Plant-based skincare products are all the rage nowadays. There a variety of concoctions available, ranging from marine to land-based plants, from seed to root to bark to leaves to flowers to fruits to kernel, from one end of the globe to the other. The options are endless, when it comes to crafting beauty from nature, and this will only continue to expand and innovate as newer technologies enable us to harvest the skin-loving nutrients found in plants.
But is the promise of youth and beauty in a bottle of botanical extracts really worth the hefty price tag? Is it all hype or is it real? I switched to plant-based skincare starting in 2007. I had become more conscious about skin clarity, tone and firmness that year and embarked on purchasing an entire line of expensive mainstream skincare. I did not know any better. Department store brand and prices were my sole determining factors of quality and efficacy. I had not heard of natural or organic at the time.
I woke up with swollen cheeks and eyes, very itchy, painful and red. It felt like I competed in a boxing game and was defeated so badly. The urgent care doctor who saw me that day told me that my skin was not “rated” for the chemicals in those products. Although he sounded sensible and I was clearly not in the right frame of mind, feeling so worried about how I looked at the time, I did not pick up on what that whole experience meant until later.
After a shot of benadryl and a prescription of oral steroids, the suffering went on for a week. As I was a creature of habit (the bad one), I made a few more doctor visits for the same issue. I thought I was just allergic to some ingredients and tried other brands that I hoped could alleviate my skin condition, until a friend talked me into switching to organic and all-natural products. But how could plants solve my problems - sensitive skin, fine lines and wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and breakouts? Aren’t chemicals and science supposed to fix all these problems?
It’s true what they say that knowledge is power. I read various books and literatures about this subject, concocted homemade DIY face cleansers and creams using oils and plant-based ingredients that you could buy from online formulator shops, took online classes, and tried other mainstream and natural products in the market as part of my learning process. The entire experience helped deepen my understanding and appreciation for plant-based skincare. Putting the learning into practice took several years thereafter. Life got really busy for me, with international travels and business assignments, where I found myself usually browsing the duty-free shops in various airports worldwide, in search for the best natural fountain of youth. The brands were enticing, prices were luxury-based, but the promises were unfulfilled.
COVID-19 changed everything for me. I had to cut short my international expat assignment and went back home to the USA, quarantine myself for 2 weeks, work from home, and basically go out of the house only for critical trips to the groceries. Malls were closed, where my favorite Sephora stores were housed. I found myself running out of skincare products, and with extra time in my hands, I decided that the timing was right to get into a more enhanced self-care using my homemade natural creations. This time I would do it right. I enrolled in formal certificate and diploma courses to learn how to formulate skincare products properly using natural and organic ingredients.
The results were phenomenal:
Spa-like experience - the smell, texture and application reminded me of my trips to the spa. The luxurious smell of flowers and herbs was relaxing, calming and soothing. The smooth glide of the lush, white creams and gorgeously golden oils was therapeutic and healing.
Intense moisturization and hydration - the effect is noticeable right away. I could see my skin transformed at the very moment when the product came into contact with my skin. Fine lines and wrinkles were gone. Skin was plump, very hydrated and moisturized.
Skin-deep benefits - mainstream products full of synthetics and silicones (plus other harmful ingredients) provide an artificial veil of illusion that gets washed away. As skin absorbs largely what we put on it, which then gets into our bloodstream, using only the best quality ingredients that are good for the skin and the body in general makes a lot of sense. Plants carry the best quality of nutrients in the form of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, pigments, polyphenols, bioflavonoids and amino acids that are critical for keeping our skin and body healthy. The vitamins help support cell repair and decrease signs of aging. Antioxidants combat free radicals that oxidize the cell to keep us healthy and young. Essential fats and acids balance oil production, control acne, fight dryness, and increase skin elasticity. Naturally occurring lipids serve as skin barriers that protect and repair the skin in the form of emollients and conditioning agents.
Bio-available and high-performance - plant-based ingredients are in a format that our body can recognize and consume so we could see noticeable results right away. They are in the right format that make nutrient absorption more seamless and effective so that our body could process and reveal the results through healthy and youthful skin. As plants have been well studied, dating as far back as 1500 BC when oldest medical records on medicinal plants have been captured, we know the power of plants compared to synthetics that have undergone little testing and research. The complexity of plant structures, chemistry and efficacies is not only difficult but also impractical and impossible to replicate in a laboratory. On the other hand, plant-based skincare contains all of the active compounds from extracts, juices and oils that are nutritionally supreme and high-performance, compared to mainstream skincare that contains 80-90% filler and 10-20% actives.
The most radiant beauty comes from plant-based ingredients, as they nourish, heal, protect and enhance from within. Skin Beautiful Organics is a new modern brand of high-performance luxury plant-based skincare powered by innovative natural science. Made in the USA and small-batched for freshness, this brand is crafting the future of beauty that makes you look and feel beautiful in your own skin. Beauty editors at Vogue, GQ and Tatler magazines carefully selected Skin Beautiful Organics as part of their beauty and wellness campaigns in Q4 2020 and Q1 2021.
