Jojoba Oil: Anti-blemish and Anti-aging
Jojoba oil is a skin softener that behaves almost the same way as the oil your skin
produces naturally, balancing oil levels
and preventing moisture loss. It’s ideal for
mature skin, which generates less moisture
with age. If breakouts happen only
occasionally, the mild antibacterial properties
in jojoba oil can help prevent the few
blemishes you do get.
Product Picks
Nurture My Body Regenerating Creme (USD $22.11/1.75 oz. www.nurturemybody.com)
Weleda Men's Facial Moisturizer (USD$15/1 oz.; www.weleda.com)
Balm Balm Face Balm (USD$12/30 mL; www.balmbalm.com)
Green Tea: Anti-blemish, Anti-inflammatory, and Anti-aging
Green tea is full of antioxidants—those
wonder nutrients that battle the free radicals
produced by cells in our bodies when
they use oxygen. Free radicals cause damage
that can lead to heart disease, diabetes and
cancer. A 2001 study published in the
Journal of Carcinogenesis found that
topically applying green tea limited UVinduced
damage to the skin. Green tea is
also an anti-inflammatory that can relieve
acne, redness and rashes, which are common
with sensitive skin.
Product Picks
Humphreys Organic Botanicals Oil-Controlling Daily Moisturizer (USD$7.30/2 oz. www.humphreysusa.com)
Mod Skin Labs Weightless Lotion Oriental Green Tea & Peru Balsam (USD$46/3.4 oz.; www.modskinlabs.com)
Argan Oil: Deep Moisturizer, Anti-blemish, Anti-inflammatory, and Anti-aging
Extracted from the nuts of Morocco’s
argan trees, which grow on the edge of the
Sahara, argan oil is high in vitamin E
and essential fatty acids. Although its
effectiveness has not yet been scientifically
proven, Moroccan women use this “liquid
gold,” as it is commonly called, to treat a
multitude of skin ailments, including acne,
dry skin, psoriasis, eczema and wrinkles.
Today, the tree faces extinction. To preserve
the threatened species, a Moroccan
professor and an international aid group
established all-women cooperatives to
extract the oil, providing an economic
incentive for preservation of the tree and
a much needed income to rural women.
Product Picks
Argan Body Organic Argan Oil (USD$50/50 mL www.arganbody.com)
Shea Butter: Deep Moisturizer, Anti-inflammatory, and Anti-aging
Another African import, shea butter comes
from the karite tree in the tropical regions
of West Africa. Full of essential fatty acids,
shea butter is a potent moisturizer and
provides relief from itching, sunburn,
eczema and allergies and can diminish
wrinkles. Though shea butter doesn’t clog
pores, raw shea butter creams are very thick
and too heavy for oilier skin, says Dr. Leslie
Baumann, author of The Skin Type Solution.
Look for products containing fairly
traded shea butter, like the ones below.
GG Product Picks
Alaffia Rooibos & Shea Butter Antioxidant Face Cream (USD$14/2.3 oz. www.alaffia.com)
Evan Healy Shea Butter Face and Body Cream with Olive Leaf (USD$26.95/1.9 oz.; www.evanhealy.com)
Pomegranate: Anti-aging
Pomegranate is rich in antioxidants and is
the primary ingredient in many moisturizers
formulated to slow down signs of
aging. Its oil may even diminish existing
wrinkles. In 2005, the University of Michigan
Medical School found that pomegranate
oil repaired skin cells and promoted
collagen production, which keeps your
skin elastic.
Product Picks
Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer(USD$28/2 oz. www.juicebeauty.com)
Desert Essence Pomegranate Face Serum (USD$11.99/2 oz. www.desertessence.com)
Pomega5 Revitalizing Treatment for Skin (USD$30/30 oil capsules www.pomega5.com)
Aloe Vera: Anti-inflammatory
Because of its soothing and restorative
properties, aloe vera is ideal for sensitive
skin and is common in anti-inflammatory
products. Clinical studies have also found
that aloe vera effectively reduces symptoms
of psoriasis and seborrhea, a common
skin condition that causes oily, red and
scaly eruptions. Baumann says aloe vera
can be as soothing as hydrocortisone
creams, which are used to treat itching,
rashes and irritation Product Picks
California Baby Calming Botanical Moisturizing Cream(USD$9.99/2 oz. www.californiababy.com)
Lily of the Desert Aloe 80 Organics Aloe Vera Liquid Moisturizer (USD$10.69/8 oz. www.lilyofthedesert.com)
By Solvie Karlstrom, December 1, 2008, The Green Guide
Latest News 
One month it's green tea, the next it's pomegranate. "New"
ingredients, the same ones that peoploe have been using on their skin
for centuries, are revolutionizing the skin care industry. But
venerated as they may be, they may not be the solution to all your skin
care woes. It's not that natural ingredients don't work—in fact, plant
ingredients can be more effective than the synthetics we've all become
used to. It's that they don't all do the same thing. To help choose the
right moisturizer for you, we've put together a guide explaining just
what these plant-based ingredients do for your skin.
