Natural Skin-Care Ingredients

Earthly Delights - The world's richest beauty resources.

You could try forest bathing, or you could connect with nature by incorporating one of its many wonders into your daily routine. These are the best skin-care ingredients from the mountainsides of Japan to the flowering highlands of Colombia and beyond.

Top 5 Natural Ingredients Used in Skin-Care

  • ALOE
    Polysacharide sugars calm skin, helps scrapes and burns, but also hydrates hair and soothes itchy scalps. TRY: Herbal Essences Bio Renew Potent Aloe + Bamboo Shampoo ($5.99, Target)
  • QUINOA
    Tryosinase inhibitors, applied topically, reduce hyperpigmentation. TRY: Zue Botanicals Restoring Night Cream ($45, zuebotanicals.com)
  • SHEA BUTTER
    Fatty acids work as skin barrier, butter restores and locks in moisture. (Avoid on acne prone skin.) TRY: The Body Shop 100% Natural Shea Butter ($21, thebodyshop.com)
  • SEAWEED
    Antioxidant polyphenols and fatty acids protect skin, build collagen, and increase elasticity. TRY: La Mer The Regenerating Serum ($365, Sephora)
  • MATCHA
    Epigallocatechin gallate and antioxidants from the ground green tea leaves have anti-inflammatory properties to sooth redness and reduce blotchy skin. TRY: Kitao Matcha + Chia Facial Cream ($30, ULTA)

Naturally occurring ingredients like these come with a giant warning: They will cease to exist if suppliers don't play the long game. "In most cases, nature isn't replicable. Once it's gone, that's it," says Juliette Crepin, who advises companies on responsible sourcing at Conservation International. "Sustainable sourcing helps create a supply chain that better guarantees the resilience of ecosystems where valued plants are grown, and at the same time creates an equitable environment for local communities."

To encourage responsible practices, seek out brands that are closely aligned with environmental-protection organizations like Conservation International (which works with Costa Brazil and Biolage), Green America (which has certified Derma E and Aveda), and the Forest Stewardship Council (look for the FSC certification on the packaging).


Excepts from Allure magazine's April 2020 editorial "Ingredient Index" by Dianna Mazzone.

(Mazzone, D. "Ingredient Index." Allure Apr. 2020: 38-40)