Inspiration for the name of Zambesia Botanica came from the Zambesi River, the fourth largest river in Africa, where the Kigelia Africana (sausage tree) grows along its bank. This tree is found in South, Central and West Africa. It is called the  ‘sausage tree’  because of its huge sausage-shaped fruits that hang from long stalks. The bark, roots and fruit of this tree have long been used by Africans for everything from digestive and respiratory disorders to treating infections and wounds. As more clinical trials are taking place, they are confirming the many medicinal properties of the sausage tree.

The brand

The Zambesia Botanica brand came into being due to a personal experience of the healing properties of the Kigelia Africa tree.  Derek Mann had suffered from psoriasis for over 45 years. On a business trip to Africa, the local remedy was recommended to him by a doctor.  He was so impressed with the results that he asked Ming Majoe, a pharmacist and director of AE Hobbs, a retail pharmacy,  to investigate its medicinal properties and uses. They began selling a range of skin care products called Zambesia Botanica as a result of this investigation.

Scent and Texture

There is a very slight, earthy scent to the cream which is not unpleasant. It has a smooth, creamy texture.

Application

It always wise to Initially apply it to a small area to test for any irritation. Sensitivity to this product is rare but but can occur with any product. It is easy to apply and disappears quickly as it is absorbed by the skin.

Ingredients

Aqua, Kigelia africana, petrolatum,cocos nucifera (coconut), prunus amygdalus dulcis (almond oil), cera alba,polysorbate 60, cetearyl alcohol, sorbitan stearate, phenoxy ethanol, methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, disodium EDTA.

All ingredients are from non-animal sources. The addition of coconut and almond oil make this cream particularly suited to very dry skin.

What does it do?

The cream is absorbed into the skin and starts to repair it at a cellular level.

Conditions, firms and heals

The Tonga women of the Zambezi Valley regularly apply Kigelia Africana to their faces to improve their complexions. Several scientific studies in recent years have established that it reduces inflammation and stimulates healing. It also helps to improve skim firmness and elasticity as the active ingredients stabilize and strengthen the collagen fibers supporting the skin.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a problem where the skin turnover rate is much faster than normal. Sufferers have noticed that using Kigelia Africana can dramatically improve this condition over time.  It appears to ‘damp down’ overactive cell growth. It is even effective for treating those who have suffered from psoriasis for many years, such as Derek Mann who had suffered for over 45 years.

Eczema

People with atopic eczema often have very dry skin and the dryness makes it more likely to react to triggers that make it red and itchy. This cream has a soothing effect on the dryness, flakiness and redness.

Dr K. Findlay of Rusthall testifies on Zambesia Botanica’s website saying “Thank you for your help and information regarding Zambesia Botanica. I have a patient who is a seven month old baby. When he was approximately two months old, he suffered from bad exzema on his face, his head, his body, his arms and around his neck. We have tried lots of different creams and emollients to try and help this. Unfortunately, it is a persisting problem. For the past month, his mum has been using Zambesia Botanica. She started using it twice a day, and now uses it four times a day and has noticed a vast improvement.”

Katy says “Probably the best thing I have ever found! I had eczema as a child, I am now 26 and still sometimes get it. My parents came across this, and it literally seemed to kill it off, I had years of my parents trying everything else possible, and this was the only thing that ever worked. I will always recommend this to anyone with any type of skin problems!”

Age spots and sun damage

In 2000 researchers at Kings College in London took crude extracts of the bark and fruit and isolated components that were found to have cell-destroying effects on melanoma cells. Dr Peter Houghton, a biochemist of Kings College in London said that the product is “active against various cancer lines and melanoma cells”. In 2009, authors Olatunji A. Gabriel and Atolani Olubunmi published an article  on the use of Kigelia Africana as a viable medicinal plant and said “It has a high potential for development into viable drugs as more facts emanate from its uses, especially as a strong anti-cancer agent.”

MH says “This cream was recommended to me by a lady who had lived in Zimbabwe for 30 years. she used it for sun damaged skin. I used the cream as advised and a small area of sun damaged skin on my nose has disappeared after 3 weeks. It is also working on a similar area on my leg. I would advise getting a check by a doctor as well, but this cream has certainly done the trick for me.”

My personal experience

I have personally used Zambesia Botanica for the past two months on my seborheic keratosis. I found that with three applications a day for two months, it was completely healed. Instead of an ugly growth on my skin, it was clear and smooth.

Seborrheic keratosis is a common type of skin problem that first appears in middle age or later. These growths can look quite ugly and appear almost anywhere on the skin. The fact that they are unsightly may cause some worry but they are benign. Keratosis is an excessive growth of keratin, a skin protein, and there are different types such as solar keratosis and seborheic keratosis.

A diagnosis

I have had several rough, brown patches on my back for years but was never really concerned about them – I couldn’t even see them unless I made an effort. Recently my daughter caught a glimpse of one of them and she didn’t like the look of it. She took a photo of it with her cell phone and showed it to me. I agreed with her – it didn’t look good. I went to my GP who took a close look and said “I have good news and bad news. The good news is that it’s not a melanoma. The bad news is that it’s a seborrheic keratosis. I can ‘freeze’ it for you but you already have quite a few and you are only going to get more”. As I walked out of his office he called after me “They are also called ‘senile warts”. In my case, my GP was able to diagnose a seborreic keratosis just by looking at it. If he had any doubt, I know he would have referred me to a dermatologist.

No-one knows the precise cause of these growths. Some people seem to inherit a tendency to develop a large number of them.  I remembered that as he grew older, the skin on father’s back was covered with huge, warty patches and his sister had the same problem.

What does a seborreic keratosis look like?

It most likely starts as a small, rough bump. The bump slowly thickens and starts to develop a wart-like appearance. These bumps range in color from skin coloured to light brown, dark brown and black. Several of mine even have a mix of colors and this is apparently normal. They look as though they are pasted onto the skin and some are described as looking like a dab of candle wax and others like barnacles. I have a few that look exactly like candle wax but most of mine look far more like barnacles.  They are crusty rather than waxy and dark in colour. The one my daughter was concerned about was roughly 1cm in diameter.

Using Zambesia Botanica

The ‘sausage tree’ cream was given to me by a friend but I was sceptical and it stayed in my medicine cabinet. However, when I developed a skin-coloured warty lump on my face,  I decided to give it a serious try. I began applying it three times a day. At first I was quite disturbed about the results. It became uglier, rougher and browner. I decided to just keep going as it was obviously having some kind of effect. After about two weeks of applying it every day, my mother and sister kept telling me they were concerned about it and I questioned whether it was improving. After another month of assiduous application, I began to notice a distinct difference. The patch started to shed pieces and became smaller and smaller, eventually resembling a small spot on my skin and then disappearing altogether. I was totally blown away. My experience made me want to find out more about what made it so effective and I realized that I had discovered what the indigenous people of Africa have known for centuries and what researchers have discovered more recently –  sausage tree extract definitely has healing qualities. I am going to start using it on the patches on my back as well now. They are harder to reach but at least I may be able to prevent suffering the same fate as my father.

The good:

It targets the causes of skin conditions without the harmful effects associated with the long-term use of other systemic medications, like steroids. Sausage Tree Cream targets the metabolic processes that cause skin conditions and thus provides long lasting results.

• Soothing
• Non-greasy
• Free of lanolin
• Does not stain
• Not messy
• Easy to apply
• Safe to use for all ages

The bad:

• Costly
• Takes time
• Possible sensitivities

Where can you get it?

It is available from the Zambesia Botanica website.

Zambesia Botanica Skin Cream Extra 50ml is also available on Amazon.com.