Natural skincare is a slice of the beauty industry in constant growth. It’s not a pure matter of trends: people are more and more concerned about what they’re spreading onto their skin, and they’re swapping for natural solutions.
@monfocusWhile studying the drugstores’ aisles, I became familiar with a huge array of botanicals in natural cosmetics and I discovered new extracts I wasn’t aware of! Today, I’ll briefly list some powerful natural extracts and what they are specific for.
Natural skincare saves traditional knowledge and employ plant, root, fruit and seed extracts and oils for gentle and eco-friendly products.
I remember slicing leaves of a pretty common succulent plant, scooping out its fresh gel, and applying it to an annoying sunburn to get instant relief. I know you know that: it’s the aloe vera magic! Aloe Barbadensis – its Latin name – is an evergreen presence in regular soothing and aftersun beauty products but it’s not the only one, let’s see how many we know…
@casellesingold – Franziska Ingold
An oat bath is a childhood memory for most of us, the Avena Sativa extract is known to give relief to dryness, inflammation and itchiness due to dehydration and skin diseases; Camomille – Matricaria Chamomilla – has calming properties and it’s used to reduce redness and to depuff tired, swelled eyes.
@silviaritaSome botanical extracts are used as a booster and anti-ageing agents: it’s the case of caffeine from coffee beans – Coffea Arabica – a stimulating chemical used in many anticellulite and reviving eye care products; green tea – Camellia Sinensis – is rich in antioxidants to fight free radicals, inflammation, and bacteria causing acne; grape seeds oil – Vitis Vinifera – is another extract full of antioxidant used in anti-age skincare. Treatments for dehydrated and flaky skin often contain evening prime rose oil – Oenothera Biennis – emollient and inflammatory; rosehip oil (Rosa Canina), jojoba oil (Simmondsia Chinensis) and sea buckthorn oil – Hippophae Rhanoides.
@monicore
If your primary concern is keeping your daily hydration, your body and skin care will also contain good sources of antioxidant Vitamin E and fatty acids to protect and moist your skin. These are the aims of these super oils and butter: almond oil (Prunus Dulcis), argan oil (Argania Spinosa), olive oil (Olea Europea), coconut oil and butter (Cocos Nucifera), sunflower oil (Helianthus Annuus), cocoa butter (Theobroma Cacao) and avocado oil (Persea Americana).
@ceanverde – Alex Dutemp
I guess most of you – at some point during your life – struggled with blemishes, imperfections or acne. Skincare for problematic or young skin often uses green tea to fight bacterial infections and camomille to soothe; but also echinacea (Echinacea Angustifolia) which reduces inflammation and helps cellular regeneration; witch hazel – Hamamelis Virginiana – with its purifying and astringent properties; tea tree oil – Melaleuca Alternifolia – a powerful antibacterial.
@ilyessuti – Ilona Ilyés
The beauty industry is expanding, and if you’re accustomed to squishy seaweed in your face mask by now, you may need a bit of time to adjust to new trends… Recently, I have been intrigued by the quick spread of many cannabis or CBD skincare.
The ‘beauty archaeologist’ had to give this green leaf a go and went deep into her investigations: I tried my first cannabis moisturiser and read more about the cannabis family which is very interesting, yet complicated! Hempseed oil and CBD (cannabidiol) come from two plants of the same species of Cannabis.
@demip101 – Demi Pradolin
Hempseed oil is a good source of essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) and vitamin A, D and E; and studies proved it’s an excellent anti-inflammatory and a no-clogging moisturizer. CBD oil arrived on the market quite recently. It also spread fast as the light in the US after California legalised marijuana in 2016. CBD oil is the no-psychotropic component of marijuana: it has no ‘high effects’. When compared to its cousin, it shows some similarities, but it has a higher concentration of cannabidiol, and it’s more expensive! It has both antioxidant – read anti-age – soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, and it’s used topically on acne-prone, dry and sensitive skin, as well as in the case of eczema and psoriasis.
The buzz is huge, and this new oil became the Holy Grail for smooth, dewy and young skin! The natural skincare family is bigger than I could ever imagine, and it looks like CBD oil is actually the big next thing in this industry. My crystal ball tells me the future of beauty is going to be more than more natural, it’s going to be very, very green!
Valentina Chirico aka Valens
