Natural skincare solutions provide effective ways to hydrate, calm, and protect the skin. They may include essential oils, hydrosols (floral waters), dried leaves or powders.
Plants have long been used as natural remedies to address health and beauty needs. Packed full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients that support skin health, they offer endless potential.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are essential elements for botanical skincare solutions. They help combat the damaging effects of free radicals – unstable molecules which attack and damage skin cells, leading to premature aging and damage. You can find antioxidants in many fruits and vegetables or take supplements.
Antioxidants are the natural solution to the detrimental effects of oxidative stress, caused by smoking, pollution, poor diet and lack of sleep – factors which have been shown to exacerbate fine lines, sagging, loss of elasticity and hyperpigmentation in skin tissue.
Botanical ingredients like chamomile, green tea and aloe vera contain powerful antioxidants that offer your skin many benefits. From moisturizing the surface layer and improving elasticity to soothing redness and irritation to encouraging cell growth and creating radiant luminosity – botanical ingredients provide gentle yet effective skincare regimens without toxic chemicals or artificial fragrances.
Chamomile
Chamomile is your trusted ally when it comes to skin health issues. It calms redness, irritation and itchy patches while alleviating other annoying skin ailments like eczema and rosacea.
Natural astringents like white willow bark can help tighten pores and stop sebum overproduction, helping reduce acne breakouts while diminishing post-acne marks and scars.
This soothing ingredient also possesses skin-lightening properties to reduce hyperpigmentation for an overall brighter complexion.
Chamomile is an antioxidant that can protect your skin against free radicals that damage and speed up the ageing process, so try adding this powerhouse ingredient into your skincare regimen with cleansers, toners, and moisturizers to see its effectiveness first-hand! Just be sure that any new product undergoes an allergy patch test beforehand!
Lavender
Lavender oil offers many skin-saving advantages. When combined with a carrier oil, lavender’s soothing benefits help heal chapped skin while softening wrinkles. Furthermore, its antiseptic properties provide relief for bug bites.
Aromatherapy uses lavender’s scent to activate the brain’s emotional center, stimulating feelings of calm and sleepiness to help promote quality restful slumber. When applied directly to skin it also calms oily complexions by regulating sebum production.
To reap the maximum benefits from lavender essential oil, look for products that combine it with other botanicals. My Clarifying Dermagel blends the soothing essence of Lavandula angustifolia (true lavender) oil with potent antiseptics such as Thyme and Tea Tree for balanced skin that resists breakouts without over-drying. Lavender also works wonders as spot treatments for blemishes; unclogging pores while soothing redness and irritation reduction are just two additional uses; just be sure to dilute it first with another carrier oil!
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the best-known skincare ingredients, boasting numerous advantages for healthy skin. The naturally sourced antioxidant can brighten and revive skin tone and texture concerns while helping even out tone and texture imbalances, reduce redness and blemishes, prevent dark spots from forming and boost collagen for improved complexion health.
Antioxidants offer protection from free radical damage caused by UV rays and environmental pollutants, making it an effective treatment against signs of aging when combined with microneedling or laser therapies for even greater transformative results.
When purchasing serums with Vitamin C, look for stabilized forms. L-ascorbic acid, the most popular form found on an INCI list, can be irritating to sensitive skin types; therefore, choose formulas with stabilizing ingredients such as magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate or tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate which are less likely to cause irritation. It is always wise to do a patch test prior to applying any new skincare product.
