Are the essential oils used in Tisserand products organic?
Most of the essential oils used in Tisserand products are organic; those that are not are either wild crafted or ethically harvested. This means that they are derived from plants that are grown free from man-made fertilisers, herbicides or pesticides; are gathered from their natural wild habitat; or cultivated in such a way to avoid depletion. Full a more detailed explanation, please refer to the Essential Oils FAQ section.

Do you use fair trade ingredients?
Some of our vegetable oils and butters come from Africa or South America, purchased on a fair trade basis. This means that they are produced through a trade programme, which focuses on organisations that produce commercially viable products that benefit their community.

Since they are derived from plants, pure essential oils are entirely natural and have their own unique therapeutic properties. Although synthetic fragrances are often said to be identical to the same chemical as it occurs in nature, this is in fact not the case. Synthetic chemicals are never 100% pure and generally contain 1-10% of impurities. They are a poor choice because, unlike the distillation of essential oils, manufacturing aroma-chemicals is an energy consuming and sometimes wasteful procedure that usually involves quite a number of sequential chemical processes. The main starting materials for manufacture are wood pulp and petroleum, which is not particularly environmentally friendly. Commercial fragrances often contain synthetic musks that do not biodegrade and thus accumulate in the environment, especially waterways, where they can affect fish and other aquatic life. Additionally, they often contain phthalates, which contribute to the body burden of foreign toxic molecules.

What percentage of essential oil is included in Tisserand products?
Most of our products contain between 1 and 5% of essential oil. The precise amount in each product is determined by safety considerations of the essential oils used, the function of the product, and the percentage required to make the product effective.

Do Tisserand products contain herbal extracts?

Herbal extracts - the majority of which are organic - are used in most of our products. They enhance the performance of the product, as they work in synergy with the essential oils. They also have their own therapeutic benefits - they can be soothing, refreshing, cleansing, astringent, deodorising, conditioning, moisturising, toning, softening or firming. More importantly, their antioxidant properties help reduce free radical damage to the skin or hair. Do Tisserand products contain SLES (Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate)? Tisserand products do not contain SLS or SLES. Instead, we use alternatives such as ALS (ammonium lauryl sulfate); derived from coconut oil, this delivers foam that is mild to the skin.

Do Tisserand products contain Parabens?
Tisserand products do not contain parabens. The alternatives that we use (chlorphenesin, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, to name a few) are just as effective in terms of microbiological /challenge testing, and are often milder to the skin.

Tisserand products do not contain ingredients that we consider to be unsound, such as phthalates, mineral oil, paraffin wax, synthetic dyes and pigments, triclosan, BHA, propylene glycol, triethanolamine, aluminium compounds or any animal derived ingredients, such as lanolin or beeswax. We constantly update our formulas to keep up with market trends and demands, researching and using new ingredient alternatives that are mild to the skin and, where possible, kinder to the environment. Can I use Tisserand personal care products whilst pregnant? Our personal care products are all safe to use in pregnancy.

Are Tisserand products tested on animals?
Our products and ingredients are not tested on animals by or for Tisserand. In fact, the ingredients are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, and are registered by the Vegan Society.