Ingredients & Craft · 7 comments ·

Herbal-Infused Skin Care: Botanical Craft Without Miracle Claims

The SelesTeres Journal · Ingredients & Craft
By Nina, founder of SelesTeres · Originally published January 9, 2023 · Full-length edition

Why Choose Herbal-Infused Skincare?

The quick answer

Herbal infusions can give skincare interesting color, aroma or formula character. A plant name alone does not prove that the finished body butter or soap treats eczema, acne, inflammation or emotional distress.

2 Minute Read
Skincare: an element of self-care that we often let fall to the wayside. I would know. I’ve seen countless people come in and out of the hospital where I worked who just didn’t seem to understand the importance of healthy skin. When you think about it, we’ll follow fad diets and maybe even make a few lifestyle changes to boost our health, but we won’t bat an eyelid where our skin is concerned. And here’s the kicker – your skin is the largest organ you have! That’s right. The largest organ in the human body is the skin.
Why am I telling you all of this?
Well, I’ve made it my mission to help people nourish their skin and take care of this vital organ by creating a line of active herbal skincare products, also known as herbal core skincare. I’ve also developed a signature all-natural body butter and organic body butter range. Not only are these products important to me from a medical standpoint, but they also form the foundation of an incredibly soothing act of self-care that can take the edge off in these crazy times we find ourselves in. In this article, I’ll be filling you in on the origins of 2 incredible herbal infusions that I use in a variety of my products. I’ll also be letting you in on why I choose to use them for their benefits to the mind, body, and spirit.
So, let’s get into the finer details ...

What Herbs Am I Referring To?

I use a variety of ingredients in my soaps and body butters but the three that I absolutely adore are Lavender, Calendula and Chamomile. You might have seen a few products containing these ingredients at your local beauty store or in the products that you’ve shopped for online, but here’s a question for you: do you know what they are?

Lavender can benefit the skin in numerous ways. It has the ability to lessen acne, help even skin tone, and reduce wrinkles. It can even be used to treat other things, such as improving hair health. Lavender skincare is moisturizing, reduces inflammation, lightens scars, fades dark spots, speeds wound healing, and soothes all skin conditions, including rosacea, eczema, psoriasis + dermatitis. Also provides anti-aging benefits such as plumping wrinkles and increasing collagen and skin elasticity!

Store Recommendations:

Explore our products made with Lavender Oil

Lavender Herbal Infusion
I have published a separate post about Lavender and you are welcome to read it HERE. In this article, i`d like to review my other two favorite herbs - Chamomile & Calendula.

Calendula is a gorgeous and fragrant flower that blooms in pops of orange. While they can grow just about anywhere in the world, they’re native to the regions of Southwestern Asia and Western Europe. But don’t let its origins fool you because this little wonder plant spread across the globe very quickly after its healing properties were discovered. According to ancient Chinese medicine, calendula is a neutral herb, which gives it the power to bring balance to its user. When the ancient Egyptians got their hands on it, they began using calendula for beautification as well as skin preservation against the northeast African sun. Finally, as it spread to the west, its powerful aromatherapy benefits for mind, body, and spirit were discovered.

Calendula has anti-inflammatory properties and can help calm redness and inflammation and ease skin discomfort. In addition to being soothing for any type of skin, this means that calendula can provide some relief from conditions like eczema or diaper rash.

Inflammation can cause so many frustrating skin issues. You can blame inflammation for your breakouts, rosacea, eczema, sensitivity, even a breakdown of collagen. All these inflammatory skin conditions can benefit from calendula’s soothing effects.

Calendula gives your skin cells the ability to absorb nutrients and hold onto water longer—great news for those with perpetually dry skin. In other words: products with calendula can lead to smoother, more supple, and more nourished skin.

For hundreds of years, calendula has been a go-to ingredient for wound healing. In fact, one study even found that calendula significantly decreased the healing time for C-Section scars. The women treated with calendula ointment reported their incisions were less swollen and red than those receiving standard hospital treatment.

In the short term, the nourishing benefits of calendula help to plump the surface of your skin to give you tighter, more supple skin. In the long term, both the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties help to protect your skin’s collagen and elastin supply.

Store Recommendations:

Explore our products made with Calendula

 

Side effects.

If you are allergic to ragweed, daisies, marigold, or flowers in the asteraceae family, it’s probably best to skip as it could lead to an allergic reaction. Also important to note: Doctors recommend opting out if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Ingesting calendula may impact your hormone levels or even induce menstruation. If you’re unsure about any of the above, check with your healthcare provider before incorporating calendula into your regular routine.

But what about chamomile?

Chamomile is native to Asia, Europe, and Africa. It is yet another wonder herb that has a slew of benefits, especially as an infused oil. It’s a daisy-Esque flower, perfectly pretty with its brilliant white petals and it makes for the best natural body butter.
Chamomile has plenty of powerful benefits such as anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties. And it contains essential oils and antioxidants. Chamomile is also hypoallergenic and helps reduce skin irritants by neutralizing free radicals. Using chamomile on the skin brings along powerful antioxidants which help the skin to regenerate, tighten pores and slow down ageing effects in the skin. Skin lightening: Blemishes and redness can be lightened by chamomile which is sometimes referred to as 'natural skin bleach'.
So, you know a little bit more about calendula and chamomile. Now, we can get to the fun part!

 

Store Recommendations:

Explore our products made with Chamomile

Calendula Herbal Infusion

Why I Chose Chamomile & Calendula?

Chamomile and calendula are loaded with benefits on their own but when you pair each of my body butters together in a skincare routine that is unique to you, you get compounded benefits. On the one hand, my Calendula handmade products can be part of a comforting body-care ritual.
On the other hand, my Chamomile handmade products offer a rich moisturizing feel without promising to erase acne scars.

My products aside, either of these super herbs will alleviate dry, itchy skin and ensure that you have a healthy epidermal layer that works to protect your skin beneath the surface. Using skincare products and soaps that are infused with herbal oils will prevent your skin from drying out. What’s more is that they can even relieve prolonged dryness, which could lead to oily patches as your skin desperately tries to overcompensate for its lack of moisture. Ultimately, you will be doing your skin a huge favor by tapping into the anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, and moisturizing benefits of these herbs. 

The Amazing Benefits of Herbal Infused Oils

If you’re looking for herbal skin solutions or skincare products, you can rest assured that you’ve found them. Now, we can wrap things up with the amazing benefits of using-herbal infused oils in skincare products and soaps:

1.    Reduces inflammation

If you have issues with eczema, urticaria, psoriasis, or any other inflammatory skin condition, calendula will soothe your skin. While the herb will not help you heal the inflammation (as it’s most likely an internal issue that is displaying outwards), it will keep the flares to a minimum. In fact, after some time, the inflammation will hardly be noticeable.

2.    Heals damaged skin

Chamomile has been used to heal wounds from the earliest recordings of natural medicine. Not only does this herb heal wounds, but it also aids in tissue rebuilding. You know what means for acne scars, don’t you? You can kiss them goodbye!

3.    Moisturizes dry skin

People who suffer from oily skin are usually dehydrated – both internally and externally. Start taking stock of your daily water intake and remedy your skin’s balance with chamomile-infused skincare products.

4.    Acts as a powerful anti-fungal

Calendula and chamomile are both anti-fungal in nature. On top of that, chamomile is also antiviral and can help soothe the effects on the skin that are brought on by common viral infections.

5.    Contains antibacterial properties

Did you know that calendula was once known as such a powerful antibacterial that it was commonly used to soothe diaper rash?! Imagine what it could do for your skin. Bid farewell to blemishes, discoloration, and irritation.

6.    Acts as a powerful antioxidant

Our lives are busy and, let’s face it, they’re not going to slow down anytime soon. Whether you’re covered in the smog of the city or your body is clammy with the salty dew of the ocean, your skin needs to fight off the free radicals that it comes into contact with on a daily basis. Chamomile and calendula will both do the trick!

Transform the way you feel with these healing herbal skincare products. Mother nature has provided them for us all to reap their benefits. Have you bought one of my products? Snap a photo of your new skincare routine and tag me! I’d love to see how my products are benefiting your life. (Social links below).

 

Find your products in my store. Have you bought one of my products? Snap a photo of your new skincare routine and tag me! I’d love to see how my products are benefiting your life. (Social links below).

Love Always, Nina ...

Frequently asked questions

Does herbal-infused mean medically effective?

No. Ingredient tradition does not establish finished-product treatment.

Are all herbal products safe for reactive skin?

No. Botanical ingredients and fragrance may cause reactions.

Can soap replace eczema treatment?

No.

How do I choose a botanical product?

Check the full formula, intended use and fragrance preferences.

Continue reading

Explore more SelesTeres rituals

Curated complements to this article—6 products across cleansing, skincare and home where relevant. Swipe to discover more; these are cosmetic and lifestyle products, not treatments for medical conditions.

Further reading & sources

For general education and inspiration only. SelesTeres products are cosmetics and lifestyle items, not medical treatments. Individual responses and sensitivities vary by person and formulation. If you have a health concern, seek advice from an appropriate healthcare professional.

7 comments

  • Devshree

    Being a patient of eczema ,nothing ever has worked much for me ,apart from Nina’s pure joy’s calendula shea body Butter !! It soothes down my eczema ,provides me with calmness and even reduces my rashes !!

  • Mayra

    Herbal infused skincare can be a great option for those with sensitive skin, as many herbs have anti-inflammatory and soothing properties that can help calm irritated skin. Additionally, these products often contain antioxidants that help protect the skin from environmental stressors.

  • Pierrot

    Glad To know the benefits of herbs in skincare &their importance in healthy skin. I am confident about using it. Amazing!

  • Nikki

    I had no idea that people with oily skin were actually dehydrated! That sounds about right. I definitely think using lavender products on my face helps with the roseacea.

  • James

    The article provides a great overview of the various herbs that can be used in skincare. I had no idea that calendula and lavender had such powerful properties for the skin.

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