7 Best Natural Ingredients for Your Skin

One of the cornerstones of clean skincare is the power of nature. It underpins the very essence of natural ingredients harnessing the power of Mother Earth to enhance beauty naturally and safely.

In an era where consumers are more conscious than ever of the ingredients in skincare products, the appeal of natural formulas continues to grow bringing with it a plethora of natural ingredients. The good news is there are some top skin allies you’ll want on your skincare side that you can incorporate into your routines for increased results and better overall health.

At 100% PURE, we’re committed to harnessing these potent natural ingredients to create products that offer both effectiveness and purity. From essential oils to simple plants and minerals found in nature, let’s explore the top 7 natural ingredients and some of the potent ways the power of nature can help keep your complexion looking its best!

Natural skincare products are formulations that prioritize using ingredients derived from nature, such as plants, minerals, and other organic sources. They are typically free from synthetic chemicals, artificial fragrances, parabens, sulfates, and other potentially harmful substances commonly found in conventional skincare products.

Natural skincare products boast a wide range of ingredients that are both effective and gentle on the skin. Here are the top 7 natural ingredients and the potent ways these nature-derived powerhouses can keep your skin looking its best!

#1. Green Tea

Green tea is so prized in skincare that other natural ingredients are green with envy! This super leaf offers a plethora of benefits for your skin, from its all-star anti-aging properties to its role in sun protection. One of the most prized powers of green tea is its high content of epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG.

These polyphenols act as powerful free radical scavengers, neutralizing harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) or free radicals that can damage cells and contribute to inflammation and premature aging. Key additional benefits of green tea include:

Benefits:

Neutralizes Free Radicals: Environmental factors like UV radiation, pollution, and stress can generate free radicals in the skin, leading to oxidative stress. Green tea's antioxidants counteract these free radicals, preventing oxidative damage and reducing the risk of premature aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects: Green tea's antioxidant properties also possess anti-inflammatory effects. This can help soothe redness and irritation, making it suitable for sensitive or acne-prone skin. By reducing inflammation, it can aid in calming various skin conditions and promote a more even skin tone.

Anti-Aging Properties: Green tea may help stimulate collagen synthesis, a vital protein responsible for skin firmness and elasticity. This can lead to improved skin texture and resilience, making the skin appear plumper and more youthful.

Facial puffiness after a long flight, or sun damage from snoozing poolside - or simply need a deeply nourishing mask? Made with ultra-fine matcha green tea powder, our Matcha Oat Milk Nourishing Mask is easily the most potent green tea mask you’ll find.

Oat milk and green tea are an unstoppable skincare duo, calming any skin irritation while restoring and protecting against environmental damage. Coconut milk helps green tea to boost the glow of your complexion, due to its natural vitamin C content. This rich, luxurious ingredient also helps with toning and anti-aging, making the power combo of these two a matcha made in heaven.

#2. Vitamin C

There’s a superstar reason it’s known as vitamin C-elebrity. Though it places third on the red carpet of skincare ingredients, behind anti-aging “A” and breakout-preventing “B”, citrus-celeb vitamin C wins first place as a timeless, skin-brightening classic among ingredients A - Z. Its skin-efits are just the tip of the peel!

Vitamin C gets the spotlight for its potent antioxidant properties that counteract the damaging effects of free radicals, thereby playing a pivotal role in maintaining the skin's health, brightness, and youthful vigor. Key additional juicy benefits of vitamin C include:

Benefits:

Promotes Collagen Production: Vitamin C also plays a pivotal starring role in promoting collagen synthesis. Collagen, a naturally occurring protein in our body, provides our skin with structure and elasticity. As we age, collagen production decreases, leading to wrinkles and fine lines. Vitamin C plays a pivotal role in promoting collagen synthesis, thereby maintaining the skin’s youthful texture.

Fights Free Radical Damage: Daily exposure to UV rays and pollution can accelerate skin damage and premature aging. Vitamin C serves as a shield, protecting skin cells from harmful free radicals and oxidative stress induced by these environmental aggressors. The anti-oxidative properties of vitamin C can help shield skin from daily aggressors and support a more youthful, radiant complexion.

Brightens Skin Tone: A radiant, even complexion is a universal sign of healthy skin. Vitamin C has been touted for its ability to brighten by reducing the appearance of dullness. It also inhibits the enzyme tyrosinase, which is crucial in the production of melanin - the pigment that gives color to our skin. By interfering with melanin production, vitamin C helps in preventing dark spots and evening skin tone.

Whether you’re seeking a red-carpet complexion or radiant, ready-to-take-the-night skin, our Vitamin C Serum can help you strut the skin catwalk or sidewalk! This lightweight serum, stabilized with potent vitamin C, helps to firm and brighten skin tone while promoting collagen production. Includes radiance-boosting green apple and grape, plus alpha lipoic acid (ALA) for fighting oxidative damage that can prematurely age or darken the skin.

#3. Charcoal

As wonderful as it is to ride your bike or take a stroll around the neighborhood, you are exposing yourself to pollution that can be aging to the skin. Activated charcoal, the same compound that helps to purify water, is helpful for removing the toxins that build up on our skin throughout the day.

Activated charcoal is incredibly porous and binds toxins that would otherwise remain on the skin. Since it can even absorb toxins that are thousands of times its own weight, it’s incredibly effective at cleansing skin by drawing out impurities and toxins from pores, making it excellent for acne-prone and oily skin.

PRO-TIP: At 100% PURE, we use sustainable bamboo charcoal, which is also a gentle natural exfoliant. And don’t worry about that jet-black color - we’ve formulated skincare that won’t stain your sink or bathtub.

Benefits:

Effectively Cleans & Purifies: Activated charcoal works to purify and detoxify the skin on several levels. First, activated charcoal acts as a carbon magnet for dirt, oil, and other toxins resulting in our pores from daily environmental exposure. Once that debris is bonded with the charcoal, it can be easily washed away.

Reduces Pore Size: Activated charcoal is also an amazing tool for making pores appear smaller. By acting as a magnet for pulling dirt, oil, bacteria, and debris from your pores, charcoal can make pores appear less noticeable.

Smooths Skin: Exfoliating using activated charcoal in products can also promote faster cellular turnover so that the skin looks more vibrant and youthful. Exfoliating can also remove built-up dead skin cells and any pore-clogging residue that can contribute to breakouts and acne.

Unlike many activated charcoal products, our Charcoal Clay Cleanser is mess-free and easy to use. Our cleanser works to purify and detoxify the skin by first using activated charcoal to remove dirt, oil, and other daily environmental toxins without stripping the skin. Once that debris is bonded with the charcoal, it can be easily washed away. Organic lemon works double duty to kill bacteria and balance oil production. Algae extract moisturizes and nourishes the skin.

Make a complete and purifying facial (and body) cleansing duo by pairing our cleanser with a detoxifying face wash sponge. Our Charcoal Konjac Sponge will gently exfoliate the skin, revealing more youthful layers and sloughing away complexion-dulling dead skin. It’s safe enough for even sensitive skin and can be used twice daily.

#4. Aloe Vera

Known by the ancient Egyptians as the “plant of immortality”, aloe vera is in the pantheon of our all-time favorite ingredients. It’s used as a base ingredient in hundreds of our products, from makeup to masks to hair care. Its ability to moisturize with a natural abundance of antioxidants, minerals, enzymes, and vitamins makes it a gold-star ingredient for beauty products.

The well-known soothing and healing properties, antioxidant content, and obvious hydration benefits of aloe vera also make it an essential ingredient for calming irritated skin and providing deep hydration.

These hydrating and healing effects have been recognized for thousands of years, and we’re maintaining that long-lived tradition. Cultivated sustainably, our organic aloe not only supports healthy skin but also encourages eco-friendly farming practices, contributing to the preservation of natural habitats.

Benefits:

Hydration & Healing Hero: Aloe vera is well-known for its hydrating benefits for all skin types, especially for those with sensitive skin. While this major hydration factor is due in part to the fact that aloe vera contains 98% water, this is also due in part to two natural hormones found in the plant: gibberellins and auxin.

Gibberellins and auxin have both been shown to contain anti-inflammatory properties by helping the hormones in your body stimulate new cell growth. Through this process, the healing process can be expedited, while the appearance of scars can be reduced.

Anti-Aging Superstar: As our skin ages, it gradually produces less collagen. This leads to a loss of elasticity and more prominent fine lines and wrinkles. Luckily, aloe vera is a great anti-aging ingredient. Its hydrating powers help hydrate and plump skin, while its salicylic acid content exfoliates and encourages new cell turnover.

Acne Fighter: Aloe vera contains beta-hydroxy acids: oil-soluble acids that help clear the pores, making them great for oily, congested, or acne-prone skin. Aloe vera also contains salicylic acid, which is known for its gentle and effective acne-fighting properties.

Throughout history, aloe vera has remained one of the main plants associated with healing and holistic health. We all know that it’s great for sunburns, which is partly why we created our French Lavender Nourishing Body Cream for instant relief and hydration, and it’s especially ideal after sun exposure or skin distress. This highly nourishing body cream is concentrated with potent anti-aging antioxidants, vitamins, and much-needed skin-softening fruit oils to help the dreaded peeling phase of dry skin. Cocoa and avocado butters will hydrate, while French lavender will soothe inflamed and irritated skin.

#5. Sea Buckthorn

Could a little goldish berry be worth its weight in gold? It could if it’s sea buckthorn, dubbed in skincare as ‘liquid gold’ for your face. With its impressive A-list of antioxidants, it’s no wonder that incorporating sea buckthorn in your skincare could be the golden ticket to radiant, youthful skin.

These berries may be tiny, but they pack mighty skincare benefits. Sea buckthorn’s claim to beauty fame comes from the two types of oil derived from the berries and seeds found inside them. The fruit oil comes from the fleshy pulp of the berry and is dark orange to red. The small black seeds are the source of the seed oil, which is yellow or pale orange. These oils provide skin-nourishing benefits, not to mention are also chock-full of essential vitamins, minerals, and omega fatty acids, which help promote skin regeneration and elasticity.

Benefits:

All-Star Anti-Inflammatory: More than 190 nutrients as well as phytonutrients – natural chemicals produced by the sea buckthorn plant that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Sea buckthorn is known for calming skin and reducing redness, as well as helping in combatting acne.

Free-Radical Fighter: Sea buckthorn contains a variety of essential fatty acids and antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E, as well as anthocyanins – an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals.

Skin Brightener: Sea buckthorn has more vitamin C than an orange – 10 times more – and three times more vitamin A than carrots. It’s also the only known plant source on the planet that contains omegas 3, 6, 9, and 7! Say hello to brighter, more youthful skin!

Ready for some 24k beauty benefits of this gold berry?! Our Super Fruit Facial Oil is a lightweight, silky oil that can be used day or night to restore suppleness and hydration while repairing oxidative damage and revitalizing damaged skin. Featuring a formula ideal for super-dry skin types, this facial oil is infused with anti-pollution, free radical-fighting ingredients. It leaves skin feeling instantly soft, supple, and moisturized with a healthy glow.

#6. Argan Oil

It’s no secret that we love argan oil. We use it as an ingredient in many of our formulas, and our bottled version is one of the cleanest, purest, and most undiluted argan oils on the market. The nutrition of the oil is highly dependent upon how it is harvested. Our oil is cold pressed, and the nut is gently separated from the oil usually by hand, meaning that every time you buff this lovely, rich oil into your skin, it is produced with love and care.

Though argan oil is difficult to obtain and has a somewhat meticulous extraction and production process, the benefits of this super oil greatly outweigh its laborious harvesting process! Thanks to its high vitamin E and fatty acid content, argan oil is a master moisturizer that’s perfect for nourishing and conditioning skin and hair – and more!

Benefits:

Anti-Aging All-Star: One of the vitamins naturally occurring in argan oil is vitamin A, which helps to produce a skin-firming agent. Maybe you’re born with it, but if not, vitamin A is here to save the day. It promotes healthy skin cells and aids in collagen production for bouncy, youthful skin.

Super-Skin Moisturizer: Argan oil contains vitamin E, which does wonders for moisturizing our skin and combatting free radicals damage for maintaining youthful skin. In addition to vitamins A and E, argan contains omega-6 fatty acids, which are critical for normal skin function and healthy skin appearance.

Smooth Skin Superstar: Argan oil also helps to speed skin cell turnover rate, meaning new skin is faster for a blemish-free, smoother complexion. The omega 6 fatty acid in argan oil helps to lessen the damage on our skin from all those sunny slay-cations, for a softer, even skin tone.

Healthy Hair Hero: Argan oil promotes collagen production for fortified hair growth and fights against breakage. Not to mention the deep moisturizing properties of argan oil for the luscious locks of your dreams. Argan oil also tames hair frizziness and strengthens healthier hair growth for longer, voluminous locks.

Our Argan Oil is naturally rich in vitamin E, phenols, carotenes, squalane, and essential fatty acids to deeply moisturize, nourish, and soften skin and strands. All natural and cruelty-free, our argan oil's restorative nutrients are beneficial for application all over the body, including the face, around the eyes, décolleté, hands, and even your hair.

#7. Hyaluronic Acid

In the world of skincare, hyaluronic acid is undoubtedly a star player that can definitely hold its weight literally in water! Renowned for its unparalleled hydrating properties, this exceptional and unique humectant can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. It has thus secured its position as a noteworthy and coveted moisturizing ingredient.

We’ve harnessed natural sources of hyaluronic acid to create another important function that brings your skincare game to a whole new level. We firmly believe that Mother Nature is the best teacher and nurturer, and there’s proof that we source our hyaluronic acid from Japanese sweet potatoes. Another natural source of hyaluronic acid? Seaweed collagen (no wonder Ariel enjoyed such luscious locks!). Hyaluronic acid is indispensable for keeping skin hydrated and plump – and more!

Benefits:

Master Hydrator: Because of how it can bind to water, hyaluronic acid is crucial to keeping skin hydrated and youthful. This hydration hero can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water! And once it delivers hydration to your skin cells, it also helps lock in the precious H2O. Hydration is also important to keep your skin looking its radiant best. And since we tend to become drier as we age – exacerbating signs of aging – hydration is crucial for a more youthful complexion.

Healthy Skin Function: Hyaluronic acid is important for wound healing, tissue repair, and the overall healthy functioning of all your skin cells. That means it helps your body retain collagen (an essential protein for firm skin), elasticity, and moisture in your skin. With the addition of free radicals and UV damage, a skincare regimen that supports hydration is essential. That’s where hyaluronic acid can make a huge difference!

Anti-Aging Superstar: As we age, our hyaluronic acid levels - similarly to our collagen production - begin to dip down, making it harder for our skin to retain moisture. No wonder we start noticing dry patches, fine lines, and wrinkles. By boosting your skin’s hyaluronic acid levels, you can help to restore some of that suppleness and elasticity, and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid can also help to plump your skin, making it appear more radiant and youthful.

Ready for a hydration skin-soothing and smoothing dream? Our Rose Hyaluronic Acid Serum is here to deliver a happier, healthier complexion. We included calendula – long-praised for its soothing, calming effects – along with white tea for a boost of antioxidants. All the while, your skin is also receiving the hyaluronic acid benefits of intense hydration and mega-plump, dewy-looking skin.

Why are natural ingredients more beneficial for my skin?

Natural ingredients can provide a range of benefits for the skin, such as hydration, protection from environmental stressors, and anti-inflammatory properties. These ingredients are also often gentler on the skin than synthetics from conventional products, making them a great choice for even those with sensitive skin. It's important to note that not all natural products are created equal, so it's essential to do your research and look for reputable brands that use high-quality natural ingredients. When chosen carefully, natural skincare products can be a game-changer for your skincare routine.

Can I use these ingredients if I have sensitive skin?

Yes! Natural skincare products are suitable for all skin types, including those with sensitive skin. But it's important to choose products that address your specific skin concerns. Different natural ingredients have varying effects on the skin, so it's crucial to understand your skin type and research which natural ingredients are best suited for you. For example, oily skin may benefit from ingredients like tea tree oil or witch hazel, while sensitive skin may benefit from ingredients like argan oil and coconut oil-derived ingredients.

How often should I incorporate these natural ingredients into my skincare routine?

Every day! However, it's important to transition into them slowly. Too much change in your routine at once can cause irritation and unwanted reactions to the skin, especially if you have sensitive skin, so take it at a gradual pace by introducing one natural product at a time. If you have super sensitive or reactive skin, do a patch test to ensure you don’t have any reactions.

Are these ingredients sustainable and ethically sourced by 100% PURE?

100% PURE ensures the purity and efficacy of its ingredients through a stringent sourcing process that prioritizes natural and organic components. The company performs thorough testing on all its ingredients to confirm their purity and safety. Additionally, they often opt for ingredients that are sustainably harvested, ensuring that their products are not only effective but also environmentally friendly and ethically sourced. By partnering with suppliers who share their commitment to quality and sustainability, 100% PURE ensures that every product meets high standards of purity and effectiveness.

What are the immediate and long-term benefits of switching to natural skincare?

By switching to natural skincare products, you will immediately begin to see clearer and more balanced skin. In the long term, you won't have to worry about chemicals, toxins, or harmful substances affecting your skin or worse, your health and causing harm. Making the move to natural skincare products can help reduce environmental impact, prevent synthetic ingredients from entering your body, and create an uplifting effect throughout your day-to-day life.

In recent years, the popularity of natural skincare products has risen significantly. Many people are questioning the ingredients in their everyday products and seeking out alternatives with natural ingredients. But can products with natural ingredients really make a difference? The answer is a resounding yes!

Natural ingredients can provide unmatched benefits for the skin, such as hydration, protection from environmental stressors, and anti-inflammatory properties. These ingredients are also often gentler on the skin than synthetics, making them a great choice for those with sensitive skin. It's important to note that not all natural products are created equal, so it's essential to do your research and look for reputable brands that use high-quality natural ingredients.

Speaking off, at 100% PURE, our product range not only promises purity but also ensures the potent efficacy of nature’s most powerful ingredients. When chosen carefully, products like the ones containing any of our top natural ingredients can be a game-changer for your skincare routine.

Using natural skincare is a huge complexion win and we invite you to claim your ultimate skin win! Remember, when it comes to natural skincare, consistency is key as well. Embrace the power of nature, nurture your skin with natural ingredients, and enjoy the transformative effects of a natural skincare routine – and the power of nature. Your skin and Mother Earth will thank you for it!