Plant-based skincare products provide gentle yet balancing care to the skin, relieving dryness and irritation while encouraging a healthy skin microbiota by supporting it compared with synthetic ingredients.
Plant extracts like aloe vera, chamomile and Shea butter offer soothing properties for the skin, while turmeric can relieve inflammation while brightening it further. Vitamin C also offers UV damage protection as it improves skin tone.
Natural ingredients
Plant-based skincare relies heavily on ingredients derived from plants grown organically. These contain antioxidants which protect skin against environmental damage, improve tone and texture, reduce signs of aging, as well as provide essential nourishment like Vitamin C found in berries, citrus fruits and leafy greens.
Even though plant-based products have seen tremendous popularity recently, it’s important to remember that not all natural or “green” cosmetics are necessarily safer than synthetic ones. Unfortunately, creating plant-based cosmetics with comparable performance to traditional skincare products is sometimes difficult and therefore researching ingredients within plant-based products is important in order to find those best suited to your skin type.
Emulsions
Emulsions combine oil and water into one product. They’re used for cosmetic products like face creams and lotions as well as haircare treatments, with either oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsions being possible.
Cosmetic chemists take great care to prevent chemical reactions between oil and water phases. This is because each has different densities and polarities, leading them to separate without proper emulsifier usage.
Lecithin is a natural emulsifier made up of plant or animal ingredients. It’s often used in skin care to form oil-in-water emulsions and improve the texture of creams, with excellent heat and oxidation stability and being good for improving barrier function.
Preservatives
Though some natural skincare brands advertise their products as being preservative-free, in order to be safe and effective they must contain preservatives in order to keep microorganisms at bay and avoid spoilage or side effects on skin.
Naturally-derived preservatives such as sodium benzoate, sorbic acid and benzyl alcohol can form part of what’s known as a “preservative system”, providing broad protection from bacteria, yeast and mould growth.
Green tea extract is another plant-based skincare ingredient popular among dermatologists, packed with anti-oxidants that can protect skin against environmental stressors such as UV rays, pollution and harsh chemicals. Furthermore, its anti-inflammatory properties may help alleviate redness or puffiness on the surface.
Colourants
Plant-based skincare formulations have grown increasingly popular due to being gentle on skin and free from potentially harmful chemicals, while being packed full of essential vitamins and antioxidants which promote good skin health.
Natural colours and pigments derived from plants offer an alternative that’s safe, biodegradable, effective, and easy to use compared to their synthetic counterparts that may cause allergies, irritation, or even cancer.
Green tea, for instance, helps revive skin by increasing hydration and decreasing puffiness while offering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that make it ideal for sensitive skin types. Furthermore, its presence can help balance oil levels that tend toward oilier types as well as providing balance in its oil levels; similarly chamomile is known to relax it further and improve its appearance.
Packaging
Plant-based skincare products are gentler on both your skin and the environment, avoiding harmful chemicals and fragrances that can wreak havoc with our health. As more people become aware of how harmful chemical-laden cosmetics can be for both their bodies and the planet, demand has grown for green beauty solutions.
Plant-based skincare offers numerous advantages for dry or irritated skin conditions. Not only is it quickly absorbed by your body, but its moisturizing capabilities allow it to deeply hydrate. Furthermore, plant-based products support your microbiome without clogging pores – all qualities which make these products ideal options.
Plant-based skincare is cruelty-free, made without animal ingredients. Some plant-based beauty brands even utilize recycled packaging that minimizes their environmental footprint during production. Furthermore, such companies prioritize energy efficiency and waste reduction during production to further decrease the environmental impact of their products.
