We’ve all heard about herbal skin care products, but how do you choose from the hundreds of different ones available? What makes one product work better than another?

There are many herbs that help with skincare, but not all of them are created equal. In this article, I’ll go over the top 10 most popular herbs used in skincare and tell you why each one works great. Then I’ll provide detailed instructions on how to make your own DIY herbal skincare recipes.

I’m going to teach you everything you need to know about using herbs to create amazing natural beauty treatments.

If you’re interested in learning more about herbal skincare, then you’ve come to the right place!

I’ve been studying herbal skincare for years, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. This is nature’s answer to skin care. They’re powerful natural ingredients that help keep our skin healthy and radiant.

Let me tell you something else.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to herbal skin care, which means there’s no single solution that works for everyone. Instead, each person needs to experiment with different ones until they find the combination that works best for them.

This is where the real magic happens.

With herbal skincare, you can customize your skin care regimen to suit your individual needs. So if you’re struggling with acne, oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, or any other type of skin condition, you can use herbal skincare to help those issues, naturally.

For example, lavender helps fight acne, rosemary promotes cell regeneration, chamomile calms inflammation, and sage boosts circulation.

These work wonders for our skin, but there’s something else we must remember.

Herbs aren’t just for beauty. They’re also used as medicine. And that’s where herbal skincare comes in. Herbalists use plant matter to speed up wound healing, reduce pain, prevent disease, boost energy, improve digestion, and many others.

There are many reasons why we should all consider using herbal skincare products. For starters, most were used in traditional medicine developed over thousands of years to help our bodies heal naturally. They also contain powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that will help protect your skin from free radicals and inflammation.

What makes herbal skincare even better is that it’s not just another product that you buy. It’s something that you can grow in your garden, formulate recipes and create yourself. You can customize your herbal skincare regimen to fit your unique needs and preferences.

This guide will teach you everything you need to know about making your own herbal skincare treatment recipes. And once you’ve mastered these techniques, you’ll never go back to buying expensive commercial products again.

Now let’s take a look at some of the benefits of herbal skincare.

How Herbalism Helps Your Skin

They’re natural remedies for many common problems such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, sunburns, wrinkles, and dry skin. They are also inexpensive and safe alternatives to expensive prescription drugs.

But did you know that plants can actually improve your skin?

Yes, herbs can help your skin look younger and healthier. Here’s how.

First, herbs are rich sources of antioxidants, which protect against free radical damage. Free radicals cause premature aging and wrinkling. Antioxidants prevent free radical damage and keep your skin young and healthy.

Second, herbs contain vitamins A, C, E, B6, and K. These nutrients support collagen production and repair damaged tissue. Collagen helps keep your skin firm and elastic.

Third, herbs are rich sources vitamin D, which supports cell growth and protects against UV radiation. Vitamin D also reduces inflammation and improves blood flow. This makes your skin smoother and softer.

Fourth, herbs contain minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, and iodine. Minerals support healthy hair, nails, teeth, bones, muscles, and connective tissues.

Fifth, herbs are packed with phytonutrients, plant compounds that provide antioxidant protection. Phytonutrients help fight off harmful bacteria and viruses. And finally, herbs boost circulation, which promotes better oxygenation and nutrient delivery throughout your body.

They are truly wonderful. But there’s one problem. Most people aren’t aware of them. So if you want to use these botanical wonders to improve your skin, you need to educate yourself.

5 Herbs for Skin Care Issues

Let’a take a look at some of the best herbs you can consider based on your own unique skin type.

1. Rosemary – Rosemary is stimulating and works by warming the skin and moving blood. It helps to calm irritated skin. Rosemary is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial.

2. Sage – Sage is used to cleanse wounds, cuts, scrapes, and abrasions. Sage is antiseptic and antimicrobial.

3. Lavender – Lavender is known for its calming effects. Lavender has been used by people throughout history as a natural remedy for various ailments including acne, eczema, psoriasis, and even insect bites. It is particularly effective at cleansing pores and relieving irritated and inflamed conditions.

4. Chamomile – Chamomile helps calm irritated skin. You can use it to make tea bags or add chamomile flowers to your bath water.

5. Calendula – Calendula is known for its ability to promote healing. Calendula is antibacterial and known as nature’s healing flower.

All of these and many more are part of herbal skincare.

How to incorporate Herbs into your skin care routine

There are dozens of preparations you can consider for your herbal skin care recipes. These can be, teas, tinctures, washes, scrubs and more. Listed below are three easy herbal preparations for beginners and a basic recipe.

Herb Infused Oil

An herbal infused oil is used on the skin or as a base in other skincare items like: soap, lotion, salves, and lip balms. An herbal oil is best used for softening, soothing and healing the skin. These are perfect for acting as a medium to carry things slightly deeper into the body, To make an herb infused oil:

• Get a jar and fill it three quarters of the way with the herb material
• Fill the jar to the top with the carrier oil of your choice, I prefer olive oil and set it in the sun
• Shake the jar daily and allow it to sit in the sun for four weeks
• Strain the plan material from the oil and use the herb infused oil by applying to skin or using as a base oil in another product like lotion or soap.

Watch this video to see how I use a calendula infusion to make a lip balm.

Herb Infused Water

Another preparation with herbs is with water. These are often in the forms of herbal teas, decoctions, and herbal washes. Herbal teas are brewed with the fresh or dried herbs for 10 minutes. Two of the most popular herbal teas are Chamomile tea and Peppermint tea. I recommend these to get started as they are fairly easy to get a hold of. Herbal washes are a single herb or blend of herbs used to bathe, wash or soak. Herbal washes are made by steeping herbs for 2 hours prior to adding to the bath.

Herb Infused Alcohol

These are also known as tinctures. This is a solution created by soaking an herb in alcohol to extract its healing properties, resulting in a medicine that can be taken by mouth. The advantage of using alcohol is that it works with almost any plant and the alcohol will bypass the digestive system and go more directly into the bloodstream allowing it to work right away. Please see risks and warnings before taking any herbal remedy internally.

Where to get herbs?

If you are looking to get quality herbs and plant material you have a few options: local florist or herb shops, online stores or in your own garden.

Local Florist

You can find quality herbs and fresh plant matter at your local florist or herb shop. If you are new to herbalism, shopping at a local shop will give you the added benefit of being able to speak to someone that is knowledgeable. Don’t make the mistake of going in and buying every herb that you can get your hands on. Instead consider choosing one or two fresh and dried herbs to get started.

Online Stores

There are several reputable online stores for dried herbs. Stay away from the mass production suppliers as there is no way to tell how fresh the dried herbs are.The same applies in terms of starting small when deciding which herbs to get. While the cost may be less than your local supplier, you do have the added expense of the shipping to consider. Live Soap School offers a basic Herbal Skincare Blend which you can use to make your own infusions.

If you’re going to be making lots of different herbal remedies, you may want to start keeping some dried herbs at home. Some common ones to keep on hand are: rose petal, lavendar blossom, chamomile flower, pepper mint leaf, lemon balm leaf, calendula petal, and elecampane roots.

Grow A Skincare Herb Garden

Although many of the herbs you’ll see growing around you could be used for medicinal purposes, many others grow close to home. You can buy these herbs fresh and dried at the grocery store or farmers’ market. You can grow many of these herbs in your own backyard! Aloe Vera, Rose Petal, Thyme, and Ginger are just some of the herbs you can consider planting. These herbs can be used to help fight acne, soothe sore muscles after exercise, or simply make your skin feel great. Herbs are a great start to a healthy skin regimen.

Best Herbs to Grow Indoors

• Calendula
• Aloe Vera
• Comfrey
• Lemon Balm
• Alfalfa Plants

Supplies & Tools

You really don’t need much to start your own apothecary at home. I always recommend getting tools and supplies second-hand or repurposing old kitchen items. This way you can spend money on quality ingredients. Start off small with the basics and then as you get into practice you can invest in larger higher quality tools.

• Mason jars or glass containers – for infusing
• Cheesecloth – for straining
• Coffee Grinder – gor grinding
• Herbs – This is the magic
• Liquid carrier oil of your choice (I like olive oil and avocado oil)

How to become an herbalist

If you are looking to start up your very own home herbalist shop, here are some tips to help you along the way.

1. Get familiar with the basics. Learn about the different parts of plants, how to identify them, and what each part does. This will help you understand why certain plants are used medicinally.
2. Find out what types of products are best suited for you. How much space do you have? What type of product do you prefer? These questions will help you determine what products will make sense for your apothecary.
3. Start collecting! If you don’t already have a collection of herbs growing in your yard, consider starting one. You’ll find it easier to gather materials when you have something to compare to. Also, try to collect things that grow easily and naturally around your house. A few basil leaves won’t hurt either.
4. Think about what you’d like to offer customers. Are you interested in selling teas? Salves? Potions? Consider making these types of products. They’re easy to prepare and require little equipment.

Traditional and Ancient Herbal Remedies

Every culture in history has used medicinal plants for skincare and healing purposes. Some have been documented for centuries while others are starting to gain more popularity. While western medicine is dominant in the US many of the bases for pharmaceuticals are in fact plant derived.

Traditional African Herbalism is the oldest documented use of plants for healing purposes.

“Africa is blessed with enormous biodiversity resources and it is estimated to contain between 40 and 45,000 species of plant with a potential for development and out of which 5,000 species are used medicinally.” African traditional medicine is the oldest, and perhaps the most assorted, of all therapeutic systems. Africa is considered to be the cradle of mankind marked by regional differences in healing practices.” With such a large number of plants, we may never unlock the full power of herbs.

In many traditional health practices, illness is viewed holistically. It is believed that there is an inherent psychological, spiritual, and emotional element to disease and health. The use of special clothing, music, dance, and various other techniques during rituals of health care is widespread and varied throughout Africa. The seasonality of plants can also play a role in treatment. Herbal formulas and botanical extracts may often be used in place of single herbs or pharmaceuticals to treat problems.

Asian Inspired Herbalism has a similar holistic approach to that of traditional African Herbalism.

There is quite a bit of documentation available on asian medicine and their use of botanicals.

Korean Medicine is referred to as Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM). It focuses on balancing the energies of the body and the elements of earth, fire, water, metal, and wood. Ginseng, chaga mushroom, lotus root, ginger, angelica root, licorice and goji berries are all great choices for skincare.

Japanese herbs to consider for your skincare regimen include: angelica root, ginseng and licorice.

Consider researching these natural ingredients and traditional skincare preparations for your own product development and skin healing journey. With any medicinal plants, you want to carefully research its contraindications and be aware of any potential allergic reactions or skin irritation.

How to incorporate Herbs in your Daily Routine

Herbs are one of my favorite things to add to my natural skin care. They’re inexpensive, healthy, and super versatile. And did you know that there are over 3,000 different types?

I bet you didn’t know that. But here’s something else you may not know. Herbs can actually improve your health, boost your energy, and protect your skin.

For example, basil helps reduce inflammation, eucalyptus boosts immunity, rosemary supports digestion, oregano fights infections, thyme promotes circulation, sage improves memory, lavender calms anxiety, chamomile relieves stress, mint freshens breath, and parsley strengthens hair growth.

Sounds amazing, right?

But wait, there’s more.

There are many ways to incorporate herbs into your daily routine and beauty products. Here are some ideas.

1. Use herbs as a natural deodorant.

2. Add fresh herbs to your bath water.

3. Make herbal tea.

4. Sprinkle dried herbs on food.

5. Make homemade body scrubs.

6. Put herbs in your toothpaste.

7. Make herbal lip balm.

8. Include herbs in your beauty regimen.

9. Try aromatherapy.

10. Make herbal sachets.

11. Make herbal soap.

12. Make herbal lotion.

13. Make herbal shampoo.

14. Make herbal conditioner.

15. Make herbal moisturizer.

16. Make herbal face masks.

17. Make herbal foot soak.

18. Make herbal hand scrub.

19. Make herbal bath salts.

Skincare Recipes

You can make much of what you need and customize your skin care recipes with natural ingredients and botanicals. This is one of the best options for beginners because it’s simple to make and gentle enough to use on babies and seniors alike.

Calendula-Infused Oil

This makes a great massage oil, base oil for other products and is good for all skin types. You will need:

• 2 cups of Olive oil
• 4 cups of dried calendula
• Mason jar or glass jar with lid

Combine the dried calendula and olive oil in a mason jar. Ensure that the calendula is completely covered. Close the jar and allow it to sit in the sun for 3 weeks. Shake it daily. Strain off the calendula and apply the infused oil directly to your skin.

Risks and warnings

Herbs and plant medicine should not be taken lightly. All herbs have contraindications and you should research any and every herb you plan to use for things to consider prior to using internally, externally or incorporating it in a product for sale.

The ultimate goal is healthy skin! You get to tailor make natural products with beneficial plant ingredients. No matter if you have dry skin, oily skin or problematic skin conditions you can promote skin healing with plant medicine. If you are nervous about where to start, begin with an infused oil of individual herbs and then progress to combinations. Avoid toxic ingredients at all cost and research everything you are considering using.

All in all, the best way to heal your skin from within is by taking care of yourself inside and out.

You’ve got this!

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