Soothing, enriching and rejuvenating – that’s nature at its best. Bringing you the goodness of this invaluable treasure are some of the most assorted wellness products that pamper you with nature’s care.
Given the virtual 24/7 work cultures of today, most of us slog for five days of the week, desperately waiting for TGIF moments. TGIF? Of course you very well know what it means – “Thank God it’s Friday!” Neha, in her early thirties, is one such busy bee, working as a corporate communications manager with a 5-star hotel. ‘Me-time’ on weekends? Now that’s a super luxury for her and many like her with crazy working hours. However, she makes the best of every moment she can squeeze in for herself. And her way of detoxing from the daily grind of life and pollution is a scoopful of ‘nature’ in a nutshell, or shall we say in a potion! A rehydrating facial of Cococin and Amaranthus and a rejuvenating scalp massage with almond oil is all she needs when “everything else can wait”.
Nature is the one and only source of innumerable offerings that nurture, replenish and enrich the human body and mind and the very existence of life for that matter. Although organic and natural cosmetics come across as the buzzwords of the gen-next, women and men alike have been using these enhancements since days of yore. If the ancient Egyptians used gum of frankincense and fresh moringa as anti-aging therapy to treat wrinkles, the geisha women of Japan wore lipstick made of crushed safflower petals to enhance their looks.
Today every other beauty salon or spa or cosmetics outlet offers plenty of organic and natural choices that leave you totally confused. But don’t you worry; with Plan Your Wedding by your side, you can make an informed choice.
Natural & Organic – What’s the difference?
Although ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ are used interchangeably in our day-to-day conversations, these are not the same. Rupal Tyagi, certified aromatherapist, perfumer and Founder-Wikka, clears the air. “There are two things to understand here, one is ‘ organic’ and the other is ‘natural’. When we say that the product is natural it means:
- The ingredients used in the formula are derived from renewable resources and manufactured by environmentally-friendly processes.
- All the active ingredients are completely derived from natural sources.
- The ingredients of the entire formulation should be minimum 95% drawn from natural origin.
Now while claiming the product to be organic, we have to ensure that all the above holds true along with making sure that the naturally-derived ingredients are grown organically/has organic certifications too.”
Short and simple: To be ‘organic’, an ingredient must have been derived/cultivated without the use of synthetic pesticides, petroleum fertilizers or sewage sludge fertilizers, and it must not be a genetically modified organism (GMO).
Goodness of Nature to Pamper You
The best thing about organic and natural cosmetics is that they handle you with care! From essential oils to other plant extracts, these cosmeceuticals treat you to nature’s abundant wellness.
“Plants are rich sources of numerous secondary metabolites. Humans through numerous explorations have identified and used plants and their metabolites to their advantage. With over 26 years in the field of plant extraction and standardization, we at Sami-Sabinsa group, manufacture natural cosmeceuticals from plant sources that are enriched to standardized extracts, keeping intact the essence in cosmetic formulations. These have been found to be safe to use with multifaceted cosmeceutical benefits,” says Dr Muhammed Majeed, Founder & Managing Director, SAMI Direct.
One for Every Skin Type
Talking of skin type or any other physical or psychological attribute for that matter, each one of us is so unique and distinct from the other. It’s only the biodiversity of nature that can offer a bespoke wellness solution to suit our specific requirements.
The most important thing in customisation, according to Rupal, “is selecting the right ingredients for your skin and body type. When we create a fragrance using essential oils we have to make sure that the complete synergistic blend should be well accepted by the mind of the user; only then will it show the desired results. Further, while blending a customised fragrance or a beauty potion, we have to always consider the user’s skin type, lifestyle, medical history, and allergy history.”
Dr Majeed elaborates on how different skin types require the care of different natural cosmeceuticals. “A person with dry and dull skin requires ingredients that will prevent moisture loss and rejuvenate the skin. Cococin from Sami Labs is a micronutrient rich extract of green tender coconut water that acts as a very good moisturizer. On the other hand, those with moist skin are prone to acne. Patented ingredients such as Coleus Oil and Policosanol are antimicrobials and manage sebum production. This not only acts as an effective anti-acne agent but prevents the skin from having an oily appearance.” He further adds, “Oily skin people require water-based formulations and dry skin requires oil-based preparations.”
Sans Side-Effects
Pratyusha can never forget that horrific facial bleach of her life, which gave her severe skin rashes just a day before a cocktail party she was to attend. From then onwards, “it’s either natural or nothing”, for her.
“The conventional cosmetics often contain some of the harmful chemicals which are generally used to enhance the look and feel of the product from the marketing point of view and for providing temporary results which may be harmful for the skin and overall health in the long run. Organic cosmetics tend to avoid the use of harsh or toxic chemicals that might be bad for your skin and overall health,” explains Rupal who also goes on to clarify, “At Wikka, we are using organic certified actives and ingredients but we don’t claim our products to be organic.”
Healing Touch
Sun tans, sunburns, pigmentation, scars… you name and they have it to heal you naturally. Organic and natural cosmetics not only provide you a safe beauty enhancement solution but also a healing touch.
Rupal attributes the healing touch to “the ingredients used in developing the organic and natural cosmetics. When we use organic essential oils, honey, and natural butters then we are sure that these are free of carcinogens and other health hazardous chemicals.”
“There are natural ingredients with medicinal properties, which manifest beneficial topical actions and provide protection against degenerative skin conditions. Formulations are topically applied and contain ingredients that influence the biological function of the skin. They improve appearance and functionality by delivering nutrients necessary for healthy skin,” says Dr Majeed.
With these organic and natural cosmeceuticals in your makeup kit, you have yet another reason to say “Go Green”!
| Essential Oils for Different Skin Types |
| For All Skin Types – Lavender Essential Oil: It smells great and can calm down stressed skin. It has anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It helps to regenerate skin cells as well, and is good for aging skin, sun spots, and scarring.For Oily and Sensitive Skin – Tea Tree Essential Oil: It has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties and also helps to regulate oil secretion, which minimises the likelihood of acne breakouts. It helps in treating minor cuts and burns.For Oily, Sensitive, Mature, Aging and Devitalized skin – Neroli Essential Oil: Use it as a toner to smoothen fine lines and tighten sagging skin. This oil contains a natural chemical known as citral that works as a rejuvenating agent that can help regenerate cells. For Dry or Aging Skin – Rose Essential Oil: It contains many therapeutic compounds that are known to quicken healing process. It can hone skin texture and tone. It also has properties to manage skin conditions such as psoriasis and dermatitis. |
| Check ‘Em Out – Natural Wellness Products | |
| Skin radiance and brightening: Sabinsa’s proprietary ingredients such as SabiWhite, pTeroWhite, Licorice 40%, Artonox, Soy Isoflavones are natural actives with melanin suppressors, lightening the skin tone and eliminating pigmentation. Anti-aging: Unique antiwrinkle/anti-aging ingredients such as Boswellin CG, Saberry, Sage extract and Sodium ursolate help maintain a young and healthy skin. These also help to repair, rejuvenate and condition the skin naturally. Skin hydration: Cococin CG and Amaranthus SCFE have the property to replenish the skin’s moisture reserves the natural way and provide nourishment to optimize skin renewal. It also helps to soothe and protect the skin from uneasy irritation. Anti-acne: A few ingredients that possess anti-acne properties and form active constituents of cosmetic formulations include Coleus Oil, Vitex Oil and Policosanol. Hair Care: Sami’s Cococin CG, Saberry and Eclipta alba that have been known traditionally for their use in hair care, have been standardized, evaluated and studied for their use. Dermal penetration enhancer: Cosmoperine, obtained from black pepper by a proprietary extraction process has been clinically tested and found to have a strong safety profile. Inputs taken from Dr Muhammed Majeed, Founder & Managing Director, SAMI Direct | Wikka’s Sun Protect 30+ with Green Tea Extracts: Synergistically enhances sun protection, by decreasing free radicals in the skin caused by exposure to the sun, and reducing inflammation. Add to that, the benefits of wheat germ oil that is packed with vitamins and carrot seed oil. It also has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties of lavender and geranium to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles! Hair Nourishing Potion: With vitamins E, D, B1, B2, B6 and A, almond oil takes care of your curls and helps you to grow strong, healthy hair strands. Rosemary stimulates dense hair growth while keeping the scalp healthy. Wheat germ oil along with tea tree and lavender reduce breakage and hair fall. Wikka’s Beauty Potion: With its rejuvenating and soothing properties, aloe vera along with the anti-ageing properties of avocado oil leaves the skin feeling replenished and exquisite. Patchouli and Chamomile German essential oils help in reducing the appearance of age spots, fine lines and wrinkles. Wikka’s Chamomile Body Nourish: It invigorates the skin with almond oil and wheat germ oil that are rich sources of vitamin B6 and folic acid. Vitamin B keeps the skin supple and smooth. Lavender and Chamomile German are known for their relaxing effects on the body. Inputs take from Rupal Tyagi, certified aromatherapist, perfumer and Founder-Wikka |
The article was originally published in Plan Your Wedding magazine.
