Not all plant oils are equal. Two bottles labelled rosehip oil or macadamia oil can have almost nothing in common when it comes to what they actually do for your skin, depending entirely on how they were made.
This is one of the most important distinctions in natural skincare, and one of the least talked about.
What cold-pressed means
Cold-pressing is the traditional method of extracting oil from a plant — seeds, nuts, or kernels are mechanically pressed without the application of heat. The oil that results retains its full natural profile: the fatty acids, the vitamins, the antioxidants, the plant sterols.
Everything that gives a botanical oil its value for skin is still present and intact. The process is slower and yields less oil per batch than industrial methods. That is why cold-pressed oils cost more. It is also why they work better.
What refined means
Refined oils are processed using heat, chemical solvents, and filtration to increase yield, extend shelf life, and produce a more neutral colour and scent. The result is an oil that is cheaper to produce and more stable in formulation — but significantly stripped of the compounds that make it beneficial.
A refined rosehip oil, for example, may retain its basic moisturising properties but lose much of the vitamin A and essential fatty acids that make unrefined rosehip genuinely effective for skin renewal and tone correction. You are paying for the name on the label, not the benefit.
Why it matters in skincare
Most mainstream skincare — even products marketed as natural — uses refined oils. The economics make sense from a manufacturing perspective. Refined oils are cheaper, more consistent batch to batch, and easier to work with in large-scale production.
What Pūraka uses
Every oil in the Pūraka range is cold-pressed. Macadamia, apricot kernel, rosehip, argan, kiwi — each one chosen for its specific fatty acid profile and its affinity for skin at every stage of life.
This is not a marketing claim. It is a formulation decision made by a homeopath and naturopath with 20 years of experience — someone who understands precisely why the method of extraction matters and would not compromise on it.
Nothing in Pūraka is in here by accident. That includes the oils.
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