.

A red-orange antioxidant carotenoid from microalgae, astaxanthin brings a concentrated, resilience-supporting quality to formulas designed for dry, mature or sensitive skin.

Full INCI: Octyldodecanol, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Tocopherol
Source: Germany. ECOCERT & COSMOS certified

A oil-soluble active complex developed for sensitive, reactive and easily unsettled skin. It combines echium seed oil, sunflower seed oil unsaponifiables and balloon vine extract in a soft emollient base, with tocopherol added to help protect the lipid blend.

The botanical heart of the complex is Cardiospermum halicacabum, also known as balloon vine or heart seed. It is combined with Echium plantagineum seed oil, a plant oil known for its unusual omega fatty-acid profile, including gamma-linolenic acid and stearidonic acid. This is a beautiful active for sensitive skin and effect include reduced cutaneous hyper-reactivity and immediate soothing.

In SKAAI formulas, we choose this complex for skin that feels dry, fragile, reactive or easily disturbed. It supports the feeling of calm, comfort and relieves itch, helping the skin feel more settled without relying on a heavy or aggressive active approach.

It fits beautifully within SKAAI’s preservation-based philosophy: rather than forcing the skin to renew or change, it helps create conditions in which sensitive skin can feel protected, supported and at ease.

A sensitive-skin active complex with balloon vine, echium seed oil and sunflower unsaponifiables, chosen to help skin feel calmer, more comfortable and better supported.

The soft wool inside your SKAAI box comes from sheep that graze the sea dikes of Friesland and the island of Ameland. These sheep live close to the Wadden Sea, moving through a coastal landscape of grasses, dandelions, lawn daisies and salt-loving plants that grow along the shore, such as sea kale, sea lavender and sea fennel.

We use this wool as natural protective packaging because it would otherwise go to waste. The fibres are clean and beautiful, but too short to be spun into yarn. Instead of discarding them, we give them a second life: cushioning your SKAAI products on their journey from our hands to yours.

After opening your box, you can give the wool another life outdoors. Place small tufts in a sheltered, bird-friendly spot — for example in a shrub, hedge or between branches — so birds may find it and use it when building their nests.

For SKAAI, this is what care means: using what is already there, wasting less, and staying connected to the landscape that inspires us.

INCI: Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Botanical source: Seeds of the sunflower, Helianthus annuus
Source: France

Sunflower seed oil is pressed from the seeds of Helianthus annuus, a plant native to North America and now cultivated widely around the world. In skincare, it is valued as a gentle, familiar botanical oil with a light skin feel and a long history of use in emollient formulations. Kew lists Helianthus annuus as native from the south-western United States to Mexico.

In SKAAI formulas, sunflower seed oil is chosen for its softness, simplicity and skin comfort. It is naturally rich in fatty acids, especially linoleic acid in high-linoleic sunflower oil, and contains minor components such as tocopherols and phytosterols that contribute to its nourishing character.

Linoleic acid is especially relevant to the skin barrier. Reviews of topical plant oils describe sunflower seed oil as relatively high in linoleic acid compared with olive oil, and one adult skin study found that sunflower seed oil preserved stratum corneum integrity and improved hydration without causing erythema.

We use sunflower seed oil as a gentle, reliable base oil: light, absorbent and quietly supportive. It helps leave the skin feeling soft, supple and comfortable, without heaviness. In SKAAI’s preservation-based approach, sunflower seed oil represents care in its simplest form — a modest botanical oil that supports the skin’s natural balance.

A gentle, light botanical oil rich in skin-relevant fatty acids, sunflower seed oil brings softness, comfort and quiet barrier support to SKAAI formulations.

Ingredient name: Lavender flower macerate
Likely INCI: Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Botanical source: Flowers of Lavandula angustifolia
Carrier oil: Sunflower seed oil
Source: France

Lavender flower macerate is made by allowing the flowers of Lavandula angustifolia to infuse slowly into sunflower seed oil. Unlike lavender essential oil, this is a gentler botanical preparation: the sunflower oil remains the caring base, while the lavender flowers add a soft aromatic and botanical layer.

Lavandula angustifolia, often called true lavender or English lavender, is native to parts of the western Mediterranean, from north-eastern Spain to Italy. It has a long history of use in traditional body care and is valued in cosmetics for its refreshing, tonic and fragrancing qualities.

In SKAAI formulas, lavender macerated in sunflower seed oil brings a quiet, comforting quality. The sunflower oil helps soften and condition the skin, while the lavender flower extract adds a delicate herbal presence and a sense of calm. We choose it not as a strong active, but as a gentle botanical infusion that supports the skin’s feeling of softness, ease and comfort.

Because SKAAI is designed for sensitive skin, we use lavender with restraint. This reflects our preservation-based approach: botanical ingredients should support the formula without overwhelming the skin.

A gentle infusion of lavender flowers in sunflower seed oil, chosen for its soft aromatic presence and quiet, comforting skin feel.