How to Know If Your Beauty Product is Organic Botanics

When you hear 'natural' images of blue skies, birds chirping and beautiful scenery come to mind. However, when it comes to beauty products, the term natural is often misused. Many companies label their products as "natural", even though they contain processed ingredients. So, how do you know if your product is truly organic?

Bluh Alchemy

Bluh Alchemy, an innovative clean skincare line, has a limited range of treatment-focused synergistic products that are infused with rare botanical extracts. Founder Becky Bluh studied cosmetic chemistry and was able to harness the potency of plant-based substances that have transformative physical effects on skin. She searched for a broad spectrum of rare plant extracts to create a bluhprint for the best skin health and to guard against premature ageing and free radical damage, oxidative stress, inflammation and bacterial overgrowth.

Bluh's studies and experiments with rare botanicals led her discover the groundbreaking Cellular Extraction process, which permits the extraction of the plant's full phytoactive profile in its most potent and stable form. Her formulas employ this game-changing technology to deliver Advanced Bioactive Solutions to the skin.

We picked two full-size Bluh Alchemy products for Organic Botanics February's Beauty Heroes Discovery: the Botanic Retinol Cell Regeneration Concentrate (hero but make it great!) and the Eye Oil serum (sidekick that every hero needs). This concentrate Bakuchiol replicates the corrective properties of retinol to visibly correct wrinkles, enlarged pores breakouts, and uneven skin tone. It is paired with a variety of antioxidants including Kakadu Plum to boost 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 off the charts will protect against premature ageing.

African Botanics

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

Launching the line of hyper-luxe green cosmetics African Botanics was more than just a creative endeavor for Craig and Julia Noik. It was an opportunity to share their homeland with others and give them an understanding of the rich traditions of the land that has always been a part of their lives.

The resulting skincare line pays homage to traditional African beauty rituals, Using Encasa Botanics CBD Oil for Skin Health ancient African phytochemistry and cutting-edge botanical pharmacology. The most powerful South African plants, sustainably sourced in the country's remote and unexplored regions, are then infused with powerful actives selected with the help of botanists and biochemists from South Africa and around the world. The plants are then encapsulated with advanced extraction and encapsulation techniques to produce the ultimate eco-luxe, high-performance green beauty.

Fifty7 Kind

Fifty7 Kind is an online first brand that offers products based on plants that are packaged in eco sustainable packaging. The sleek line of skincare and body care contains ingredients sourced in Southern Africa. These include seeds and plant extracts as well as unique minerals from the desert, the sea and the land. Gabrielle (founder of Fifty7 Kind) grew up as organic in the English countryside. She claims that her mother taught her to cook with raw ingredients and gather wild herbs for beauty.

Slow-fusion artisanal process using sustainable botanicals ensures concentrated extracts that help improve skin health with vitamins, trace nutrients, fatty acid, and amino acids that are not polar. The brand sources rare, wild-crafted, and under-the-radar botanicals like Ugandan Vanilla and a sub-species of shea known as Vitellaria Nilotica which contains high levels of Vitamin A + E + K and non-polar antioxidants.

YINA is a natural skincare line that was created by two female doctors of Chinese Medicine millenia old Eastern herbal remedies combine the natural beauty of botanicals in this California company. YINA products are made up of traditional medicinal herbs and plants like Ashwagandha and Hawthorne Berry and more commonly used organic ingredients that are found in other skincare lines.

Live Botanical

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

A botanical is a species of plant or part of a plant valued for its therapeutic properties and flavor or scent. Botanicals have been used since the beginning of time to help maintain and improve health, including in skin care.

Botanicals can be purchased in fresh or dried form and in a variety preparations. They are available in the produce section of a supermarket 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 sold as a dietary supplement in tablet or capsule form.

The safety of a plant is dependent on its chemical composition, how it works within the body and how it is prepared. The amount of a particular botanical that is used in a product plays a role in its safety. Tea contains only a tiny amount of botanical, while extracts or tinctures are much more concentrated.

A tincture can be prepared by soaking a botanical in a liquid, such as alcohol or water to extract the essential constituents. The tincture can be diluted to different strengths. The strength of a botanical tincture can be measured as a ratio between the botanical and 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 steering wheel. The result is innovative exquisite, handcrafted, and luxurious formulas that are designed for modern wellness rituals such as acupressure, acupuncture, jade rolling and full-body gua sha.

YINA products are manufactured sustainably in California and are full of powerful bio-adaptive herbal extracts. Their most popular products are the NOURISH botanical oil serum and the mask for preventing pollution. Both are rich in camellia seed oils, safflower oil, 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 moringa to cleanse.

Felicia is part of the super-efficient YINA operations team. She enjoys trying new products and observing the self-care routines advocated by the brand's founders. She is a fan of the YINA Anti-Pollution mask, which contains cleansing agents such as pearl powder, skullcap root, and moringa.

Malaya Organics

Malaya Organics, a Brooklyn-based, 100 100% natural, high-performance product, was founded by Katya Slepak. She is an expert formulator and product designer, as well as an aromatherapist certified by the FDA. The company's nourishing, result-driven products are designed to support skin naturally as it ages and are suitable for all genders and skin types. The balancing elixirs they offer contain a therapeutic blend of phytonutrient-dense whole-plant extracts that are that are infused in-house to ensure maximum effectiveness, enriched with antioxidants and nourishing essences and plant oils that are known for their anti-inflammatory and elasticity boosting properties.

The ingredients they use come from the taigas of Siberia as well as the forests of India and the Amazon, and the deserts of Morocco to provide you with an experience that transforms your skin. It is carefully designed to connect you with your inner landscape of balance, peace and healing. The name "Malaya" is derived from a sandwood forest in Shambhala tradition, and signifies a sacred garland made of flowers used in ceremonies. These were the inspirations for the thoughtfully curated collection.

Fran Miller

The collection includes everything from a shea butter and goji berry body shaver to a hair-smoothing spritz and multi-tasking face oil. The lineup includes everything, from a goji berry-infused shea butter body buff to a hair smoothing spray and multi-tasking face oil.

In the pursuit of organically-sourced, ethically sourced ingredients and collaborating with responsible manufacturers locally and globally, F. Miller has been committed to environmental sustainability since its beginning. All of their high performance products are free of harmful preservatives, synthetic fragrances and colorings Parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, mineral oils, aluminum, GMO's, and SLS's.

All products are blended and then bottled by hand in small batches to ensure freshness. The label works with expert cosmetic chemists to construct rich, nutrient-rich blends with botanical ingredients that promote radiant skin, deliver multi-correctional results, and nourish all types of skin. The brand is also environmentally conscious, which extends to the packaging and practices. They are committed to eco-friendly packaging and use recyclable and biodegradable glass. They also offer refills and a subscription program to further reduce waste.