About our Ingredients

At Rooted Journey Co., we believe that it is not only the name of an ingredient that matters, but also how it was grown, harvested, and produced. The way an ingredient is cared for can greatly influence its quality and whether it retains the natural properties we value. On this page, we share more about some of the ingredients we use, why we choose them, and the benefits they can offer.

Top 4 Oils in our Leave-on Skin Care

Grass-Finished Beef Tallow: Currently sourced from Hale Farms in Wakefield, Quebec.
Organic Cold-Pressed Castor Oil: Currently sourced from Queen of Thrones and St. Francis, both considered high-quality therapeutic-grade suppliers.
Organic Jojoba Oil: Sourced from Plant’s Power in Toronto; the oil is produced in Panama.
Cranberry Seed Oil: Harvested and produced in Canada; one of the few locally produced plant oils with notable skin-supporting benefits.

Ingredient Benefits

Why Tallow?

Grass-fed tallow is a traditional skincare ingredient that closely mirrors the skin’s natural lipids, helping to support the skin barrier and overall skin health. Compared to conventional tallow, grass-fed and grass-finished tallow offers a more favourable fatty acid and nutrient profile, including higher omega-3s, CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), and fat-soluble vitamins, along with a generally lower comedogenic potential (Daley et al., 2010).

Our tallow is sourced from trusted farmers who follow grass-fed and grass-finished practices and prioritize regenerative land stewardship.

Key skin-supporting nutrients include:

Vitamin A: Supports skin renewal and healthy-looking skin
Vitamin D: Supports overall skin function and barrier integrity
Vitamin E: Antioxidant support that helps protect skin from oxidative stress
Vitamin K2: Supports skin repair processes and overall skin integrity
Oleic Acid: Supports skin nourishment and barrier function
Palmitic Acid: Helps reinforce the skin’s natural protective barrier
Stearic Acid: Supports skin structure and moisture balance
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): Supports calm, balanced-looking skin

References: Daley, C. A., Abbott, A., Doyle, P. S., Nader, G. A., & Larson, S. (2010). A review of fatty acid profiles and antioxidant content in grass-fed and grain-fed beef. Nutrition Journal, 9, 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-9-10

Ingredient Benefits

Why Castor Oil?

We use only organic, cold pressed castor oil for leave-on skin care. Benefits include:

Ricinoleic Acid: Deeply conditioning and helps support long-lasting moisture retention in the skin
Oleic Acid: Nourishes and supports skin softness while helping maintain a healthy skin barrier
Linoleic Acid: Essential fatty acid that supports barrier function and overall skin balance
Stearic Acid: Helps reinforce the skin’s protective layer and supports resilience
Palmitic Acid: Supports the skin’s natural lipid barrier
Vitamin E (trace): Antioxidant support that helps protect skin from oxidative stress
Polyphenols: Plant compounds that contribute antioxidant protection and skin support
Helps support dry or compromised skin by reinforcing the moisture barrier

Ingredient Benefits

Why Jojoba Oil?

We use only organic jojoba oil for leave-on skin care. Benefits include:

Eicosenoic Acid (Gadoleic Acid): Closely mimics skin’s natural sebum, helping support balanced oil production
Behenic Acid: Supports skin barrier integrity and helps maintain moisture balance
Oleic Acid: Helps nourish and support skin softness and elasticity
Vitamin E (trace): Provides antioxidant support to help protect skin from oxidative stress
Plant Waxes (natural esters): Help reinforce the skin’s protective barrier and support moisture retention
Helps support overall skin balance and hydration, making it suitable for a wide range of skin types

Ingredient Benefits

Why Cranberry Seed Oil?

In addition to its skin benefits, cranberry seed oil is one of the few plant oils cultivated and produced in our region, supporting our local agriculture.

Skin benefits include:

Omega-3 Fatty Acids (ALA): Supports skin barrier health and helps maintain hydration
Omega-6 Fatty Acids (Linoleic Acid): Essential for skin barrier function and overall skin balance
Omega-9 Fatty Acids (Oleic Acid): Supports skin softness and nourishment
Vitamin E (Tocopherols): Antioxidant support that helps protect skin from oxidative stress
Phytosterols: Help support skin barrier repair and resilience

Ingredient Benefits

Oils in our Soaps

Each oil in our soap has a specific purpose. For example, castor oil creates strong lather, while coconut oil is highly cleansing and tallow is gentle and conditioning. Oftentimes, the soap uses a mix of various oils to achieve the exact purpose that we want for the soap. Here are our primary oils we use:

Castor Oil: A humectant-rich oil that boosts bubbly lather, especially good for shampoos and shaving creams.
Coconut Oil: A cleansing oil that creates abundant, fluffy lather and helps harden the bar.
Cranberry Seed Oil: A lightweight oil rich in essential fatty acids that contributes conditioning and a smooth skin feel.
Free-Range Lard: A traditional soap fat that adds creaminess, conditioning, and a gentle, balanced lather.
Grass-Fed Tallow: A deeply conditioning hard fat that creates a long-lasting, creamy bar with stable lather.
Jojoba Oil: A liquid wax that helps support skin balance and adds silky conditioning to soap.
Locally Sourced Beeswax: A natural wax that adds hardness, structure, and a protective feel to the bar.
Olive Oil: A gentle, conditioning oil that produces a mild, long-lasting, and creamy bar.