Botanical Beauty

Botanical Beauty

Discover the benefits of botanical beauty skincare.

Botanicals are powerful plant extracts and oils derived from plants, flowers, herbs, nuts, seeds, roots and berries. They have been used in beauty regimes for centuries, even Cleopatra used black cumin seed oil as a beauty treatment. You may not be familiar with the term, but most of our natural and organic beauty brands use botanicals in their products.

“Just as feeding our bodies with natural ingredients may benefit our general health, feeding our skin with natural ingredients may benefit our skin health,” comments Rose Holmes, education and training manager for Rio Health, “Plant-based ingredients provide natural nourishment—fatty acids, antioxidants, hydrating and soothing ingredients. They provide these nutrients without the potentially harmful chemical compounds which may detrimentally affect general health and skin health.”

Studies have shown that long term use of skincare blends made entirely from plant oils and extracts produces healthier skin compared to those using synthetic products.

“Plants and plant extracts have many useful properties – at least 50,000 plants are used medicinally worldwide, and it is estimated that around 75 percent of all medical drugs are either still derived from plants or are manmade copies of plant-derived molecules,” explains Green People’s cosmetic scientist, Ian Taylor. “If plants have so many health-related benefits, it seems logical to assume that they will also have potential benefits when used topically on our skin and hair.”

Taylor recommends looking for botanical skincare products that contain green tea, rosemary, baical skullcap and artichoke.

Green Tea and Rosemary
“Some plant extracts have a long history of use in cosmetics and the rationale for their use was often based on tradition and folklore.

“Examples of traditional botanicals include green tea and rosemary extracts. Both of these are rich in antioxidants that help to reduce free-radical activity and may protect living cells from oxidative damage that can cause premature ageing and the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.

“Studies have also shown that green tea extract can inhibit the action of the enzyme collagenase which is responsible for degradation of collagen, the substance that forms the underlying supporting structure of the skin. Rosemary extract has been shown to inhibit the formation of prostaglandins, specifically PGE2, which is a major cause of skin irritation and inflammation.

Baical Skullcap
“A more recent discovery is an extract from the baical skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi) that has been found to have remarkable anti-ageing properties by regenerating structures called telomeres which protect strands of DNA that form the nucleus of every living cell. During each cell division, a small portion of the telomeres is lost. Eventually all of the telomere structures are lost and the cell can no longer reproduce or replicate itself and will die. By regenerating the telomeres before they are all lost the cell is able to continue reproducing and maintain a younger, more youthful skin appearance.

Try: Green People’s Age Defy+ Line Eraser Lip & Eye Serum & Green People’s Damask Rose Moisturiser

Artichoke
“Another novel ingredient is an extract from the leaves of the artichoke plant which has the ability to repair damage caused to hair protein by heat, chemical treatments, chlorine and exposure to UV light. This extract restores the protective integrity of the outer cuticle layer of the hair shaft leaving the hair smoother and shinier. It also helps to lock pigments inside the hair shaft meaning that colour-treatments to hair last longer.”

Try: Green People’s Quinoa & Artichoke Shampoo

Holmes also suggests looking for botanical products that contain rosa mosqueta (rosehip) oil, red algae extract, sacha inchi and cranberry seed oil:

Rosa Mosqueta
“Look for rosa mosqueta oil which has a good balance of essential fatty acids—which may benefit cell membranes and support skin’s natural oil barrier. Rosa mosqueta oil is a natural moisturiser and may help to fade scars and stretch marks, reduce signs of ageing and nourish dry skin.

Try: Rio Rosa’s Mosqueta Rosehip Discovery Set

Red Algae
“Look for natural sunscreen in daytime moisturisers—red algae extract is an example of a natural UVA filter. UVA is the one which is implicated in skin ageing, sagging and skin cancer.

Sacha Inchi
“Look for antioxidant-rich sacha inchi which is rich in omega-3 and antioxidants vitamin E, vitamin C and carotenoids to help fight against oxidative damage.

Try: Rio Rosa’s Mosqueta Antioxidant Facial Oil

Cranberry Seed
“Look for cranberry seed oil which is super-absorbing and moisturising and can help protect the skin from environmental stressors.”

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