How to Know If Your Beauty Product is Organic Botanics

When you hear the word 'natural', picturesque images of blue skies and birds chirping come to mind. However when it comes down to cosmetics the term "natural" is often misused. Many companies label their products '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 that has a limited, treatment-focused line that features synergistic blends of rare botanical extracts. The founder Becky Bluh studied cosmetic chemistry and learned how to harness the potential of plant-based ingredients that have transformative physiological effects on skin. She sought out a range of plant extracts that would create a blueprint for optimal skin health, and also protect against premature aging and free radical damage, as well as the effects of oxidative stress.

Bluh's study and experimentation with rare botanicals led her to discover the revolutionary Cellular Extraction process, which allows for the extraction of a plant's entire phytoactive profile in its most potent and stable form. Her formulas employ this game-changing technology to deliver Advanced Bioactive Solutions 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 it's super) and the Eye Oil Serum (sidekick that every superhero needs). In this concentrate, Bakuchiol replicates the corrective properties of retinol to visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines, enlarged pores, breakouts and uneven skin tone. This is coupled with a suite of antioxidants that include Kakadu plum, which stimulates 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 extract cellular with off the charts ORAC to guard against premature ageing.

African Botanics

In a corner of 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 nation's official botanical symbol. It's a tribute to the moral leader of the Rainbow Nation, and a reminder of the nation's deep connection to nature and its abundant biodiversity.

Launching the line of hyper-luxe, green beauty products African Botanics was more than just a creative endeavor for Craig and Julia Noik. It was an opportunity to share a bit of their home with others and provide them with the same feeling of connection to this extraordinary country and its ancient traditions that have always been an integral part of their lives.

The resultant skincare collection pays tribute to traditional African beauty rituals using traditional African phytochemistry and organic botanics modern botanical pharmacy. The most powerful South African plants, sustainably harvested from the country's remote, unexplored regions, are then combined with powerful actives selected with the help of botanists and biochemists from South Africa and around the world. They are then encapsulated using advanced extraction and encapsulation techniques to create the ultimate eco-luxe, high-performance green beauty.

Fifty7 Kind

Fifty7 Kind is an online first company that provides plant-based skincare products in eco sustainable packaging. The sleek line of skincare and body care includes ingredients that are sourced from Southern Africa. These include seeds and plant extracts and unique minerals from the desert, the sea and the land. Gabrielle (founder of Fifty7 Kind) grew up as an organic child in the English countryside. She says that her mother taught her how to cook using raw ingredients and gather wild herbs for beauty.

Slow-fusion of artisanal processes using botanicals that are sourced sustainably provides high-quality extracts that improve skin health by providing vitamins, trace nutrients, fatty acid, and non-polar amino acids. The brand is a source of rare, wild-crafted, and under-the-radar botanicals such as Ugandan Vanilla and a sub-species of shea called Vitellaria Nilotica, which has high levels of Vitamin A + E + K and non-polar antioxidants.

YINA is a natural skincare line created by two female doctors of Chinese Medicine millenia ago. traditional herbal remedies from the East meet botanical cbd organic uk luxury in this California company. YINA products contain traditional medicinal herbs and plants like Ashwagandha and Hawthorne Berry in addition to more commonly used organic cbd oils ingredients used in many other skincare lines.

Live Botanical

Botanical skincare that bridges traditional and modern methods and helps create balance & harmony to enhance what makes you uniquely beautiful. Made in Portland, OR.

A botanical is a plant or part of it that is appreciated for its therapeutic qualities and flavor or scent. Botanicals are used since the beginning of time to help maintain and improve health, for example, in skin care.

Botanicals are available in dried or fresh form, and in a variety preparations. They can be found in the produce aisle of a supermarket, or in the dietary supplement section in capsules, tablets tea bags, liquid preparations. A single chemical may be extracted from botanicals and sold in tablet or capsule format as a dietary supplement.

The safety of a particular plant is determined by its chemical composition, how it works in the body and how it is prepared. The amount of a particular botanical included in a product has an impact on its safety. Tea contains just a tiny amount of botanical, while extracts or tinctures are much more concentrated.

A tincture is produced when a botanical is soaked in a liquid, such as alcohol or water, to extract the desired constituents. A tincture is diluted into different strengths. The strength of a tincture usually expressed in terms of 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 pays true homage to ancient traditions with professional TCM practitioners at the control. The result is a variety of advanced, artisanal and luxurious formulas for modern wellness practices such as acupressure and acupuncture.

YINA products are produced sustainably in California and contain powerful bio-adaptive herbal extracts. The NOURISH botanical oil sera and the anti-pollution face mask are their most popular products. Both are rich in camellia seed oils, safflower oils, and licorice roots. They also contain anti-aging plants like rhodiola, and Asian knotweed. The mask also includes coconut powder, pear carbon and moringa to cleanse.

Felicia is part of the highly efficient YINA operations team. She enjoys trying out new products and adhering to the self-care routines advocated by the founders of the brand. She loves the YINA Anti-Pollution mask, which includes cleansing agents such as pearl powder, skullcap root, and moringa.

Malaya Organics

Malaya Organics, a Brooklyn-based, 100 100% natural, high-performance brand, was founded by Katya Slepak. She is an expert formulator and designer, and also a certified aromatherapist. The brand's nourishing and effective products are designed to support the skin's natural aging process as it matures and are suitable for all genders and skin types. Their oil blends are infused with the therapeutic blend rich in anti-aging essential oils, plant oils and phytonutrients.

Their ingredients are sourced from the taigas of Siberia as well as the forests of India and the Amazon and the deserts of Morocco to bring you an experience that transforms your skin. It is mindfully formulated to help connect you to your own inner landscape of balance, peace and healing. The name "Malaya", which is derived from the Shambhala sandalwood forest is also a reference to a sacred garland worn during ceremonies. These are the inspirations that led to the creation of this carefully selected collection of pure, therapeutic-grade skincare.

Fran Miller

Before going natural was cool and trendy, Toronto-based Fran Miller launched her eponymous beauty brand with the motto "less is more." With the summer heat on the rise Miller's minimalist lineup of essential oils for skincare is taking the wellness market by storm. The lineup includes everything, Organic Botanics from a goji berry and shea butter body buff to a hair smoothing spray and multi-tasking face oil.

Prioritizing organically-sourced, ethically sourced ingredients and working with mindful companies both locally and around the globe, F. Miller has been committed to environmental sustainability since the beginning of its existence. All of their high-performance essentials are free of harmful preservatives, synthetic fragrances and colorings, parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, mineral oils, GMO's, aluminum, and SLS's.

To maintain freshness To ensure freshness, all products are blended by hand and bottled in small quantities. The brand works with cosmetic chemists, who develop high-nutrient botanical blends that nourish and cultivate radiant skin. In addition to their carefully sourced ingredients, the brand also carries an environmental conscience that extends to their packaging and practices. They use recycled and biodegradable glass and focus on sourcing eco-friendly recyclable packaging materials. They offer an annual subscription and refill program to reduce the amount of waste.