11x best cosmetic ingredients for the skin
Which ingredients are good for the skin? These are the best organic cosmetic ingredients, which you will of course also find in our natural facial care and organic hair products.
- AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acids)
- Apple cider vinegar
- BHA(salicylic acid)
- Hemp
- Hyaluron
- Honey
- NovoRetin (Retinol)
- Peptides
- Probiotics
- Tea tree
- Propolis
Do you want to know why these are the best organic ingredients for the skin? Discover the 11 most sought-after raw materials below and learn how they can positively influence your skin!
1. AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acids)
AHA stands for Alpha Hydroxy Acids, which means Alpha Hydroxy Acids in Dutch. They are organic acids that occur naturally in certain foods and plants. In skin care, AHAs are often used for their exfoliating properties and their ability to improve skin texture.
Common forms of AHA in skin care products include:
- Glycolic Acid
- Lactic Acid
- Lactic Acid
The effect of AHAs in natural skin care
Glycolic acid is an AHA acid that is typically used in peels to remove dead skin cells. This makes the skin look fresher and more radiant. It can also improve skin texture and reduce fine lines or wrinkles . Stimulating skin cells can result in smoother and more youthful skin.
Lactic acid is a milder AHA that helps exfoliate and hydrate the skin. It is also suitable for sensitive skin.
In addition to exfoliation , Citric Acid can help brighten the skin and reduce dark spots. Do you want to remove pigment spots on your face ? Then this is a perfect cosmetic ingredient for your skincare.
Malic acid is an acid that occurs naturally in apples and pears. It is known for its moisturizing properties and helps improve skin texture.
View our AHA serum here – for noticeably firmer and smoother skin.
2. Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a relatively inexpensive and effective ingredient for skin problems. This is because it has an anti-inflammatory effect by killing bacteria and fungi. Since the acids can penetrate deep into your skin, it could also be used to treat pigmentation spots or eczema. However, because it can severely dry out the skin, we advise against using it on the skin indiscriminately. And especially not on dry, sensitive, or atopic skin . For this, it is better to use organic facial care products specifically developed for the treatment of pigmentation spots or eczema.
Apple cider vinegar for scalp problems and shiny hair
Where you can use apple cider vinegar very effectively, however, is for shiny hair and an itchy scalp . This ingredient is therefore excellent to use as a natural conditioner. It improves the pH balance of your scalp and closes the hair cuticles, making your hair shiny. Additionally, apple cider vinegar is a perfect and natural ingredient for scalp problems! Read here what apple cider vinegar can do for your hair.
Don't be afraid of the smell of vinegar in your hair. Once your hair is dry, you won't smell it anymore. You can make a hair rinse from apple cider vinegar yourself, but a ready-made version is even easier. Our apple cider vinegar hair rinse is specially made for an irritated and itchy scalp. In addition to apple cider vinegar, the rinse is enriched with nourishing ingredients such as nettle, rosemary, and lavender extract.
3. BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid / Salicylic Acid)
BHA stands for Beta Hydroxy Acid and is also known as salicylic acid. Like AHA, BHA provides exfoliation, but in the deeper layers of the skin. As a cosmetic ingredient, BHA is particularly suitable for oily skin with impurities such as acne or blackheads. In our opinion, this ingredient certainly belongs in the best products for acne , partly because BHA deeply cleanses the skin and has an anti-inflammatory effect. BHA is also a miracle cure for reducing enlarged pores . An added benefit is that the products you use afterwards, such as a nourishing cream or serum, are absorbed more quickly.
BHA in combination with AHA as an effective facial peel
The combination of BHA with AHA (natural fruit acids) is perfect for a gentle facial peeling that you can do at home!
Check out our here peeling face with BHA and AHA. The popular hyaluronic acid has also been added to this facial peeling - more about that later.
4. Hemp
Hemp-based care products have become indispensable in natural beauty today. And for good reason! Hemp, with its powerful antioxidants and omega fatty acids, was already known to hunter-gatherers more than ten thousand years ago. This traditional plant, with its rich mix of beneficial botanical ingredients, has now permanently conquered the world of cosmetics. After all, hemp is not only a perfect ingredient in organic skincare, but also in natural hair care.
Choose hemp in cosmetics and embrace the power of natural hair care and skin care in one.
Hemp for the skin
With approximately 600 (!) active ingredients, including vitamins, antioxidants, ceramides, cannabinoids and essential amino acids, hemp is a popular organic ingredient in skin care. Hemp oil, extracted by cold pressing hemp seeds, deeply hydrates and is known for its supportive properties for various skin types.
Suffering from dry patches or eczema on your face ? Then our Hemp body butter is definitely something you'll always want to have on hand. This product is especially suitable for atopic skin and contains, in addition to hemp, a blend of antiseptic essential oils (orange, tea tree, and lavender). This formula helps heal irritated skin, prevent inflammation, and relieve itching.
Hemp for it haar
Hemp oil also truly comes into its own in hair care. This oil, rich in fatty acids, gives the hair an irresistible shine and promotes hydration. It nourishes the scalp, strengthens hair roots, and helps in the fight against dandruff and scalp eczema.
Together with other natural ingredients, such as soothing nettle, cleansing and balancing activated charcoal, they make the best shampoo bar.
for a dry and irritated scalp. So that not only your scalp, but also your hair improves after every use!
5. Hyaluron
Hyaluron; a true powerhouse among the best cosmetic ingredients. This acid is not only important for connective tissue and wound healing; hyaluronic acid plays a major role in skin hydration and volume. The best hyaluronic acid serum contains hyaluron in two different molecular sizes: low and high molecular weight. This allows it to effectively do its work in all layers of the skin. The salt form of hyaluron hydrates the skin like no other ingredient does! It is therefore also suitable for treating extremely dry facial skin.
In combination with probiotics (more on that later) and cold-pressed organic oils, hyaluronic acid can truly be called a miracle cure for wrinkles.
6. Honey
Honey is hydrating, naturally antibacterial, and full of antioxidants. This makes it an ideal ingredient in skincare, provided that nourishing, raw, and pure honey is used. It is also, of course, important that the honey is produced sustainably with respect for the producers. We use Hikiän honey in our natural facial cleanser . This honey is Demeter-certified biodynamic honey and is tested annually. The honey is 100% free of pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs. This is rare in honey production and indicates how pure the product is.
Do you have high-quality raw honey at home? Then you can also use it when you are bothered by a pimple. Apply a thin layer and leave it on for about fifteen to twenty minutes. Then rinse off gently. In this way, honey certainly belongs in an acne treatment , in addition to treating dry skin.
7. NovoRetin (Retinol)
Retinol is currently one of the most popular cosmetic ingredients in skincare. It is a form of vitamin A and is primarily used in the fight against skin aging. It is a powerful ingredient that works effectively against wrinkles, fine lines, pigmentation spots, and red cheeks (rosacea). Because it stimulates skin renewal, it can also help reduce acne. In other words, retinol is a true all-rounder for firmer, smoother, and more even skin!
NovoRetin; the plant-based form of Retinol
NovoRetin in our best retinol serum is a plant-based substance that increases the retinol level in the skin. It does this by slowing down the breakdown of naturally occurring retinoic acid. In this way, it helps to sustainably renew the skin and provides an immediate firming and smoothing effect. Normally, retinol has side effects such as skin reactions around the eyes or mouth. The biggest advantage of this form of retinol is that you do not experience these unpleasant side effects! NovoRetin can therefore even be used for sensitive skin and during pregnancy, unlike many other retinol products. Read more about skincare during pregnancy here.
Curious what Retinol NovoRetin can do for your skin? View retinol before and after here to see the before and after photos.
8. Peptidesn
Another cosmetic ingredient you might have heard of in relation to anti-aging skincare: peptides. This is certainly something worth incorporating into your skincare routine. Peptides are sequences of amino acids; building blocks of the body's own proteins, including collagen and elastin fibers. Collagen provides structure and elasticity to the skin, among other things. As a baby, your skin produces 100% collagen, which is why children's cheeks are so nice and firm. As you get older, this slowly decreases, but after the age of 25, this process accelerates significantly. Subsequently, after the age of 50, collagen production stops almost completely. Unfortunately, because collagen ensures, among other things, that the skin remains firm and wrinkles don't stand a chance.
Peptide is therefore a popular 'active ingredient' that is being added to an increasing number of cosmetic products. However, please note that the effectiveness of peptides in facial cleansers is significantly lower because they are washed off the skin. It is therefore better to choose this cosmetic ingredient for products such as a serum or natural eye cream.
Use peptides together with other cosmetic ingredients
Peptides do not like being alone. They come into their own when combined with other effective, organic cosmetic ingredients. Think of antioxidants that protect the skin against harmful external influences. In our Green Tea & Peptide eye cream, for example, we also use pomegranate extract, among other ingredients, which also increases the production of collagen and elastin. Supplemented with caffeine and green tea extract to combat dark circles and puffiness, it makes a perfect cream for aging skin around the eyes and instantly gives a fresher look.
9. Probiotics
Probiotics have long been in the spotlight in the field of nutrition due to their relationship with a healthy gut flora. And recently, the cosmetics world has also been shining a light on these 'good' bacteria. Topical probiotics, for example in a facial serum, are also referred to as topical probiotics. Did you say bacteria? Yes, exactly; that is what probiotics actually are. For a healthy skin microbiome, we need a good balance between the different bacteria. The 'good' bacteria prevent the 'bad' ones from settling on the skin. It has proven effects on the well-being and health of the skin.
What probiotics can do for our skin's protective layer
Our skin microbiome acts as a kind of protective mechanism for the skin. On the one hand, we keep it as intact as possible by using mild products that respect the natural skin barrier. These probiotic particles in skincare offer various benefits, especially when combined with other cosmetic ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid. They accelerate skin repair, the physical barrier function, and the skin's natural defense system. Due to its moisturizing effect, this ingredient is even perfectly suitable for dry facial skin.
And that's not all! Many other skin problems are also caused by skin that is out of balance. Think of acne or forms of eczema such as clown eczema . That is why probiotics are also a perfect ingredient to treat these skin conditions naturally.
10. Tea tree
Last, but certainly not least! Thanks to its strong antiseptic properties, tea tree is a fantastic multifunctional cosmetic ingredient for all kinds of skin problems. It is also a well-known ingredient in the best acne products . Tea tree oil is an essential oil from the native Australian tree Melaleuca alternifolia. This oil has been cherished by various cultures for centuries due to its variety of antimicrobial functions.
Acne can be treated with natural products or 'heavy-duty remedies' such as benzoyl peroxide. Research shows that although benzoyl peroxide is also an effective remedy, tea tree oil causes fewer side effects. As with many natural cosmetic ingredients, you need a little more patience to see results, but in return, you get healthier skin! You can come to Flow Cosmetics for pure tea tree oil or, among other things, in a natural facial oil , which you can apply directly to the skin.
11. Propolis
Propolis, also known as “kithars,” is a resinous substance collected by bees from tree buds, sap flows, or other plant sources. Propolis has been used for various medicinal purposes for centuries due to its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. It contains a variety of compounds, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenes, which contribute to its therapeutic effects. Some studies suggest that a propolis ointment may be beneficial in the treatment of skin conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, and acne.
Of course there are many more organic ingredients that enrich your care products, such as betaine, rose oil, vitamin C, Arctic berries... just to name a few. You will find them all in our range!
Finally, effective natural beauty is not just about adding effective organic cosmetic ingredients, but also about avoiding ingredients that can damage the skin or your health. Read also: natural makeup without harmful substances.
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