How to Know If Your Beauty Product is Organic Botanics
When you hear "natural", images of blue skies and birds singing come to your mind. However when it comes down to beauty products the term "natural" is often misinterpreted. Many companies claim their products are "natural", even when they contain processed ingredients. So how do you tell whether your product is organic?
Bluh Alchemy
Bluh Alchemy is an innovative clean skincare brand with a limited, treatment-focused line that contains synergistic blends of rare botanical extracts. Becky Bluh studied cosmetics chemistry and discovered ways to harness plant-based ingredients with profound physiological effects. She scoured a broad spectrum of rare plant extracts to create a bluhprint for optimal skin health and protect against premature ageing as well as free radical damage, oxidative stress inflammation and bacterial overgrowth.
Bluh's research with rare botanicals and her studies led her to the revolutionary Cellular Extraction Process, which allows the extraction of the phytoactive profile of a plant at its most potent form. Her formulas utilize this game-changing tech to deliver Advanced Bioactive Solutions directly to the skin.
For February's Beauty Heroes Discovery we selected two full size picks from Bluh Alchemy: the Botanic Retinol Cell Renewal Concentrate (hero but super) and the Eye Oil Serum (sidekick every superhero needs). Bakuchiol, which is a derivative of retinol, duplicates the corrective properties of retinol in this concentrate to visibly correct fine wrinkles, larger pores and breakouts. It is paired with a variety of antioxidants including Kakadu Plum to stimulate cell renewal and diminish the appearance of hyperpigmentation. Finger lime caviar can firm and tone your skin. Mountain pepper leaf cellular extraction with ORAC levels that are beyond the norm will guard against premature ageing.
African Botanics
In a corner of the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, Johannesburg, South Africa there is a yellow-tinged, Strelitzia (also known as Mandela's gold), an endemic species that is also the nation's botanical symbol. It's a tribute to the moral leader of the Rainbow Nation, and a reminder of the country's profound connection to nature and its abundant biodiversity.
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 way to share a bit of their homeland with others and to give them the same sense of connection to this unique place and its long-standing traditions that has always been a part of their lives.
The resultant skincare collection pays homage to the traditional African beauty rituals using traditional African phytochemistry and cutting-edge botanical pharmacology. The most effective South African plants are sustainably harvested from the country's remote, untouched regions, and then combined with powerful actives selected by botanists and biochemists from South Africa and across the world. They are then encapsulated by advanced extraction and encapsulation methods to create the ultimate in eco-luxe, high-performance green beauty.
Fifty7 Kind
Fifty7 Kind, an Internet-first brand, offers skincare products that are based on plants in environmentally-friendly packaging. The elegant line of skincare and body products contains ingredients that come from the unique hotspots of Southern Africa; these include seeds, plant extracts and rare minerals sourced from the sea, desert and the earth. Gabrielle (founder Fifty7 Kind), grew up in the English countryside as an organic child. Her mother taught to cook with raw materials and collect wild herbs to enhance beauty.
Slow-fusion artisanal process using sustainably sourced botanicals guarantees high-quality extracts that improve skin health by providing nutrients, vitamins, trace elements as well as fatty acids and amino acids that are not polar. The brand is a source of rare wild-crafted, under-the-radar botanicals like Ugandan Vanilla and a sub-species of shea called Vitellaria Nilotica that provides high levels of Vitamin A + E + K and non-polar antioxidants.
YINA is a California-based organic skincare brand founded by two female Chinese Medicine doctors. This brand combines ancient East herbal remedies with botanical organic luxury. YINA products contain traditional medicinal plants and herbs such as Ashwagandha, Hawthorne Berry and other organic ingredients that are commonly used.
Live Botanical
Botanical skincare that bridges the gap between modern and traditional methods, creating balance & harmony in order to enhance your natural beauty. Made in Portland, OR.
A botanical plant is a or part of a plant that is valued for its healing properties and flavor or scent. Since ancient times botanicals have been used to maintain and improve health. This includes skin care.
Botanicals are sold in dried or fresh form, and in a variety of preparations. They are available in the produce section of a grocery store or in the dietary supplements section in the form of tablets, capsules or tea bags. A single chemical may also be isolated from a specific botanical and then sold as a dietary supplement in capsule or tablet form.
The safety of a botanical depends on its chemical makeup and how it functions within the body and the method of preparation. The amount of a particular botanical included in a product is a factor in its safety. A cup of tea only has a tiny amount of it, however, a tincture is more concentrated.
A tincture is created by soaking a plant in a liquid, such as water or alcohol, to extract its desired constituents. A tincture may be diluted into different strengths. The strength of a tincture is usually expressed as the ratio of botanicals to extract.
YINA
The founders of YINA, Angela Chau Gray and Ervina Wu, are experts in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Their brand is a tribute to the ancient practices and has TCM experts at the helm. The result is a range of artisanal, advanced and luxurious formulas for modern wellness routines such as Acupressure and Acupuncture.
YINA is made sustainably in California and its products are enriched in powerful bio-adaptive herbs. The NOURISH botanical oil sera and the anti-pollution face mask are their flagship products. Both are rich in camellia seed oils, safflower oil, and licorice roots. They also contain anti-aging plants like rhodiola, and Asian knotweed. The mask also includes the cleansing moringa, pear and coconut carbon.
Felicia is a member of the super-efficient operations team at YINA, and she enjoys trying new care products and implementing the self-care practices advocated by the founders of the company. She is a huge fan of the YINA Anti-Pollution Mask, which contains cleansing agents such as pearl powder, skullcap root and moringa.
Malaya Organics
Malaya Organics is a Brooklyn-based 100 100% natural high-performance line that was created by Katya Slepak, an expert formulator, product designer and certified aromatherapist. The brand's nourishing and effective products are designed to help support the skin's natural aging process as it matures, and are safe for all genders and skin types. Their balancing oils are infused with the therapeutic blend high in anti-aging essential oils, plant oils and phytonutrients.
The ingredients they use come from the taigas of Siberia and the forests of India and the Amazon as well as the deserts of Morocco to give you a skin-transforming experience that is carefully designed to connect you with your inner landscape of peace, balance and healing. The name "Malaya" is derived from a sandalwood forest in the Shambhala tradition, and also means a sacred garland of flowers that is worn during ceremonies. These were the inspirations behind the thoughtfully collected collection.
Fran Miller
Long before going natural was trendy Toronto-based Fran Miller created her eponymous beauty brand with the mantra "less is better." Now, with the summer heat rising, Miller's pared-back roster of oil-based skincare essentials is taking the wellness market by storm. The lineup includes everything from a shea butter and goji berry body buff to a spritz for smoothing hair and multi-tasking face oil.
Since its inception, F. Miller's commitment to sustainability in the environment has been based on a focus organicz cbd oil on organic, ethically sourced ingredients and partnerships with responsible manufacturers both locally and globally. All of F. Miller's high-performance essentials contain no harmful preservatives or synthetic fragrances. They are also free of mineral oils, GMOs, aluminum and SLS.
To maintain freshness All products are mixed by hand and bottled in small batches. The brand collaborates with cosmetic chemists to create rich in nutrients, blends of plants that nourish and cultivate radiant skin. The brand is also environmentally conscious and this extends to packaging and the practices. They focus on environmentally-friendly packaging and utilize biodegradable and recyclable glass. They also offer refills and a subscription program to reduce waste.