kajo nordic beauty natural cosmetics skandinavisk nordisk skonhet arktisk naturkosmetik organisk kosmetik svensk

meet our ingredients

PASSION FOR WILD FINNISH NATURE

Kajo is a brand born out of a passion for wild Finnish nature. We aim to use the wealth of native ingredients to develop skin-friendly products that make you feel good and help your skin become healthy with a fresh, natural complexion.

We strive to protect the environment we live in, so we put all our efforts into creating the best, most natural and environmentally-friendly formulas and solutions. Our products are formulated with a clean ingredient formula, and they are free from parabens, phthalates, sulfates (SLS/SLES), mineral oils, petrolatum, paraffin, silicones, lanolin, glycols (PEG), MEA/DEA/TEA, PABA, synthetic dyes, or phenoxyethanol. We strongly believe that nature is the best that we can provide for our skin to flourish.

It's time to meet our natural ingredients – the main stars of our Nordic-inspired journey.

Allantoin
Argan Oil
Avocado Oil
Bakuchiol
Bilberry Extract
Bisabolol
Bladderwrack
Calendula Extract
Gluconolactone
Glycerin
Gotu Kola
Grape Extract
Grape Seed Oil
Grape Stem Cell
Green Tea Extract
Hyaluronic Acid
Jasmine Extract
Jojoba Oil
Oat Flour
Olive Fruit Oil
Probiotics / Bifida Ferment Lysate
Rosemary Leaf Extract
Sea Buckthorn Oil
Shea Butter
Sodium Hyaluronate
Squalane
Sunflower Oil
Sweet Almond Oil
Tsubaki Oil – Camellia Oil
Vitamin B3 – Niacinamide
Vitamin B5
Vitamin E
Willow Bark Extract
Xylitol
Yogurt Extract

Allantoin

Allantoin is an effective anti-irritant for the skin, calming and soothing sensitive areas. It's used to help promote wound healing effectively, and because it helps with cell regeneration, it is regularly used to treat abrasions or burns and to calm eczema and other skin ailments. While the primary benefit of allantoin is that it removes dead skin cells, it goes way beyond the capabilities of an alpha hydroxy acid exfoliator. It has the added benefit of promoting additional moisture in the area between cells, which helps keep your skin from experiencing transepidermal water loss or moisture evaporating from the surface of the skin.

Argan Oil

Rich in Omega-6 Linoleic Acid and Omega-9 that helps the skin maintain elasticity and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, argan oil can also help treat acne and other skin ailments, including psoriasis, and it is perfect for nourishing dry hair and nails. It improves skin elasticity, making it more supple and is recommended in formulations intended to support maturing and ageing skin. Argan oil is often used on the skin, nails and hair, and works well in lotion and cream recipes or when used alone.

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is an excellent source of antioxidants, such as vitamin E, which help to absorb free radicals to protect from environmental damage. It increases the metabolic energy process in the skin and helps the skin maintain hydration by softening the skin and trapping humectants and emollients onto the skin. Avocado oil is also a rich superlative source of essential fatty acids, which are fundamental for the skin to retain moisture and protect from outside damage. Vitamins A, D, and E naturally occurring in this oil help deliver deep hydration and antioxidant protection. The lightweight consistency makes avocado oil absorb quickly, leaving a non-greasy finish.

Bakuchiol

Retinol, a type of vitamin A, is a powerful age-defying ingredient. However, both natural and synthetic retinoids have been associated with side effects such as skin peeling, redness, photosensitivity and reduced skin barrier function. Sytenol® A, derived from plant-based bakuchiol, is the first true natural alternative to retinol and offers powerful protection against oxidative stress, and the ingredient inhibits pro-inflammatory enzymes, thereby preventing degradation of collagen and elastin proteins and with that premature ageing. Unlike retinoids, Sytenol® A can be used during the day as it is photochemically stable, and it has been clinically proven that the ingredient helps protect skin from UV-induced damage.

Bilberry Extract

Bilberries are the richest natural source of anthocyanin, an antioxidant that gives it a dark blue colour. It is also loaded with vitamins A, B, C, E, and K and a mineral treasure trove with its delivery of chromium, manganese, zinc, and iron. The tannin content makes them an excellent astringent, helping the skin feel tightened and toned. Locking in moisture while simultaneously helping to balance oiliness is what makes bilberry products a must for normal, combo or even oily skin types. While the antioxidants help stave off free radicals damage and future skin ageing, the resveratrol in bilberries help reduce the look of fine lines.

Bisabolol

Bladderwrack

Bladderwrack is a type of seaweed used in skincare products that helps soothe skin irritations like burns, insect bites, dryness and itchiness. It also serves as a preventive ingredient to help minimise the appearance of any visible signs of ageing. Rich in B-complex vitamins, calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, sulfur, and silicon content, Bladderwrack has incredible anti-inflammatory benefits. It also contains carotene, selenium, zinc, and small amounts of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E that add to its unique anti-ageing and healing properties. It nourishes dehydrated and mature skin, leaving it well-moisturised, softer, visibly plumper, and more youthful-looking.

Calendula Extract

Calendula extract is used to relieve many skin conditions that may cause dry, itchy or irritated areas. By promoting the production of collagen, an essential protein for glowing skin, calendula aids in sustaining soothed, hydrated skin. It contains carotenoids and flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants, and because of them, the plant has been shown to help wounds heal faster and plump skin through hydration and circulation. It's also antimicrobial, helping to manage dandruff, rashes, and acne.

Gluconolactone

Gluconolactone is a polyhydroxy acid often referred to as a next-generation AHA - a type of powerful hydroxy acid well known for its skincare benefits. Gluconolactone gently lifts off dead skin cells from the skin surface, making skin smooth and even. Long-term use provides anti-ageing benefits, like increased skin thickness and decreased wrinkles. It's a great moisturiser that helps repair a flawed skin barrier. An antioxidant that does not make your skin more sensitive to the sun, Gluconolactone can be used on sensitive rosacea-prone or post-procedural skin.

Glycerin

The glycerin found in Kajo products is 100% botanical and acts as a humectant, which is a substance that allows the skin to retain moisture. It can increase skin hydration, relieve dryness, and refresh the skin's surface. It's also an emollient, which means it can soften skin and an effective moisturiser, that helps protect skin against harsh products, helps to treat extreme dryness and repair skin elasticity. It keeps your skin soft, supple, and hydrated and prevents the loss of moisture. It supports the skin barrier and prevents water loss in the skin, allowing natural oils to nourish and repair.

Gotu Kola

Gotu Kola extract accelerates the healing process of wounds and burns. Being a powerful antioxidant and a great source of amino acids, vitamins, and fatty acids helps stimulate collagen production, necessary to reconnect the broken tissues generated in an injury. It also helps minimise the appearance of dark spots and fine lines and fights premature ageing by reinforcing the skin's protective barriers against free radicals, pollution, and sun damage. It improves moisture levels in the upper layer of skin tissue, prevents water loss, increases circulation and blood flow, and unifies and gives luminosity to the skin.

Grape Extract

The exceptionally high level of antioxidant protection offered by grape seed extract brings all manner of benefits to both your health and beauty regime, from protecting against skin ageing to improving hydration and elasticity. It helps to protect your skin against sunburn by offering additional support for the skin against UV light. It also maintains youthful-looking skin and improves skin hydration.

Grape Seed Oil

Grape seed oil is excellent for treating oily or acne-prone skin that helps fortify the skin's barrier and reduce water loss from the skin. It's anti-inflammatory that's great for inflamed and red skin, often associated with breakouts. Grape seed oil contains powerful antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and fatty acids that work together to fade dark spots and lighten scars. It can help protect against sun damage, promote collagen repair, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and stretch marks.

Grape Stem Cell

Grape stem cell extract is a magnificent ingredient that can help nourish, heal, and improve your complexion significantly. It has a unique influence on the skin in the way that it can protect and replenish skin cells for a regenerative effect. It's a rich source of antioxidants that help regenerate your skin and help maintain adult skin cell production to fight ageing and bond with protein and collagen, making it more effective, mitigating signs of ageing and promoting smooth, firm and hydrated skin.

Green Tea Extract

Green tea extract has been shown to possess potent antioxidants and skin-soothing properties and shows significant promise for improving the appearance of sun-damaged skin. Epigallocatechin gallate, an active constituent of green tea, is a gentle antioxidant among the most well researched and impressive in terms of its many benefits. Due to its multifaceted nature, green tea has been studied as a treatment for various dermatological conditions. It's an antioxidant that scavenges free radicals caused by environmental stressors like UV radiation and pollution and helps fight off DNA damage in skin cells by promoting DNA repair.

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid is a natural compound found in the skin and serves as an inner moisturising agent. With age, the skin's production of hyaluronic acid declines, which can lead to increased dehydration, the appearance of fine lines and loss of elasticity. It replenishes and retains the skin's inner water reservoirs and functions as an exceptional carrier of other beneficial ingredients for the skin, such as vitamins and fatty acids. It positively influences cell turnover and strengthens the skin's barrier function by fortifying the lipid structure.

Jasmine Extract

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil has terrific nourishing, regenerative and moisturising properties and helps to soothe sensitive and inflamed skin. Its natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties make it perfect for healing acne-prone skin and other antibacterial skin conditions. Jojoba oil is also high in vitamin E, which supports skin elasticity and helps to reduce the appearance of ageing. Jojoba oil is one of the most popular carrier oils, commonly used in creams and lotions. Being a light and easy oil to work with makes it very suitable as a base for body and facial oils.

Oat Flour

A finely powdered form of oat extract that has soothing, protecting and antioxidant benefits. With anti-inflammatory properties, Oat flour contains skin-nourishing lipids and moisturising carbohydrates. It's excellent for dry, irritated, inflamed or eczema-prone skin. It has strong absorption properties and perfectly absorbs sebum and moisture from the skin, thoroughly cleansing it.

Olive Fruit Oil

Olive oil contains vitamins A, D, K and E, which have great antioxidant properties and anti-ageing benefits and help restore damaged skin cells and prevent UV damage from prolonged sun exposure. Olive oil contains two other significant antioxidants, polyphenols and phytosterols, which help protect skin cells, control the ageing process and promote the production of collagen, which naturally decreases as we age. The combination of vitamin A and vitamin E in olive oil protects and helps repair skin cells from harmful environmental factors.

Probiotics / Bifida Ferment Lysate

Rosemary Leaf Extract

Rosemary offers antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal properties, while its balance of natural oils can help maintain glowing skin without extreme dryness or oiliness. It contains antioxidants such as rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid that can help slow the effect of free radicals on the skin. Rosemary leaf extract has antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties, making it an excellent ingredient for acne and other inflammatory skin conditions and sensitive skin. It's also valued for its ability to even out skin tone and improve circulation to the skin.

Sea Buckthorn Oil

Sea Buckthorn oil is derived from the fruit or seeds of the Sea Buckthorn shrub, an extremely hardy plant growing in cold climates and has large, pointy thorns. The fruit and oil contains an exceptional concentration of natural Vitamin C and has an impressive nutritional profile. Sea Buckthorn oil does not leave an oily residue when applied to the skin as virtually all ingredients are properly absorbed and quickly assimilated into the skin. It contains more vitamin E (d-alpha-Tocopherol) than any other plant-based oil known, as well as beta-carotene, essential fatty acids omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9, and 11 out of 14 trace minerals and flavonoids.

Shea Butter

Shea butter, extracted from the nut of the African shea tree, is naturally moisturising and softening, helping nourish dehydrated and dull skin. Shea butter's high amount of essential fatty acids help repair the skin's barrier function, thereby keeping skin cells moist, strong, and flexible. Naturally rich in vitamins A and E, shea butter also helps protect the skin from the damaging effects of free radicals. Furthermore, shea butter soothes and calms the skin with its anti-inflammatory properties.

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium hyaluronate combats skin dryness by pulling in water from the air and helping retain moisture to keep your skin hydrated and flake-free. Essential for restoring and maintaining a healthy barrier to prevent transepidermal water loss, sodium hyaluronate works to replace lost moisture and hyaluronic acid naturally found in the skin that lessens with age. It can help deal with acne by rebalancing the skin if you are overly drying it with harsh exfoliants, cleansers, and treatments. It's also generally considered to be non-comedogenic, which means it won't clog pores.

Squalane

The squalane in our cosmetics is a 100% organic compound that is extracted from olive oil. It has superb skin barrier protection properties that help to prevent moisture loss and provides a shield from environmental damage or bacteria. It also helps other beneficial ingredients to penetrate the skin and helps retain them. It cares for the skin’s appearance and texture, leaving it softer and smoother.

Sunflower Oil

Sunflower seed oil is an excellent source of vitamins, rich in nutrients and antioxidants. It is effectively combatting skincare issues like acne, inflammation, general redness and irritation of the skin. It contains several compounds with great benefits for the skin, such as oleic acid, vitamin E, sesamol and linoleic acid. Sunflower oil helps to maintain the skin's natural barrier, supporting its ability to retain moisture and has an anti-inflammatory effect when used topically. This makes it beneficial for dry skin and conditions, such as eczema.

Sweet Almond Oil

Sweet almond oil is a rejuvenating natural oil ideal for softening fine lines and restoring a healthy glow to the skin. It is widely used topically to penetrate the skin deeply and is light in texture, making for an ideal facial oil. It is excellent as a simple overnight facial treatment and leaves skin feeling beautifully soft and supple. Sweet almond oil also has anti-inflammatory properties that help tame chapping, reduce redness caused by drying, ease the effects of eczema and rosacea, and keep skin calm and comfortable.

Tsubaki Oil – Camellia Oil

The Japanese call Camellia flowers 'Tsubaki', which translates to "shiny leaf tree". This oil, derived from the flowers of the shiny leaf tree, is abundant in vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, which provide nourishment to the skin, help retain moisture and leave a smooth texture. The reason it is so moisturising is that it replenishes skin lipids, which are integral to preventing water loss while not clogging pores. Camelia seed oil has been shown to increase collagen production within the epidermis and is widely praised for sinking into the deepest layers of skin.

Vitamin B3 – Niacinamide

By boosting the production of natural lipids like ceramides and fatty acids, Vitamin B3 fortifies the skin's barrier function, thereby ensuring it stays plump, smooth, and hydrated as well as protected from outside damage. It inhibits the production of melanin pigments, which can cause skin discolouration, while the anti-inflammatory benefits help diminish redness and irritation, resulting in a radiant and even skin tone. By increasing collagen and elastin production and improving microcirculation, Vitamin B3 helps revive skin and bring back a healthy glow and texture.

Vitamin B5

Also called Panthenol, Vitamin B5 calms the skin and promotes the healing of blemishes and other damage. Keeping water in the cells, it penetrates the lower epidermis and stimulates cells that boost the skin barrier function. A strong, healthy, intact barrier locks in moisture and keeps it from escaping. Those same cells that promote skin barrier function are also crucial for healing, so panthenol is often used for minor skin injuries. Panthenol has been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect on UV-induced redness, which is why it's usually found in ointments used for sunburns.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E's most significant benefits are its antioxidants and moisturising properties. The fat-soluble antioxidants help neutralise free radicals, condition environmentally exposed skin and lower sebum production, reducing blackheads. The moisturising properties of Vitamin E help your skin fight inflammation, reduce itch and prevent the development of fine lines and wrinkles while also softening and minimising the appearance of scar tissue. Vitamin E excels in keeping the skin moist, sealing up cracks while maintaining a soft and subtle feeling.

Willow Bark Extract

With anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, willow bark extract provides gentle exfoliation to reveal more radiant, healthy-looking skin while alleviating redness and irritation. Willow bark extract is rich in natural astringents (tannins), which keep the skin tight and makes the pores appear smaller while simultaneously reducing oiliness and, therefore, acne breakouts. The rich antioxidants of polyphenols and flavonoids help the skin fight against free radical damage, reduce signs of ageing, eliminate wrinkles and retain moisture.

Xylitol

The common sweetener, Xylitol, is also used in the cosmetic industry thanks to its ability to retain moisture in the skin while increasing hyaluronic acid and collagen production. Known for its ability to create a natural barrier, Xylitol is similar to glycerin because it helps hydrate and strengthens the skin's barrier. It's also able to normalise the natural process that skin cells go through as they travel from the lower to upper layers.

Yogurt Extract

When "good" bacteria is mixed with milk, we get yoghurt that's rich in calcium, proteins, minerals and a host of other nutrients to help cells regenerate faster and protect the environment. Rich in lactic acid, which accelerates the skin renewal processes and helps improve the moisture balance in the skin, yoghurt extract helps restore your skin's natural balance while protecting it from the damaging effects of stress and early signs of ageing.