The Middle Eastern folk tale Arabian Nights believed so firmly in the magical powers of sesame seeds that it coined the phrase 'open sesame'. Whether it's down to magic or science, we agree that sesame adds something special to products.

Where do we get it?

Lush* source sesame-based ingredients from a few different places. For example, our Fair Trade Organic Sesame Oil comes from East Africa, where our supplier maintains a fully transparent, traceable supply chain. Our Black Sesame Oil, meanwhile, is sourced from a supplier in Japan, where the Yamada Seiyu family has overseen sesame oil production for over 100 years. You can read more about our sources and buying stories by clicking on individual ingredients.

*With several manufacturing sites across the globe, this information may vary depending on where your Lush products were made.

What are the benefits of sesame for the skin and hair?

• Rich, nutty aroma • Contains polyphenols, such as sesamin, that protect the skin • Full of Vitamin E to firm, soothe and repair • Fatty acids make it very moisturising for skin and hair • Sesamol is a natural preservative. It aids product stability, helping formulas to last longer

Alongside its highly nourishing, anti-inflammatory benefits, scientists have been exploring sesame's other properties. They discovered that the compound sesamin may have a stimulating effect on melanin, the pigment responsible for skin, hair and eye colour. By stimulating melanin production, it could have a tanning effect on the skin and offer some light protection against some of the sun's harmful effects. It makes sesame a great ingredient to use alongside other sunscreen agents to support their effectiveness.

What is sesame?

Sesame is an annual plant in the family Pedaliaceae, native to Asia and North Africa. Different varieties can grow from 0.5m to 2.5m tall, with rose-coloured flowers that produce capsules containing black and white seeds. Once ripe, the seeds pop free from the capsule, scatter, and are ready for harvest. Sesame has one of the highest oil contents of the seed world, and is one of the oldest known oilseed crops. Baskets of sesame seeds were even found in the tomb of the infamous Egyptian Pharaoh, Tutankhamun.