If you have ever stood in an aisle trying to decide whether a long ingredient list is a warning sign or just chemistry with unfamiliar names, you already know that labels do not explain themselves. So here is ours, in plain language: what is in the jar, why each thing is there, and the one decision we think you deserve a straight answer about.
Our Approach: As Natural as We Can Make It, Within the Rules
We set out to make a cream as natural as we reasonably could while still meeting the rules every cosmetic sold in the United States has to follow. Those two goals do not always point the same way. Where they pulled apart, we made a choice, and we will tell you which one and why.
Finding what works for your skin and your routine is mostly trial and error, and nobody can hand you the answer key. A complete, readable ingredient list at least lets you run the experiment with your eyes open.
The Plant Ingredients
- Wild yam extract. A concentrated extract of wild yam root, the plant this cream is named for. It has a long record in herbal tradition, which we cover in The Ancient Roots of Wild Yam.
- Red clover extract and chasteberry extract. Two more botanicals with long traditional histories, included alongside the wild yam.
- Aloe leaf juice (with maltodextrin). Aloe is there for its familiar, skin-friendly feel. The maltodextrin is a plant-derived carrier that keeps the dried aloe easy to blend in.
Like most creams, most of the jar is made of water, oils, and the ingredients that hold them together. The botanicals are why the cream has its name, not most of its volume.
The Oils and Butters
- Sweet almond oil, castor oil, and shea butter. These are the emollients, the ingredients that give a cream its slip and its feel on the skin. Castor oil is thick and glossy, sweet almond oil is light, and shea butter adds richness.
- Vitamin E. A familiar skin-care ingredient that is also used to keep the oils in a formula from going stale.
The Ingredients That Hold It Together
Oil and water do not mix on their own, so a cream needs help staying one smooth thing.
- Olivem 1000 (cetearyl olivate and sorbitan olivate). The emulsifier. It is made from olive oil and is what lets the water and oil phases blend into a cream.
- Stearic acid. A fatty acid from plant sources that gives the cream body.
- Xanthan gum. A plant-fermented thickener that keeps the texture even.
- Glycerin. A humectant, meaning it attracts water to the skin’s surface, and a staple of moisturizers for good reason.
The Preservative, and the Trade-Off We Chose
Our cream is water-based rather than oil-based. That is a big part of why it feels light and sinks in quickly instead of sitting on the skin the way a balm or butter does. But water comes with a cost: wherever there is water, bacteria, yeast, and mold can grow, and often you cannot see or smell it.
An oil-only product does not have this problem. A water-based one has to be preserved properly. We wanted a plant-derived preservation system, and we put plant-based options through our own testing for mold growth. They did not hold up. We were not willing to ship a cream that might grow something in your cabinet, so we chose a conventional, well-studied preservative instead.
That preservative is a blend of phenoxyethanol and ethylhexylglycerin. Yes, it is a mouthful. Say it out loud and it is less scary than it looks: fen-OX-ee-ETH-uh-nol and ETH-il-HEX-il-GLISS-er-in.
Here is where the names come from. Phenoxyethanol is built from phenol and an ethanol-type chain, a bit of chemistry that goes back to 1896, when two British chemists, W. H. Perkin Jr. and Edward Haworth, first prepared it, according to Wikipedia. It also turns up naturally in green tea, but the kind in a jar is almost always made synthetically, and ours is no exception. Ethylhexylglycerin is easier to decode: the “glycerin” part is the same family as the glycerin already in your moisturizer, with a small oil-friendly chain attached. Phenoxyethanol is the workhorse; ethylhexylglycerin helps it work better against microbes. Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skin care, and Europe’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety reviewed it and found it safe for cosmetic use.
It is a trade-off, not a victory lap. If you prefer products with no synthetic preservatives at all, an oil- or butter-based balm is the honest way to get there, and that is a perfectly good choice.
Who Should Check First
- Tree nut allergy. This cream contains sweet almond oil, and shea comes from a tree seed as well. Refined nut oils generally contain little protein, while cold-pressed ones can retain it, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. If you have a nut allergy, ask your allergist before using it.
- Sensitive skin. Patch-test a small amount on your inner arm and wait a day.
- Pregnant, nursing, or taking prescription medication. Check with your provider before adding any botanical to your routine.
- Eyes and broken skin. Keep it away from both.
What the Rules Do and Do Not Cover
In the United States, cosmetics do not need FDA approval before they are sold, but under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act brands must keep records substantiating that their products are safe and must report serious adverse events to the FDA, as summarized by the law firm Cooley. We keep our records, and we would rather you read the label than take our word.
If you like a short, readable list and a cream built around plants with real history, the jar is waiting for you, and it is one of many things worth exploring alongside everything else that makes your days easier.
Common Questions
What is in Weed & Root Wild Yam Root Cream?
Water, castor oil, sweet almond oil, Olivem 1000, glycerin, vitamin E, wild yam extract, shea butter, phenoxyethanol with ethylhexylglycerin, stearic acid, red clover extract, chasteberry extract, aloe leaf juice with maltodextrin, and xanthan gum.
Why does a natural cream need a preservative?
Any product made with water can support the growth of bacteria, yeast, and mold. A preservative keeps the cream usable for its shelf life. Oil-only products can skip it because microbes need water to grow.
Is phenoxyethanol safe in cream?
Yes. It is one of the most widely used cosmetic preservatives, and Europe’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety reviewed it and found it safe for cosmetic use. As with any ingredient, a small number of people are sensitive to it, so patch-test if your skin is reactive.
Does the cream contain nuts?
It contains sweet almond oil, and shea butter comes from a tree seed. If you have a tree nut allergy, check with your allergist first.
Why not use only natural preservatives?
We tested plant-based options for our water-based formula and they did not hold up to our mold testing. We chose a conventional preservative over risking spoiled product.
A short list you can read is worth more than a long one you have to trust. Turn the jar around, and take your time.