Seed to Skin

Hand holding AYA Balm tin showing ingredient label in South African pharmacy — natural skincare with raw fermented papaya

Is Your Skincare Truly Natural? What the Label ...

AYA founder Keren Pocock spent years waving the chemical-free flag - until someone pointed out that water is a chemical. What followed was years of formulating, researching, and having her...

Is Your Skincare Truly Natural? What the Label ...

AYA founder Keren Pocock spent years waving the chemical-free flag - until someone pointed out that water is a chemical. What followed was years of formulating, researching, and having her...

AYA Balm held on a forest trail in winter - natural skincare Plettenberg Bay

Winter Skin SOS

Every winter, my skin stages a small cadenza. Cold air, dry heating, and a routine that hasn't caught up yet. Here is what I actually do - and why a...

Winter Skin SOS

Every winter, my skin stages a small cadenza. Cold air, dry heating, and a routine that hasn't caught up yet. Here is what I actually do - and why a...

AYA Balm natural skincare tins with fresh papaya on tropical leaves - all natural petroleum-free balm made with sun ripened papayas, South Africa

Decoding the Gibberish: How to Read a Natural S...

Labels exist to inform you - so why do they read like ancient alchemy? AYA Natural Skin founder Keren Pocock traces the word gibberish back to an 8th-century Arab alchemist,...

Decoding the Gibberish: How to Read a Natural S...

Labels exist to inform you - so why do they read like ancient alchemy? AYA Natural Skin founder Keren Pocock traces the word gibberish back to an 8th-century Arab alchemist,...

Lumo green synthetic colour - the kind of dye hiding in your natural skincare products

The 'Eye Candy' Trap: What Synthetic Dyes Do to...

Synthetic dyes in your 'natural' skincare? Learn how CI codes hide in plain sight, why tiny amounts add up, and how to audit your labels.

The 'Eye Candy' Trap: What Synthetic Dyes Do to...

Synthetic dyes in your 'natural' skincare? Learn how CI codes hide in plain sight, why tiny amounts add up, and how to audit your labels.

Woman standing under hot shower - what hot water really does to your skin barrier

What Hot Water Really Does to Your Skin Barrier

Hot water, face steaming, saunas - are they all bad for your skin? I went down the rabbit hole from a freezing, powerless house in Plettenberg Bay and found the...

What Hot Water Really Does to Your Skin Barrier

Hot water, face steaming, saunas - are they all bad for your skin? I went down the rabbit hole from a freezing, powerless house in Plettenberg Bay and found the...

Raw fermented papaya in glass jars with fresh cut papaya - AYA Natural Skin hero ingredient

The Fruit Behind the Formula: Why Ripe Papaya C...

Most people know papaya as a skincare ingredient. Far fewer know that the difference between ripe and unripe papaya - and what happens when you ferment the pulp - is...

The Fruit Behind the Formula: Why Ripe Papaya C...

Most people know papaya as a skincare ingredient. Far fewer know that the difference between ripe and unripe papaya - and what happens when you ferment the pulp - is...