| Ingredient | Known Benefit |
| Aloe vera | Soothing, regenerative, moisturizing |
| Arnica (Arnica montana) | Regenerative, soothing, antiseptic, stimulating |
| Calendula (Calendula officinalis) | Regenerative, soothing, antiseptic |
| Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) | Anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, cooling, sedative |
| Carrot (Daucus carota) | Purifying, regenerative |
| Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) | Moisture-binding, soothing, softening, tightening, anti-inflammatory |
| Geranium (Pelargonium sp.) | Strengthening (capillaries), smoothes, decongests |
| Hops (Humulus lupulus) | Calming, restorative, estrogenic, antiseptic, emollient, astringent |
| Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) | Anti-inflammatory, regenerative, strengthening, softening |
| Lemon (Citrus limonum) | Antiseptic, purifying, lymphatic stimulant |
| Menthol (Mentha piperita) | Antiseptic, analgesic, calming, cooling, circulation stimulant |
| Peppermint (Mentha piperita) | Antiseptic, cooling, analgesic, calming |
| Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) | Regenerative, astringent, calming |
| Sage (Salvia officinalis) | Antispasmodic, astringent, antiseptic, cooling |
| Spearmint (Mentha viridis) | Anti-septic, cooling, analgesic |
| Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) | Antiseptic, germicidal, wound-healing, anti-inflammatory |
| Turmeric (Curcuma longa) | Stimulating, regenerative, antiseptic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory |
| Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) | Anti-inflammatory, wound-healing |
| Yucca (Yucca schidigera) | Anti-inflammatory, soothing |
I know there are some people out there who love anything that is “natural” (and they live in Cambridge) and love things such as “botanicals” (I don’t know why I put that in quotes… but it seems grammatically correct?).
Botanicals in Skin Care
Botanical extracts support the health, texture, and integrity of the skin, hair, and nails and are the largest category of pharmaceutical/cosmeceutical additives. (I guess people in Cambridge aren’t the only one’s who love natural products!)
All medicine (including the creams for your skin) come from either nature or are manmade in a lab (in Cambridge?). Penicillin comes from a mold derivative; Botox comes from a bacteria derivative, ect. Ect.
Nature provides us with plants that have very important functions in healthcare. Here’s a chart with some of those plants. (In other news… I found out I can type something in Microsoft and upload it directly to my blog! I’m so excited! My posts are about to be more visually pleasing!!! Charts and graphs and clip art and stuff!)
