From Garden to Glow: Craft Your Own Natural Skincare Routine

Blending natural elements to create a harmonious skincare ritual can soothe, heal, and reveal your skin’s innate radiance. Learn to craft a personalized skincare regimen by harnessing the power of botanical ingredients and nurture a luminous complexion with the pure goodness of nature.

Welcome to the world of natural skincare ingredients.

Money doesn’t grow on trees — no surprise there — but did you know that some of the most effective skincare ingredients do grow on trees? Many others grow on shrubs, bushes, flowering plants, and vines. You may know some of these substances — your current skincare products may even contain some. Others may be completely new. Either way, our aim is to inform you about natural ingredients that create powerful synergies when used in conjunction with others.

Differentiating artificial from natural

Review the label of the average skincare product and you’re apt to see a list of exotic-sounding components. Some of those ingredients may be synthetic compounds or hyper-processed mixtures that trigger allergies or exacerbate skin problems. Others may be gentle and naturally derived. It can be difficult to know which is which. That’s where this article comes in.

How does your skincare garden grow?

Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could pick the skincare ingredients you need from your own homegrown garden? Unfortunately, all the cultivation and raw handling required make such a garden untenable for most people. Here’s the next best thing — a selected shortlist of powerful natural ingredients that are grown, harvested, prepared, and combined into skincare products that bring out the best in your skin.

Jojoba oil (simmondsia chinensis)

Sourcing: Jojoba oil is extracted from seeds of the jojoba shrub, which grows naturally across the Southwestern United States.
Composition: Jojoba oil is made mainly of wax esters. For this reason, some skincare professionals contend it isn’t a true oil.

Jojoba’s waxiness has made it one of the most popular natural ingredients in modern cosmetics. Why? Because human sebum (the oil naturally produced by skin) is primarily composed of waxy esters. Translation: jojoba oil mimics natural skin oil more closely than other “oils” on the market.

Use in skincare: Jojoba oil is light, fast absorbing, and creates a strong, moisture-locking seal on skin. It penetrates deeply, too, and amplifies the effects of other ingredients.

Açaí oil (euterpe oleracea)

Sourcing: Açaí oil is extracted from the fruit of açaí palm trees. These exotic trees grow natively in the Amazon rainforest, mostly in Brazil.

Composition: Açaí oil contains high levels of antioxidants, including ferulic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and epicatechin.

Use in skincare: Açaí oil’s antioxidant mix delivers a powerhouse of environmental protection, including from pollution and UV radiation. Antioxidants also protect skin from within by neutralizing free radicals and limiting oxidative damage. Additionally, vitamin C helps brighten skin and is particularly good at soothing inflammation.

Papaya fruit extract (carica capaya)

Sourcing: This ingredient comes from the fruit of the papaya “tree.” Papayas are scientifically classified as a flowering plant but can grow up to 26 feet high, making the physical distinction blurry.

Composition: Papaya is another powerhouse of beneficial compounds, including the proteolytic enzymes papain and chymopapain. It also contains high amounts of vitamins A, B, and C, phytochemicals, beta-carotene, and lycopene.

Use in skincare: Papaya fruit extract can address a number of skin issues. Papain, for example, dissolves protein, making it a natural exfoliator that strips away dead skin cells. This, combined with papain’s anti-inflammatory properties, makes it a potent acne treatment.

Papain and chymopapain both have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. This further enhances papaya’s acne-fighting capacity and makes it an option for treating other skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Papaya’s antioxidant content improves skin elasticity, reduces wrinkles and fine lines, helps moisturize skin, and reduces hyperpigmentation.

Maqui seed oil (aristotelia chilensis)

Sourcing: Maqui seed oil is derived from the fruit (Chilean wineberry) of the maqui tree. Maquis are an evergreen species native to Chile and Argentina.

Composition: Maqui seed oil is loaded with antioxidants such as vitamins A, B, C, and E, resveratrol, and ellagic acid. Maqui seed oil’s composition of phytochemicals, including anthocyanins and flavonoids, sets it apart from other natural skincare ingredients. It’s high in essential fatty acids, too, including linoleic acid (omega-6), oleic acid (omega-9) and palmitic acid (omega-7).

Use in skincare: Anthocyanins protect skin from external environmental stressors and internal oxidative stress and repair damage already done. Maqui’s other antioxidants add even more oomph to its potent anthocyanin profile. Additionally, this oil’s fatty acids seal moisture into the skin and help reduce inflammation.

Rosehip oil (rosa mosqueta)

Sourcing: Rosehip oil comes from multiple species, including musk roses, Rosa Rubiginosa (South America) or Rosa Canina (Europe, worldwide) which have been cultivated for hundreds of years.

Composition: Rosehip oil is loaded with vitamins, including A, C, E, and other antioxidants. It also contains anthocyanin and essential fatty acids, including linolenic acid (omega-3) and linoleic acid (omega-6).

Use in skincare: The vitamins A and C in rosehip oil help stimulate the body’s natural collagen production, which contributes to healthier, less wrinkly skin. Rosehip oil also has significant anti-inflammatory properties that can be beneficial for certain types of acne and can even improve scarring.

Powerful blended synergies

Used independently, any of these natural ingredients offers powerful benefits. However, the key to truly unlocking the magic of these ingredients is in blending them with each other and with others.

For users with dry skin, for example, the omega fatty acids in some of these oils pair well with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, a powerful humectant that draws and retains skin moisture. Add a natural exfoliant like papaya fruit extract to oil-controlling ingredients like niacinamide and salicylic acid to help control acne. Mix in some vitamin C, aloe vera, and other soothing ingredients to reduce and prevent irritation. The potential combinations are endless.

Putting it all together

In 2021, Vamigas founders Ann Murray-Dunning and Christina Kelmon recognized a sizable untapped market of consumers looking for natural skincare ingredients. Many of these consumers were underserved and unrecognized — especially Latinas. Vamigas develops clean, naturally-derived skincare products made solely from plant-based ingredients sourced from Latin America. “We offer some of the world’s oldest botanical ingredients to really help you create a simple, clean beauty routine,” Murray-Dunning explains.

One look at the ingredient list of the company’s signature product — Luz De Sur Face Oil — and it’s easy to see that a lot of thought and preparation has gone into this product. It’s naturally-derived, well-balanced, and designed to hit all the right skincare notes without causing irritation or introducing certain chemicals that may be too harsh for the skin: Jojoba oil, chia, certified organic rosehip from Latin America, maracuja, prickly pear/Cactus, acai oil, papaya fruit extract, maqui oil, vitamin E, and sunflower seed oil.

Bring out the best in your skin, naturally.

The science behind skincare is more complicated than ever. The sector is highly competitive and filled with a dizzying array of options, many filled with irritating artificial compounds that do more harm than good. If you’re seeking clean, straightforward skincare sourced from natural, synergistic ingredients, the list presented here is a great starting point. These natural ingredients are “team players” that bring out the best in other components, which brings out the best in the look and feel of your skin.

For further research:

National Library of Medicine – Jojoba Oil: An Updated Comprehensive Review on Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Uses, and Toxicity

Very Well Health – Acai: Everything You Need to Know

Good Housekeeping – 9 Amazing Benefits of Adding Rosehip Oil to Your Skincare Routine

MindBodyGreen – No, Papaya Seeds Won’t Kill Parasites (But Here’s What They Can Help With)

The San Diego Union-Tribune – Latina-owned green beauty line, Vamigas, aims to replace harmful chemicals in skincare routine

Important Note: The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.

Regarding Nutritional Supplements Or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements or other health products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Skin & Beauty

From Garden to Glow: Craft Your Own Natural Skincare Routine