The Truth About Natural Beauty

If you think back to ancient times and medicinal healing, the only way to cure skin-related ailments or beauty concerns was with what nature provided: plants, herbs, flowers and extracted oils. Despite the fact that skin care has come full circle, there’s still something to be said for planet Earth’s most powerful and valuable natural healers.

Natural + Powerful
With nature-based food and products being so popular these days, it comes as no surprise that Americans are conscious about what they use on their skin. “People are realizing that you need to take the same approach when it comes to your skin as you do your body and food,” says spa and boutique sales manager Rosalind Hopper of Juice Beauty. Nanuet, NY, dermatologist Heidi Waldorf, MD, explains that naturally derived products can be just as beneficial as their medical-based counterparts as long as they are tested like other types of skin-care products. “A number of effective natural ingredients are sourced from plants, including grapes, vines and tea leaves, and are antioxidants, which help protect skin from free-radical damage.”

Sea Plants
Algae, seaweed and kelp all possess powerful anti-aging benefits. “Brown algae extract helps to reverse the cellular aging clock. Because of its ability to energize the skin, it lifts and reduces the appearance of wrinkles,” says Tata Harper of Tata Harper Skincare. Kelp, a different species of algae, “works on melanin and stimulates cell turnover, bringing new, healthy cells to the surface.”

Herbs
Naturally sourced herbs such as calendula and gotu kola are said to be effective in skin healing, increasing collagen production and repairing broken capillaries.

Vegetables
From avocado to carrots, these vegetable-based beautifiers nourish, heal and soothe stressed and irritated skin because of their high levels of vitamins.

Plants
Plant-derived beauty ingredients, like eucalyptus, manuka, aloe vera, sea buckthorn and tea tree oils, are touted for their anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

Soy
According to Menas Kizoulis, scientific engagement leader for Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc., soy extract is an interesting natural ingredient because of the unique makeup of the material. “Using soy in its intact state allows for optimal skin-care benefits.”

Fruit
Berries, acai, pomegranate, grapes, pineapple and even apricot give a healthy glow to skin because they are chock-full of vitamins, minerals and polyphenols (a potent antioxidant). Those that have a more grainy consistency make for good exfoliators.