Making your beauty routine a little more natural doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice real results. In fact, you can have it both ways, thanks to some powerhouse botanicals that have hard science behind them.
Found in products at all price points, these substances do everything from protecting hair color to softening skin. Read on to discover some natural beauty wonders.
The redness reducer: Feverfew
According to new studies, this medicinal herb is one of the best at soothing skin irritation and inflammation. Plus, it actually stops redness before it can show up on your face. To get results, use a feverfew-based moisturizer or cleanser each morning and night.
Find it in: Aveeno Ultra-Calming Night Cream, $14 at drugstores.
The skin saver: Olive oil
“This oil has been used as a moisturizer since ancient times,” says Miami dermatologist Leslie Baumann. What people didn’t know back then: It contains skin-nourishing fatty acids and antioxidants and helps heal sunburns fast, as studies have shown.
Find it in: Yes to Carrots C, Through the Dry Spell Deliciously Rich Body Butter, $13, walgreens.com.
The helpful hydrator: Jojoba
The shrub’s waxy oil is a great moisturizer. Better yet, jojoba’s compounds can also reduce irritation when they’re added to products that contain skin-drying alcohol, like hand sanitizers and toners, says Jim Hammer, a cosmetic chemist in Easton, Mass.
Find it in: EO Hand Sanitizer Gel, $5, eoproducts.com.
The gentle line smoother: Rose
The oil is emollient and a potent source of antioxidant vitamin C, making it ideal for wrinkle reducers. Research shows it also has a calming effect: Topically applied, rose oil has helped people relax and lowered their blood pressure and breathing rate.
Find it in: Pangea Organics Turkish Rose & White Tea Eye Cream, $55, pangeaorganics.com.
The multitasker: Green tea
Green tea offers a cocktail of antioxidants. When used topically, it helps prevent sun damage and skin cancer and treats blemishes. Drink the tea to reap some skin benefits, and you may get a small metabolic boost, as well.
Find it in: Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins the Way of the Bath Matcha Tea Body Soak, $45, origins.com.
The sun shielder: Sunflower
With a high concentration of vitamin E, this oil naturally protects skin and hair from the damaging and bleaching effects of the sun. “Its micronutrients absorb ultraviolet rays so skin and hair won’t,” explains Shawn Stearns, director of testing and technical development for Pureology hair products.
Find it in: Kiehl’s Sunflower Color Preserving Deep Recovery Pak, $25, kiehls.com.
The hair shiner: Coconut
Many oils moisturize hair, but coconut oil is one of the few able to penetrate hair shafts fully (due to its low molecular weight). Over time, it makes hair shinier and skin suppler. The latest news: Virgin coconut oil has been shown to be an effective natural antibacterial agent.
Find it in: Burt’s Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet Shampoo, $8 at drugstores.
The Fayetteville Observer
