The Benefits of Plant-Based Skin Care
We can learn a lot from plants. In fact, scientists have been studying plants as early as 1500 B.C. to help develop synthetic compounds that could benefit our health. While these types of man-made ingredients can be cheaper and have a longer shelf life, they just can’t compare to the overall benefits of plant-based.
For starters, plant-based ingredients pose a decreased risk of harm since they have been well-studied, tested and used for thousands of years. They are also extremely rich with nutrients. A single plant can contain dozens of phytonutrients that provide more active compounds. For example, studies show that the essential oil of Calendula contains 27 different compounds! This level of complexity makes it nearly impossible to duplicate in a lab.
There is a big payoff to using skin care that is plant-based versus synthetic. However, you still need to make sure that you are using products that are fresh and minimally processed in order to maximize the benefits. It is easy to be fooled by products that claim to be natural, yet contain a high ratio of synthetic to plant-based ingredients. Research suggests that synthetic ingredients and other inactive ingredients such as preservatives can be counter-productive if used long-term. By selecting plant-based skin care you can nourish AND help support your overall skin health!
