We discover the top botanicals for skincare and beauty…

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.

Our Top 5 Beauty Botanicals
We’ve picked out five of our favourite botanicals, so look out for these ingredients when buying new natural beauty products…

Witch Hazel
Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) has powerful astringent properties which make it an effective natural acne treatment. It also helps to reduce blisters and insect bites. Its strong astringent and antioxidant properties help to kill bacteria living within the skin’s pores and prevent cellular damage and aging. Witch hazel also helps to speed up skin healing, and tightens, tones and cleanses the skin. It is ideal as a facial mister.

Tamanu Oil
Tamani oil (Calophyllum inophyllum) is particularly beneficial for its skin-healing properties; it heals burns, cuts and rough spots. Evidence has also found it to be effective for scarring, stretch marks, rashes and sores. It also contains antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and antioxidant properties. It has been proven to reduce acne too.

Hawthorn
Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) has been praised for centuries for its heart health benefits, but it has also been proven to have a powerful effect on the skin. Taken internally and topically, it rapidly increases the function of new collagen. The antioxidant content in hawthorn also makes it useful for applying topically to burns, sores and acne. It also has anti-inflammatory compounds which are helpful for reducing itching from healing wounds and skin conditions, like eczema and psoriasis.

Rosemary Oil
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is brilliant for hair, it is known to promote a healthy, moisturised scalp, and improve the health of hair follicles. People claim that their hair is stronger and shiner after using rosemary and it is known to reverse premature greying. Rosemary is also beneficial for the skin, it increases the skin’s elasticity therefore helping to decrease droopiness and age spots. It also contains anti-inflammatory compounds which help to minimise puffiness, and thanks to its antiseptic properties it reduces acne too.

Manuka Oil
Manuka oil (Leptospermum Scoparium) is great for dandruff; it maintains moisture and oil balance in the scalp, stops degeneration of the scalp skin and fights infections on the scalp- all of which are the causes of dandruff. Mix it with bath water or blend it with an essential oil and then massage into the scalp. Manuka oil is also great for the skin; it is more powerful than tea tree oil and has a more pleasant aroma. It has antibacterial and antioxidant properties, and promotes the growth and healing of wounds. Some studies have found that it also helps to fade scars.