Plant Extracts – The Backbone of Superfood Skincare

Ten years ago it was trendy to talk about natural and organic skincare, but these days it is demanded by consumers to use plant-based ingredients in all formulations. The harvesting power of Mother Nature apothecary is here to stay.

🍀Plant-based ingredients are various extracts from flowers, leaves, stems and roots of plants that have been known to deliver certain benefits to skin tissues. It is very important to understand that not all extracts from the same plant are identical. The potency of the extract and its benefits to the skin depends on the methods used during the extraction. It is not the same to have the active ingredient in plants extracted by steam distillation, cold pressing process or chemical solvent base method. Each of the methods will have its benefits and drawbacks, but as a rule of thumb, cold pressing and steam distillations are better than solvent extractions.

🍀Another important factor is the origin of the plants and the method of cultivation. Certainly, wild harvesting in a removed region of wild species of plants will deliver more raw and pure version of extracts than growing plants with the use of fertilizers and pesticides during the cultivation.

🍀For plant extracts in skincare formulations to be the most effective, it must contain active ingredients that are in a form which are synergistic to the skin’s chemistry. Plant extracts are concentrated and thus must be treated with respect. They can be harmful if used in high quantities and they can be useless in formulations where final concentrations are 0.1 or less. Many times a long list of the herbal extract on the bottom of the label is an indication that those plant extracts are used mainly for marketing purposes.

🍀Most of the claims by marketers are derived from empirical or historical uses of plants by different cultures around the world. Very few claims had been researched and tested properly so just be careful what you read.

🍀In selecting plant based superfood products look for simple formulations of no more than 10 ingredients. Water-based formulations are always a faster way to deliver the power of nutrients in your skin cells, but those applications should be followed up by some heavier emulsions or oil-based serums to deliver additional nutrients and seal them inside your skin. Do your research and look for plant extracts that are known to address issues you may have. Selecting organic products with 95 % plant-based ingredients is the golden rule of safe skincare.

🍀Serums are the best way to incorporate plant-based extracts into your daily skincare routine as they are concentrated and do not use unnecessary fillers, waxes, ph adjusters, emulsifiers during the formulation of the final product. Pure, natural and effective are the main parameters in selecting a plant based superfood skincare line.