Ingredients
What’s inside our gel — and why it’s there.
We don’t use fillers or overcomplicated blends. Every ingredient in GinGingers has a job to do — and it’s all been chosen for a reason.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Vinegar has been valued for thousands of years, with historical accounts describing its use in ancient Babylon and Greece. Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, is also believed to have used vinegar in some of his traditional preparations. Today, apple cider vinegar remains a much-loved ingredient in traditional beauty routines.
Naturally acidic, apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid and naturally occurring fruit acids, including malic acid—an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). These qualities make it a popular ingredient in skincare for blemish-prone and oily skin, helping to leave it feeling fresh, clean and cared for.
The apple cider vinegar we use is something special. Produced in Yorkshire by a small, family-run farm using organic farming methods, it is made through a slow, traditional fermentation process. It has an acidity of approximately 3.75% and retains “The Mother”—the naturally cloudy fermentation culture found in traditional, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. We affectionately call it “the good stuff”.
The quality of this vinegar is second to none. It is the care, experience and time that go into making this Yorkshire wonder that truly set it apart from the crowd.
Our Apple Cider Vinegar Gel is a professionally formulated cosmetic product. We do not recommend applying undiluted apple cider vinegar directly to the skin.
Witch Hazel Extract
Witch hazel has always been a real favourite of mine. Long before GinGingers, it was something I personally reached for whenever everyday bumps and knocks left my skin needing a little extra care.
It comes from a remarkable shrub with delicate, ribbon-like golden-yellow flowers. Unusually, it bursts into bloom during autumn and early winter, bringing a beautiful flash of colour just as most other plants are becoming dormant.
Used in traditional skincare for generations, witch hazel has naturally astringent qualities that help to gently tone and refresh the skin, remove excess oil and leave pores appearing less noticeable. It’s particularly well suited to oily and blemish-prone skin, helping it feel clean, calm and cared for.
The witch hazel in our Apple Cider Vinegar Gel is also completely alcohol-free, making it a gentler choice for our carefully balanced formula.
Liquorice Root Extract
And where do we start with this little wonder? Liquorice is one of our favourites—not only for what it brings to our formula, but because its roots run deep through our hometown of Pontefract.
Liquorice has been grown in Pontefract since at least the 1500s and may have arrived even earlier with medieval monks. It thrived in the town’s deep soil and was once grown in plots behind people’s homes, known locally as “garths.” It was originally prepared for traditional medicinal use before sugar was added in the late 1700s, helping to create the famous Pontefract Cake.
But liquorice root offers far more than its famous flavour. Naturally rich in beneficial plant compounds, it is treasured in skincare for its soothing and antioxidant qualities. It helps calm the feel of unsettled skin and supports a brighter, more even-looking complexion, making it especially lovely for skin prone to redness, blemishes and uneven tone.
A powerful botanical with centuries of local history—liquorice root feels right at home in GinGingers
Meadowfoam Seed Oil
Don’t let its delicate white flowers fool you—meadowfoam is a wonderfully hardworking little plant.
Cold-pressed from the seeds of the Limnanthes alba flower, meadowfoam seed oil has an unusual composition made up predominantly of very long-chain fatty acids. This makes it exceptionally resistant to oxidation and one of the most stable natural plant oils used in cosmetics. As well as caring for the skin, that natural stability helps protect the quality and shelf life of our carefully balanced formula.
On the skin, it acts as a lightweight emollient, helping to soften, condition and reduce moisture loss without feeling heavy or overly greasy. It gives our gel its beautiful, silky glide, allowing it to spread smoothly and leaving the skin feeling soft, nourished and comfortable.
It is considered non-comedogenic and is particularly suited to formulas for oily and blemish-prone skin—bringing moisture and nourishment without that heavy, pore-clogging feel.
A delicate flower with remarkable staying power, meadowfoam seed oil brings softness, slip and natural stability to every tube of GinGingers.
Tea Tree Oil
Now this one really does pack a punch—the mighty tea tree!
Tea tree oil is steam-distilled from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a small tree native to Australia. Despite its name, it isn’t related to the tea plant used to make your morning cuppa. It belongs to the myrtle family and has distinctive narrow leaves and soft, papery bark.
Tea tree oil is widely recognised for its naturally cleansing and purifying qualities. It is particularly popular in products created for oily, congested and blemish-prone skin, helping it feel fresh, clear and cared for.
In our formula, it works alongside apple cider vinegar to complement its naturally acidic character and bring an extra cleansing boost. It also contributes its unmistakably fresh, herbaceous scent, helping to balance the natural aroma of the vinegar.
Small but mighty, tea tree oil is a powerful botanical ally that helps our multi-purpose gel leave the face, scalp and body feeling clean, calm and refreshed.
