How to Know If Your Beauty Product is Organic Botanics

When you hear the word "natural," images of blue skies and melodious birds singing come to thoughts. However, when it comes to cosmetics natural is often misused. Many companies label their products as "natural" even that they contain processed ingredients. How do you know if a product is truly organic or not?

Bluh Alchemy

Bluh Alchemy is an innovative skincare brand that is clean and has a limited, treatment-focused line that features synergistic blends of rare botanical extracts. The founder Becky Bluh studied cosmetic chemistry and was able to harness the power of plant-based ingredients which have transformative physical effects on skin. She sought out a range of plant extracts that would create an outline for optimal skin health and protect against premature ageing and free radical damage as well as oxidative stress.

Bluh's studies on rare botanicals and her experiments led her to the groundbreaking Cellular Extraction Process, which allows the extraction of the phytoactive profile of a plant at its most potent form. Her formulas employ this game-changing technology to deliver Advanced Bioactive Solutions to the skin.

We chose two full-size Bluh Alchemy products for February's Beauty Heroes Discovery: the Botanic Retinol Cell Regeneration Concentrate (hero but make it super!) and the Eye Oil serum (sidekick that every superhero requires). Bakuchiol is an ingredient of retinol reproduces the corrective properties of retinol. It is used in this concentrate to help visibly correct wrinkles, enlarged pores and breakouts. This is combined with a variety of antioxidants, including Kakadu plum to boost cell regeneration and reduce appearance of hyperpigmentation, finger lime caviar to smooth and tone the skin, and mountain pepper leaf extract cellular with amazing ORAC to guard against premature ageing.

African Botanics

In a corner in the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, Johannesburg, South Africa, grows a yellow-tinged Strelitzia (also known as Mandela's gold) which is an indigenous species that is also the nation's botanical symbol. It is a tribute to the moral leader and the founder of the Rainbow Nation and a reminder that South Africa has a deep connection to nature.

For Craig and Julia Noik, founders of the hyper-luxe green beauty brand African Botanics, launching the line was more than just a business idea. It was a way to share a piece of their home with others and to provide them with the same feeling of connection to this extraordinary country and its ancient traditions that has always been a part of their lives.

The resulting skincare collection is a tribute to traditional African beauty rituals that utilize traditional African phytochemistry and cutting-edge phytopharmacology. The most potent South African plants, sustainably harvested from the country's remote, unexplored regions, are then infused with powerful actives chosen by biochemists and botanists from South Africa and around the world. They are then encapsulated with advanced extraction and encapsulation techniques to create the ultimate high-performance, eco-luxe green beauty.

Fifty7 Kind

Fifty7 Kind, an internet-first brand, offers skincare products made of plants with eco-friendly packaging. The elegant line of skincare and body care products are made of ingredients that come from the unique hotspots of Southern Africa; these include seeds, plant extracts, and unique minerals harvested from the sea, desert and the land. Gabrielle (founder of Fifty7 Kind) grew up as an organic child in the English countryside. She claims that her mother taught her to cook using raw ingredients and to gather wild herbs to improve the appearance of her skin.

Using sustainably sourced botanicals, the slow-fusion artisan process guarantees concentrated extracts of skin-health beneficial vitamins and fatty acids, as well as trace nutrients and non-polar amino acids. The brand source rare wild-crafted, under-the-radar botanicals such as Ugandan Vanilla and a sub-species of shea known as Vitellaria Nilotica that provides high levels of Vitamin A + E + K and non-polar antioxidants.

YINA is an organic skincare brand from California developed by two female Chinese Medicine doctors. This brand combines ancient oriental herbal remedies and botanical organic luxury. YINA products contain traditional medicinal herbs and plants such as Ashwagandha and Hawthorne Berry as well as more common organic broad spectrum cbd oil ingredients that are found in other skincare lines.

Live Botanical

Botanical skincare that bridges the gap between modern and traditional methods, bringing balance and harmony in order to enhance your beauty. Made in Portland, OR.

A botanical is a plant or part thereof valued for its therapeutic qualities and flavor or scent. Since ancient times, botanicals have been used to improve and maintain health. This includes skin care.

Botanicals can be purchased in fresh or dried form and in a variety of preparations. They can be found in the produce aisle of a supermarket or in the section of dietary supplements as capsules, tablets, tea bags, or liquid preparations. A single chemical may also be isolated from a botanical and then sold as a diet supplement in capsule or tablet form.

The safety of a plant depends on its chemical makeup and the way it is used in the body, and the method of preparation. The amount of botanicals included in a product may also impact the safety of the product. A cup of tea contains a small amount, while a tincture is much more concentrated.

A tincture is made by soaking a plant in the form of a liquid, such as water or alcohol, in order to extract its desired constituents. The tincture can be diminished to different strengths. The strength of a tincture typically expressed as a ratio of botanical to extract.

YINA

The founders of YINA, Angela Chau Gray and Ervina Wu are experts in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Their brand pays 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 rituals like Acupressure and acupuncture.

YINA products are manufactured sustainably in California and are brimming with powerful bio-adaptive herbal extracts. The NOURISH botanical oil sera and the anti-pollution face mask are their flagship products. Both are rich in camellia seeds, safflower oils, and licorice roots. They also contain anti-aging botanicals, such as rhodiola, bakuchiol, and Asian knotweed. The mask also includes coconut powder, pear carbon and cleansing moringa.

Felicia is a member the extremely efficient YINA operations team. She enjoys trying new products and observing the self-care practices outlined by the founders of the brand. She is particularly fond of the YINA anti-pollution mask, which contains cleansing ingredients such as skullcap root, pearl powder, tea seeds and moringa.

Malaya Organics

Malaya Organics, a Brooklyn-based, 100% natural, high-performance brand, was founded by Katya Slepak. She is an expert formulator and product designer, and also an aromatherapist certified by the FDA. The brand's nourishing, results-driven products are designed to help support skin naturally as it ages, and are safe for all genders and skin types. Their balance oils are infused a therapeutic blend that is high in anti-aging essential oils, plant oils, and phytonutrients.

Ingredients come from the taigas of Siberia as well as the forests of India as well as the Amazon and the deserts of Morocco. They have been carefully designed to help you connect to your inner landscape which is one of peace, balance, and healing. The name "Malaya" is derived from a Shambhala sandalwood forest is also a reference to a sacred garland worn during ceremonies. These are the motifs that fueled the creation of this thoughtfully curated collection of pure, therapeutic-grade skincare.

Fran Miller

Long before natural hair was trendy, Toronto-based Fran Miller launched her own beauty brand with the motto "less is better." With the summer heat gaining momentum, Miller's pared-back roster of oil-based skincare essentials is taking the wellness market by storm. The lineup includes everything from shea butter to Goji berry body scrub to a spritz for smoothing hair and multi-tasking face oil.

Since its beginning, F. Miller's commitment to sustainability in the environment has been based on organic, ethically-sourced ingredients and partnerships with mindful producers both locally and internationally. 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.

All products are blended and bottled by hand in small batches to preserve freshness. The brand works with cosmetic chemists who create high-nutrient blends of plants that nourish and cultivate radiant skin. Aside from their meticulously sourced ingredients, the brand has a green conscience that extends to their packaging and Organic Botanics practices. They focus on environmentally-friendly packaging and utilize recyclable and biodegradable glass. They offer a subscription and refill program to reduce waste.