WATCH LIST

Consumers are being urged to look out for products which contain plants that are susceptible to problems such as being over-collected or vulnerable to unsustainable levels of trade They include: Frankincense - an aromatic resin used in cosmetics collected from wild trees mostly in the Horn of Africa. Shea butter - collected from trees in the Sahel region of Africa and used for chocolate and cosmetics. Jatamansi/spikenard - an essential oil from a herbaceous plant that grows wild in the Himalayas and used in aromatherapy and cosmetics. Gum arabic - the resin of Acacia trees used as a stabiliser in food products and primarily collected from wild trees in the Sahel region of Africa. Goldenseal - a herbal medicine extracted from the roots of a herbaceous plant that grows wild in south-eastern Canada and the eastern United States. Candelilla - a wax harvested from wild Euphorbia in Mexico for use primarily in cosmetic products. Pygeum - widely used as a herbal remedy for prostate problems, extracted from the bark of African cherry trees growing in sub-saharan Africa and Madagascar. Argan oil - a highly-valued oil used in cosmetics and cooking extracted from the nuts of the Argan tree.