How to Know If Your Beauty Product is Organic Botanics
When you hear "natural," images of blue skies and birds chirping are what come to your mind. However when it comes down to cosmetics, the term natural is often misused. Many companies advertise their products as natural' even though they contain processed ingredients. How do you know if a product is truly organic or not?
Bluh Alchemy
Bluh Alchemy is an innovative clean skincare brand with an incredibly small, targeted range that contains synergistic blends of rare botanical extracts. Becky Bluh studied cosmetics chemistry and discovered how to harness the power of plant-based ingredients for profound physiological effects. She sought out a range of rare plant extracts that can create a blueprint for optimal skin health and protect against premature ageing and free radical damage, as well as the effects of oxidative stress.
Bluh's studies on rare botanicals and her research led her to the groundbreaking Cellular Extraction Process, which allows the extraction of the phytoactive profile of a plant in its most potent form. Her formulas make use of this revolutionary technology to deliver Advanced Bioactive Solutions to the skin.
We picked two full-size Bluh Alchemy products for February's Beauty Heroes Discovery: the Botanic Retinol Cell Regeneration Concentrate (hero however, make it super!) and the Eye Oil serum (sidekick that every superhero requires). Bakuchiol, which is a derivative of retinol, replicates the corrective qualities of retinol. It is used in this concentrate to visibly correct fine wrinkles, enlarged pores and breakouts. This is combined with a suite of antioxidants that include Kakadu plum to boost cell renewal and reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and finger lime caviar that helps improve the firmness and tone of the skin, and mountain pepper leaf extract cellular with amazing ORAC to help protect against premature ageing.
African Botanics
In a corner in the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, Johannesburg, South Africa, grows a yellow-tinged Strelitzia (also called Mandela's gold) which is an indigenous species that is also the country's botanical symbol. It's a tribute to the moral leader and founder of the Rainbow Nation and a reminder that South Africa has a deep connection with nature.
The launch of the line of ultra-luxe, green cosmetics African Botanics was more than simply a creative venture for Craig and Julia Noik. It was a chance to share their home with other people and provide them with a a sense of connection to the long-standing traditions of this land that has been a constant part of their lives.
The resulting skincare collection pays homage to the traditional African beauty rituals, using traditional African phytochemistry and cutting-edge phytopharmacology. The most potent South African plants, sustainably harvested from the country's remote and unexplored regions, are then combined with powerful actives selected by biochemists and botanists from South Africa and around the world. The plants are then encapsulated with advanced extraction and encapsulation techniques, to create the ultimate eco-luxe high-performance green beauty.
Fifty7 Kind
Fifty7 Kind, an internet-first brand, offers plant-based skin care products with eco-friendly packaging. The elegant line of skincare and body care contains ingredients sourced in Southern Africa. These include oil extracts from plants and seeds as well as unique minerals from the desert, the sea and the land. Gabrielle (founder Fifty7 Kind), grew up in the English countryside as a natural child. She claims that her mother taught to cook with raw materials and to gather wild herbs for beauty.
Slow-fusion artisanal process utilizing sustainable botanicals ensures concentrated extracts that help improve skin health with nutrients, vitamins, trace minerals, fatty acid, and non-polar amino acids. The brand is a source of rare, wild-crafted, and under-the-radar botanicals like Ugandan Vanilla and a sub-species of shea called Vitellaria Nilotica which contains high levels of Vitamin A + E + K as well as non-polar antioxidants.
YINA is a California-based organic skincare brand founded by two female Chinese Medicine doctors. The brand blends ancient Eastern herbal remedies with organic luxury. YINA products are made up of traditional medicinal herbs and plants, such as Ashwagandha and Hawthorne Berry in addition to more common organic ingredients that are found in other skincare lines.
Live Botanical
Botanical skincare that bridges the gap between traditional and modern methods, creating balance & harmony to enhance your unique beauty. Made in Portland, OR.
A botanical is a species of plant or part of a plant valued for its medicinal properties and flavor or scent. Since the beginning of time botanicals have been used to maintain and enhance health. This includes skin care.
Botanicals can be purchased in fresh or dried form, and in a variety of preparations. You can find them in the produce section of the supermarket or in the dietary supplements section in the form of capsules, tablets or tea bags. A single chemical can also be isolated from botanicals and then sold in capsule or tablet form as a food item.
The safety of a particular plant depends on its chemical makeup and how it functions within the body, and how it is prepared. The amount of botanicals that are used in a product could also impact the safety of the product. A cup of tea contains only a tiny amount of botanical, while extracts or tinctures are much more concentrated.
A tincture is produced when a botanical is soaked in some liquid, like water or alcohol, to extract the desired constituents. A tincture may be diluted into different strengths. The strength of a botanical tincture is expressed in terms of a ratio between the extract and the botanical.
YINA
The founders of YINA, Angela Chau Gray and Ervina Wu, are experts in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). premium organic cbd Their brand pays homage to the ancient philosophies of TCM with professional TCM practitioners at the helm. The result is advanced, refined, and artisanal formulas that are specifically designed for modern-day health and wellness practices like Acupressure, acupuncture, jade rolling and gua sha for the whole body.
YINA is made sustainably in California, and its products are enriched in powerful bio-adaptive herbs. Their flagship products are the NOURISH botanical oil serum and the mask for preventing pollution. Both are high in the nutrient-rich camellia seed oil, safflower oil, and licorice root. They also contain anti-aging botanicals like rhodiola and Asian knotweed. The mask also includes cleansing moringa, pear and coconut carbon.
Felicia is part of the highly efficient YINA operations team. She loves trying new products and observing the self-care rituals espoused the brand's founders. She loves the YINA Anti-Pollution mask, which includes cleansing agents such as pearl powder, skullcap root and moringa.
Malaya Organics
Malaya Organics is a Brooklyn-based 100 100% natural high-performance line created by Katya Slepak, an expert formulator, designer of products and certified aromatherapist. The company's nourishing and effective products help skin's aging process and are safe for both men and women. Their balancing elixirs contain an effective blend of phytonutrient-rich whole-plant extracts, that are infused in-house to ensure maximum effectiveness, enriched with anti-aging and nourishing essences and oils of plants that are recognized for their anti-inflammatory and elasticity-boosting properties.
Their ingredients come from the Taigas of Siberia, forests of India and the Amazon, and the deserts of Morocco to provide you with a skin-transforming experience that is mindfully formulated to help connect you to your own inner world of peace, balance and healing. The name "Malaya", which is derived from a Shambhala sandalwood forest, also refers to a sacred sacrificial garland worn during ceremonies. These are the motifs that led to the creation of this carefully selected collection of 100% pure, therapeutic grade skincare.
Fran Miller
Long before going natural was cool, Toronto-based Fran Miller launched her own beauty brand with the motto "less is more." Now, with the summer heat rising, Miller's pared-back roster of essential oils for skincare is taking the world of wellness by storm. The lineup includes everything, including a goji fruit and shea butter body buff to hair smoothing spray and a multi-tasking face oil.
Since its beginning, F. Miller's commitment to environmental sustainability has been based on organic, ethically-sourced ingredients and partnerships with responsible manufacturers locally and globally. All of their high performance essentials are free of harmful preservatives, synthetic fragrances, colorings, parabens, phthalates, mineral oils, petrolatum aluminum, GMO's, and SLS's.
All products are blended and packaged by hand in small batches to preserve freshness. The label works with cosmetic chemists who create nutrient-rich botanical blends that nourish and promote radiant skin. Aside from their meticulously sourced ingredients, the brand has a green conscience that extends to their packaging and practices. They focus on environmentally-friendly packaging and utilize recyclable and biodegradable glass. They also offer a refill and subscription program to further reduce the amount of waste.