By now it’s pretty clear that beauty oils are more than just a passing fad. With sales of the stuff tripling in the past five years, it’s safe to say that oils are here to stay. But when it comes to natural skincare, not all oils are created equal. Just as various cooking oils have specific applications in our kitchens—and just as the conventional olive oil you buy at Costco tastes different from the fancy-pants organic one you picked up at the farmers’ market—the countless beauty oils on the market offer a broad range of results and efficacy. To get the scoop on which oils are most worth our time (and budget!) I chatted with True Nature Botanicals CEO Hillary Peterson. As the founder of a science-driven natural beauty company known for beating Creme de la Mer in clinical trials, she’s exactly the font of information you’d expect her to be!
The first thing Hillary points out is that when it comes to skincare ingredients, source matters. A lot. Whether it’s green tea extract from an organic farm in China, or sustainably farmed sea kelp from the Mendocino coast, the components of True Nature Botanicals face oils and serums boast the most virtuous origin profiles around. And while sustainable and organic formulations can cost more up front, the higher price actually works itself out in the end. For just as research has shown that organically produced foods have higher concentrations of the nutrients our bodies need, organic beauty oils are more densely packed with the compounds that heal skin and prevent signs of aging. In plain terms, that means we can use less product to see our desired results. Often a single drop a day will do! Add in the fact that responsibly sourced ingredients honor the earth as well as the farmers harvesting her bounty, and the benefits of organic beauty are clear indeed.
Another thing Hillary is quick to emphasize is that the ingredient extraction process can make or break a truly effective skincare product! True Nature Botanicals draws many of its most potent oils from seeds, which are basically nature’s little miracles. Think about it. Contained inside a seed is everything a plant needs to sprout from dormancy, send roots down and leaves up through the soil, and even feed other organisms. With seed oils, we’re giving all that energetic potential to our skin to keep it glowing, youthful, and healthy. In the case of True Nature Botanicals’ new Pacific Eye Serum (launching later this month), in just a week I’ve watched those potent powerhouse seed oils decrease the dark circles and fine lines around my tired peepers—which feels miraculous indeed!
P.S. For more of Hilary’s wisdom, head to the True Nature Botanicals website where you can read up on the oils vs. creams debate, learn how to exfoliate properly, and get a peek at the brand’s latest brilliant releases!