Amazonia
Preciosa Ingredients
Ingredients
that compose the formula foundation of every
shampoo in the line
Deionized Water:
Transmitter Vehicle
Dissodium Cocoyl
Glutamate: Primary surfactant, a much gentler
and healthier option than SLES or SLS
Aloe Vera Leaf
Juice (Barbadensis): The extract of Aloe
Vera is a powerful moisturizer used for many
purposes. Used in shampoos, Aloe Vera diminishes
potential allergic reactions of detergents while
deeply hydrating the hair.
Decyl Glucoside:
Secondary surfactant known for being a very mild
cosmetic ingredient. This is a foaming agent
derived from plants.
Sucrose Cocoate:
Detergent (surfactant) derived from vegetable
origin. Boosts gentle cleansing while
incorporating vegetable oils and butters into
the formula.
Cocoamidopropyl
Betaine: Secondary surfactant known for being a
very mild cosmetic ingredient. It helps
dissodium cocoyl glutamate provide a rich and
creamy lather. This foaming agent is derived
from plants.
Dehydracetic
Acid and Benzyl Alcohol: Preservatives that are
gentle alternatives to formaldehyde donors and
halogen-based preservatives (common halogens are
chlorine, bromine, and fluoride), which are
suspected of causing cancer and are potent
allergic agents.
Xantham and
Dehydroxantham Gum: These thickening agents are
derived from the microfermentation of
carbohydrates. They are substitutes for salt and
acrylate thickeners, which are derived from
petroleum.
Vegetable
Glycerin: Humectant. Derived from vegetable
sources, glycerin is a by product of soap
making.
Cumaru extract
(Dipterix Odourata): Provides natural
fragrance
Citric Acid: Ph
balancing agent from vegetable
origin.
Preciosa
essential oil (Aniba Canelilla): Provides
natural fragrance
Ingredients
that compose the formula foundation of every
conditioner in the line
Deionized Water:
Transmitter, Vehicle
Aloe Vera Leaf
Juice (Barbadensis): Plant that is
renowned for its moisturizing properties;
softens and acts as an emollient.
Cetearyl
Olivate/Sorbitan Olivate: Emulsifier derived
from olive oil, non ethoxylated, PEG
free
Glyceryl
Stearate: Mild emulsifier used to improve
texture. Glyceryl stearate is part glycerin and
part fatty acid, it is used to combine the
liquid and oil phases of a formula.
Babaçu
Seed Oil (Orbignya oleifera): Babacu has
an oleic profile very similar to coconut; its
rich fatty acids act as an emollient in the
formula.
Dehydracetic
Acid and Benzyl Alcohol: Preservatives that are
gentle alternatives to formaldehyde donors and
halogen-based preservatives (common halogens are
chlorine, bromine, and fluoride), which are
suspected of causing cancer and are potent
allergic agents.
Vegetable
Glycerin: Humectant. Derived from vegetable
sources, glycerin is a by-product of soap
making. Citric Acid: Ph balancing agent from
vegetable origin.
Cumaru
(Dipterix odourata ): Provides natural
fragrance
Preciosa
essential oil (Aniba canelila):
Provides natural fragrance
Each Preciosa
formula will contain specific Amazonian fruit or
nut oils to support various hair types and
promote the function of the conditioner. The
difference between conditioners and masks is the
ratio of each ingredient used in the
formula.
The pH of the
shampoos is around 5.5 - 6.5 and the
conditioners are 3.5 - 4.5. In the shampoos,
this pH level is important to clean the hair
without making it too tangled or looking like
"straw". The pH of the conditioner promotes the
closing of the hair strand layers, conditioning
the hair.
Oils
From the Amazon
Amazônia
Preciosa has a great variety of oils that have
very specific properties for the hair and scalp.
The following is botanical information to
promote awareness of these Amazonian plants
which produce the remarkable fruits and nuts
from which these special oils are
procured.
Cupuaçu
Butter - Theobroma grandiflorum -
Indicated for straight and normal
hair
The
Cupuaçu tree reaches 6-17 metres and
grows in high primary forests preferring well
drained soil. This pre-Coloumbian arboreal
species is propagated from the seeds and is
pollinated by ants and aphids. It requires dense
shade in the first few years of growth. The
Cupuaçu tree is sustaining heavy genetic
erosion due to the destruction of its habitat
through deforestation and the manipulation of
waterways. It is primarily grown in the
Brazilian states of Para, Amazonas, Rondonia and
Acre. In addition to wild propagation,
Cupucaçu is grown in small domestic
gardens and nurseries in Eastern Amazonian
Brazil.
While the fruit
and nectar are used in food applications, the
seed butter is ideal for use in cosmetics.
Cupuaçu butter is extracted from the
seeds of the fruit which contain 25- 50
seeds per fruit. This butter is a semi-solid
triglyceride composed of varied fatty acids that
make it an excellent emollient. Its noted
ability to lend hydration to the hair makes it
ideal for adding moisture without weighing down
fine hair.
Brazil Nut
Oil - Bertholletia excelsa -
Indicated for dry and damaged
hair
Brazil Nut trees
live to be 500 to 800 years old, some may even
live to 1000 years! They reach 33-50 metres
tall, and propagate mostly in pristine forest as
disturbed forest lacks the large body bees which
are necessary to pollinate the tree's unusual
flowers. While a few plantations are being
developed in the Amazon, the tree favours wild
harvesting of the nuts. Nuts are harvested in
the wet season while rubber is procured from the
tree in the dry season, providing a year round
income for those living by extractivism. The nut
is protected in the tree's fruit pod which
crashes to the forest floor when it is matured.
Each fruit pod contains 12 to 25 nuts and 300 or
more pods are produced per year. Brazil nut
exports come from Bolivia, Brazil and Peru but
the trees are found from southern Mexico to
southern Brazil. Over-harvestation of nuts in
some areas has resulted in depletion in the
occurrence of seedling growth prompting concerns
for future generations of trees.
Brazil nut oil
stands out for its rich composition of fatty
acids bearing a close relationship to the
composition of castor and flax seed oils. Brazil
nut oil is high in palmeitic, oleic, linoleic,
and alpha linoleic fatty acids. It also contains
sulfur bearing amino acids and selenium. The nut
contains 69% oil, making it one of the richest
cosmetic oils available. The luxurious and
unique properties of this nut oil promote
reduction of split ends and improved texture and
manageability of dry or damaged hair.
Murumuru
Butter - Astrocaryum murumuru
- Indicated for oily
hair
Murumuru is
widespread in the Amazon basin. This palm has
spines and sharp edges which require precaution
during the harvest, even the seeds and flowers
are prickly. One of the dominant trees in the
region, it grows in northern Brazil, in the
state of Maranhão.
Murumuru butter
is extracted from the seeds and fruit which are
rich in oleic and linoleic acids. Known for its
ability to restore the lipid barrier oils, it
lends natural shine to the hair
strand.
Ucuuba
Butter - Virola sebifera -
Indicated for curly and fragile
hair
Ucuuba belongs
to the myristicaceae family which also comprises
the nutmeg tree. It grows predominately as a
common canopy tree in the Amazon basin. The
seeds survive only if dispersed as its seedlings
can not thrive too close to the parent tree.
Their main dispersal mechanism is the toucan
bird as they are know to favour Ucuuba and will
deposit the seeds as they move about their
territory. The Ucuuba fruiting season is from
September to February when it produces round
waxy seeds enclosed in a thick orange casing.
Research is ongoing for the medical applications
of Ucuuba bark and leaf and homeopathic remedies
are already in use for this multi-faceted
Amazonian plant.
Ucuuba butter is
extracted from the seeds of the plant. The ripe
seed contains 42% palmitic and oleic acids and
also contains fatty acid glycerides
laurodimystin and trimyristin. These myristic
acids are noted to support the even distribution
of oils in curly hair. Since the natural oils of
the hair have difficulty getting to the tips due
to the curly shape of the strands, Ucuuba butter
restores these oils along the entire strand,
offering shine, softness and strength to the
hair.
Buriti Oil -
Mauritia Flexuosa - Indicated for dyed
and damaged hair
Buruti, also
known as Aguaje, is a fan palm which grows in
South America. It prefers waterlogged soils and
tolerates some flooding but does need sunlight
to thrive. It is propagated when water carries
the seeds to less dense areas or by the lowland
tapir, which relies on this fruit as one of its
staples. When the tapir eats the fruit, it
disperses seeds by spitting them out on the
ground. The plant relies on this symbiosis of
the ecosystem as the seedlings do not thrive if
they are deposited too close to the parent plant
due to the occlusion of the sun. Vast stands
grow in the inland Amazon basin, but due to
concerns over the destruction in the wild from
improper harvesting and the loss of unspoiled
land, planting is now being promoted throughout
the region.
Buriti oil is
extracted from the pulp of the fruit's seed. It
is a source of oleic acid which offers
emollients to support the moisture of the hair
strand. Buruti is also very high in carotenoids
and vitamin C which work as natural filters,
absorbing a portion of the UV rays. This
mechanism prevents the colour of the hair from
fading, allowing less frequent applications of
hair colouring products.
Babaçu
Orbignya oleifera
Babaçu
grows in northeast Brazil and is an important
economic crop for the regions of Maranhão
and parts of Tocantins. This palm is widespread
in the Amazonian palm forest. Because it is fire
resistant, it has survived even in areas which
have been traumatized by fire clearing methods.
The nuts fall naturally to the forest floor
where they have supported local micro economies
for generations.
Extractivists
traditionally use many parts of the plant; husk,
fruit and seed in daily life.
Babaçu
oil is present in all the conditioners and masks
of the Amazônia Preciosa hair care
products. The seed oil contains 72% lipids, its
oleic profile, high in omega 6 and 9, is very
similar to coconut. During historical periods
when coconut oil was scarce, Babaçu has
served to supplement world supplies of coconut
oil. Babaçu oil acts as an emollient in
the Preciosa formulas but also has some saponins
which supply foaming agents while also restoring
the natural oils of the hair.
Cumaru
Dipterix Odourata
Cumaru is a
large rainforest canopy tree prevalent in the
Brazilian states of Amazonas and Para. It is
also known as Brazilian teak and is often felled
for construction purposes. The bark, seeds and
seed oil of the Cumaru tree have been used
traditionally by Indian tribes in the Amazon
basin for medicinal purposes. It is used to
treat asthma and is also considered to be a
cardio tonic. Cumaru bears grey to black seeds
that are commonly known as tonka beans. When
crushed, these beans yield a pleasant
vanilla-like odour. This extract is used to
enhance the delicate scent of the hair care
formulas.
Cumaru
Dipterix Odourata
Cumaru is a
large rainforest canopy tree prevalent in the
Brazilian states of Amazonas and Para. It is
also known as Brazilian teak and is often felled
for construction purposes. The bark, seeds and
seed oil of the Cumaru tree have been used
traditionally by Indian tribes in the Amazon
basin for medicinal purposes. It is used to
treat asthma and is also considered to be a
cardio tonic. Cumaru bears grey to black seeds
that are commonly known as tonka beans. When
crushed, these beans yield a pleasant
vanilla-like odour. This extract is used to
enhance the delicate scent of the hair care
formulas.
Preciosa
Aniba Canelilla
Preciosa is a
variety of rosewood native to the Amazon region.
It is a large evergreen tree with reddish bark
and yellow flowers. The essential oil is
harvested from the bark of the tree through
steam distillation yielding pale yellow oil with
an exotic, spicy aroma. Both the bark and the
essential oil are noted for many medicinal uses
including nervous tension, colds and coughs,
headache, wound healing, dermatitis and acne.
Historically, it has been used to treat malaria
by Amazonian Indian tribes. Unfortunately in
some areas, the felling of trees has been
environmentally damaging as not all harvesters
comply with the mandated conservation programs.
Preciosa essential oil is the signature
fragrance of our Amazônia Preciosa
products.
A Word About
the Certification of the Preciosa Essential
Oil
The Amazonia
Preciosa line contains Preciosa essential oil in
every product. This oil is made from the bark of
the Preciosa Tree and has been certified by the
Forest Stewardship Council.
The Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international
network to promote responsible management of the
world's forests. FSC brings people together to
find solutions to the problems created by bad
forestry practices and to reward good forest
management. To learn more about FSC, go to
www.fsc.org.
A forest product
certificated by FSC means that the wood
extracted was done in a way that preserves the
health of the ecosystem thereby protecting
biodiversity. Moreover, it guarantees that the
rights of communities that live in the forests
have been respected and the wood extraction
resulted in benefits for the local population.
Even more, it establishes good working
conditions and security that improve the quality
of life for the harvesters. All processes
respect the laws of the individual country, as
well as the International Agreement.
Instructions
for Using Amazonia Preciosa Hair
Products
Shampoo:
Wet hair; apply a small amount of shampoo
into hair by massaging, rinse to
clear.
Conditioner:
After rinsing out Amazonia Preciosa shampoo,
spread a small amount of conditioner from roots
to tips, rinse thoroughly with water.
Hair Mask:
Wash hair with Amazonia Preciosa shampoo,
rinse thoroughly. Apply the hair mask and
massage softly. Cover with a thermal cap or a
hot towel leaving on for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse
thoroughly. Use twice per week for deep
conditioning.
